The Clique (series)

The book-packaging subdivision of Alloy Online, which focuses on the teen market, conceived the series after becoming interested in developing an in-house franchise.[12][13][14] They approached Lisi Harrison, who was working as a writer for MTV, about producing a series of youth novels. She said of this proposal, "Always being a closeted wannabe author - I jumped at the opportunity. I loved the idea." Harrison actually wrote this book as a "joke", highlighting that she had named the high school "OCD"–akin to a disease known as obsessive–compulsive disorder, commonly abbreviated as OCD. She created this series to show everyone that popular people aren't perfect and that everyone has flaws.[15] Alloy's involvement in the process of writing varies from series to series;[16] Harrison said that in her case they functioned as a sounding board, but otherwise, "they left me to my own devices. It's very much my book."[15] The result was the first novel in the series, The Clique, which was published in May 2004 by Little, Brown and Company.[17][18][19]

• Massie Block is the alpha (leader) and founder of her clique, The Pretty Committee. She has glossy brown hair and amber eyes. She is bossy and stuck-up, and her greatest desire is to be better than most people, but there is a sweeter side to her. Her family is rich because her dad is a successful businessman, so Massie gets everything she wants, though the Block family becomes temporarily bankrupt when her dad loses his job. She loves shopping, and has a large number of designer clothes and credit cards. She has dated Derrick "Derrington" Harrington and Landon Crane. Although she acts like she has no flaws, she has an insecure side that she usually only reveals to her black Pug, Bean, and sometimes her friends, mostly Claire.
• Alicia Rivera is described as the most beautiful girl at OCD, with dark, glossy hair, big brown eyes, and a huge chest, which she is infamously known for. It's later revealed she has had Breast augmentation surgery. She loves gossiping, and she eventually becomes the morning announcer at OCD. She also loves to dance, and takes lessons at Body Alive Dance Studio. She loves all things Ralph Lauren. She lives in a fancy mansion with her ex-model mother Nadia, and her famous lawyer dad, Len. Alicia has always wanted to be a leader like Massie, but she can never quite pull it off, which irritates her. She had a major crush on Josh Hotz, a guy who has a Ralph Lauren obsession like she does. They date briefly, but Alicia dumps him when she realizes they wear the same size clothes. Alicia is hinted to be the new alpha in the last book, when Massie moves to England, in "A Tale of Two Pretties.
• Dylan Marvil is Massie's "second-in-command". She is the Pretty Committee's source to the celebrity world, for her mother is Merri-Lee Marvil, the famous talk show host and television personality for the Daily Grind. Dylan has two sisters, Ryan and Jaime, who aren't really mentioned or seen except for in "Charmed and Dangerous: The Rise of the Pretty Committee" and in "A Tale Of Two Pretties," where they star in their own reality show called "Marvil-ous Marvils" along with Dylan and their mom. Dylan has long, red hair and green eyes, and worries constantly about her weight, even though she is described to have a good body. She wears a size 6.
• Kristen Gregory is an all-star soccer player at school. She is a bit of a tomboy but loves designer clothes. Her mother disapproves of the racy clothing that Kristen likes, which is why they don't get along too well. However, despite her mother's objections, Kristen still wears the clothing behind her mother's back. Kristen's dad lost all of his money before the series began, which causes her to become poor, and she doesn't want anyone to know. She tells Claire about the secret on an instant messaging service, thinking she was confessing to Massie. She eventually tells the others in the third book, "Revenge of the Wannabes". Kristen is highly intelligent, attending OCD on a full scholarship, until the book "The Pretty Committee Strikes Back", when she is expelled. She is considered to be pretty with her long blond hair and blue eyes, although in "Invasion of the Boy-Snatchers" a disastrous hair appointment leaves her with a short pixie cut. She enjoys playing word games and is very athletic. In the Summer Books, it is revealed Kristen is the leader of The Witty Committee, an Anti-Pretty Committee group that strives upon intelligence and character. She is the founder of their lip gloss company that turned out to be a fail. In the group they dress up as intelligent people in history, and Kristen chooses to be Cleopatra. Several other students, including Claire's best friend Layne Abeley, are in the group. When Massie finds out about The Witty Committee, she and Kristen's friendship is temporarily ended, but Kristen regains Massie's approval later on.
• Claire Lyons moved from Orlando, Florida to Westchester, New York. Her dad was good friends with Massie's dad in college, and the Lyons are living in Massie's guesthouse. Claire's family is not rich or successful like the other girls' families are, so she has a hard time fitting in at first, but eventually does. She becomes friends with Layne, known to the Pretty Committee as an LBR (Loser Beyond Repair). In the end, Massie leaves telling Claire, "I heart you." Her trademark is her love of Keds, Gummies and Sours and her crush on Cam Fisher, and thanks to the encouragement and acceptance from her former bully, Massie Block, she is not only allowed to be in The Clique, but to also be in a relationship with Cam and be friends with Layne at the same time, so she is reasonably liked and respected by her peers. Claire is described as having blonde hair with short bangs and wide blue eyes. She briefly leaves the Pretty Committee in favor of two freshman Drama-Club Girls, Cara and Syd, and when earning the lead role in a blockbuster movie, Dial L for Loser. She has trouble fitting in because of her sense of style or her personality. Claire is known to be down-to-earth and loyal. She is best friends with Sarah, Sari and Mandy, who are in Florida, but soon learns in her summer book that Sarah, Sari and Mandy secretly hate her, so she votes Massie to win the beauty pageant instead of them, preferring to be friends with Massie, Alicia, Dylan and Kristen, where she feels accepted and more herself.

The Clique was selected as a "Quick Pick For Reluctant Young Adult Readers" by YALSA.[37] Best Friends for Never was nominated for the 2005 Quill Awards in the "Young Adult/Teen" category.[38] Best Friends for Never reached The New York Times bestseller list in early February 2005, four months after it was published, but remained there only one week.[39] It returned in late February for another week, reaching #7.[40] Following the release of the next volume in the series, It entered the bestseller list again in late March, where it stayed another week, then in late April, where it remained for three weeks.[41][42][43] In late March it also made an appearance on the Publishers Weekly bestseller list, coming in at #9.[44] Copies of the novel have continued to sell in large numbers: nearly 150,000 in 2005,[45] over 200,000 in 2006,[46] and over 150,000 in 2007.[47]

Three of the novels from the "Summer Collection", Alicia, Dylan, and Massie, made the New York Times' Children's Books best seller list. On June 22, 2008, Alicia debuted on the list in first place, with Dylan and Massie placing second and sixth, respectively.[48]