The Clique Summer Collection: Claire by Lisi Harrison

Will Claire's Florida BFFs become former BFFs?

Back in Orlando for the summer, Claire is reunited with her Florida best friends, Sarah, Sari, and Mandy, after a long year apart. Her FBFs haven't changed at all. Too bad they think Claire has . . . and not for the better. Claire sets out to prove her loyalty by entering Kissimmee's Miss Kiss pageant. But when a very special visitor shows up and vows to win the crown, Claire finds herself torn between Keds and couture. Will Claire finally kiss-immee her past goodbye-once and for all?

I’ve been waiting a long while to read this book. Happy and grateful to be reading it but the high of reading a book you’ve waited so long to read faded way to fast for me. Of course, this book did NAWT disappoint. Claire faces what I’ve been waiting for her to face ever since Massie and the PC accepted her, the reaction of her Florida bffs when they see the new, Massiefied Claire. I wasn’t disappointed (you’ve gotta read to find out—or you can guess—but I’d prefer if you’d read the book). Claire’s solution was an obvious disaster from the get go and I figured it wasn’t gonna end pretty; and I was dreading it.

Let me stop for a minute to explain something. You know how sometimes when I say that a story is predictable but I loved it. It’s just that what ever happened between the CAUSE and EFFECT isn’t what I expected. And that’s what is most important to me in most stories. It could be a big thing or something as small as stepping on a butterfly. If everything is too much like I envisioned it between the CAUSE and EFFECT then the story even though it was full of adventure and so on becomes bland to me…

So Claire’s story was bittersweet not what I expected. She constantly surprises me. Yes I know that many people think that Claire is a weakling for donning the Massie flag and most importantly for wanting to do so. But it’s like Lisi says; Claire is comfortable with who she is on a level that Massie isn’t and Massie sees it and is very threatened by it. Also, it may seem like Claire is being a mindless Massie follower doing what Massie says et cetra, and that Massie has control of her but she really doesn’t. Think about it:

o She eats what she wants (gunny bears, candy heart, whatever)

o She hangs with who she wants (Layne)

o She sometimes wears what she wants

She still has a mind of her own. That’s why I believe she’s stronger than she seems. But I tend to forget and have to be reminded like in the case of this book.

Wow. I went off on a tangent there. I guess in less words what I’m trying to make you see is that when I say a story is predictable it isn’t always so. And it’s also my way of saying that whatever lies in between the cause and the effect (the details) is what I anticipated. And even if I almost always see the ending coming in a certain way I’m often surprised as to what goes down. Oh and if you haven’t guessed. I liked Claire’s story but it was an uncomfortable experience having Massie there but not knowing what she’s thinking.