Bratfest at Tiffany's

Author: Lisi Harrison

Price: Rs. 540 / Rs. 295 (if published by Piaktus)

Publisher: Poppy Books

Find it at: Amazon

Recommended for: Young Teens

Bratfest at Tiffany's is a Clique novel, the ninth installment in the series. Massie and her gang are in 8th grade, final year of middle school and they want to make it as best and ah-mazing as ever! But their alpha status is in serious danger. It's always been the Pretty Committee (PC) at OCD that was admired by all the students and whatever they did was followed by the 'lesser' kids doing the same. However, now the students have something much better to think about- boys from Brairwood, who lost their school to flood and now were being accommodated at OCD (which changed to BOCD). It's a bitter shock for Massie to see that kids really didn't care about the PC anymore. All they wanted to talk about was the soccer players and the non-soccer players!

Storyline

After OCD turns BOCD and gets infested by boys, Massie declares a boyfast. Anyone crushing on a boy will be turned out of the gang, which is now The NPC (New Pretty Committee). To make their promises properly, Massie gifts everyone in NPC (Alicia, Dylan, Kristen, Claire) a charm bracelet from Tiffany's, with each of their initials dangling from it. It was to serve as a reminder of their boyfast every time they thought they were breaking the rules. While on the surface everyone seemed unperturbed, they were having secret pangs in their own. Alicia, for instance, thinks she cannot just leave ah-dorable Josh and makes up a plan to be at the same table at lunch when THE news would be read out. (She was the student news reader and had 'accidentally' seen the next day's announcement, which said that half the kids would be taken to their 'new' building to ease the chaos of so many kids). While The NPC (along with many other kids) shifts to a trailer, which is cold, damp, musty and an ewww place for the NPC to be, Alicia's trying to ease her gulit. Massie knows Alicia did it on purpose and they make her leave the NPC for breaking the rules.

Claire tries hard not to notice her ex, Cam, who's replaced her with Olivia. Meanwhile, Massie's determined to make life for the kids in the trailer fun and revive her alpha status. She doesn't want to be pitied, rather adored. She hires a famous designer and surprises everyone with the "new" and happening trailer! It resembles a huge Tiffany jewelry box, with soft, plush carpets, leather bound massage chairs, Louis Vuitton suitcase lockers and fantastic aromatic walls! Except for a couple of LBRs (Loser Beyond Repair), everyone loves it! To make the whole look completely ah-dorable, Massie gives everyone in the trailer a makeover! The fabulous new trailers are now better than the Main Building, filling all students with pangs of envy. To add to it, there's a news coverage of the makeover and now parents of students at MB call it unfair that their own kids don't get to stay in the trailers (Massie's 'Mission Accomplished!' moment).

There's a locker-designing contest held, where students who design the best lockers win and get to stay at the trailers. The soccer guys are not interested, because they don't want to live in a 'jewelry' box, but The NPC wants them to go away. Alicia begs Massie to take her back but Massie puts up a condition- that she gets rid of the boys. When results of the contest are announced, Alicia changes the list and puts all soccer boys (including all their ex-crushes) in the Tiffany box! That makes her win over her friends and Massie ends the boyfast! The LBRs are sad to see NPC go from the trailers and they (NPC) pretend they're sad too, but they're actually very happy to get their old school back, to themselves!

My Take

Certainly interesting and a fun read. Any young teen girl who loves luxury, cute stuff and girly talks would love this book. It's very descriptive, providing visualizations that add to the benefits of this book. It talks about the insecurities of a young girl who's used to fame and being adored by her 'fans', and her friends who define who she is. Everyone in the PC is a different character with different tastes and it gives a look into the same situation through five different minds. Though the idea of a central character who's snobbish and sometimes a bully, a riot who aggressively demands anything she wants, is not very appealing, but it has been wonderfully done, nevertheless. The feelings, worries, happiness and all small things it talks about in a teenager's life, is something everyone can connect with (except the super rich part, maybe). Overall, a good book, recommended for chick-lit loving young girls. :)

The Clique has been converted into a movie as well.

Other books in the series- Best Friends for Never

Best Friends for Never

Lisi Harrison

Author: Lisi Harrison
Price: Rs. 225
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (some editions by Harper Collins too)

Recommended for: Young teens. And girls who love luxury brand clothes.

Coming across this book was totally random and the cover stating it as "THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES" was what made me pick it up. It's a chick-lit for young teenage girls, the second book in "The Clique" series, involving a group of super rich, or call that 'filthy' rich young girls (or brats) headed by Massie Block, seventh grader, who wants nothing more than being the top performer. In every single thing.

Storyline

The Block estate has got Massie's dad's friend's family staying at the guesthouse and Massie hates the fact that they have to spend their dinner time with them, not to mention Claire, Massie's classmate who wants nothing more than join Massie's 'clique' so that she would be hanging out with the 'cool' gang. And Claire's ten year old pesky brother, Todd who's always trying to play mischievous tricks on them. After a nasty argument at the dinner table, where the luxury brand loving Massie calls Claire outdated and makes fun of her wearing sweats and Keds, their parents decided it's time to teach the girls to behave and get along with each other.

Massie overhears this and gets a devilish idea in her head. She got to know that a girl in her class has decided to organize a Halloween boy-girl party, something that's never happened before. Of course, it has to be Massie who will organize it and get all the attention, because it's her admirers and her friends that Massie loves beyond anything! She tricks Claire into pretending to be friends so that her parents agree to let her have the party. The plan works and the parents think it's a joint party by both girls and then Massie makes it clear that it's only her party, reducing Claire to sobs.

Best Friends for Never book cover

Anyway, a professional is hired and Massie gets whatever she wants for her party- ice skating rink, DJ, sweets stalls, tattoo artists and everything! Massie and her friends- Dylan, Kristen, Alicia (who call themselves the "Pretty Committee") decide to wear the same outfit to school that they were going to wear at the party. Gorgeous outfits, of course. There's one for Claire too, but Massie "forgets" to ask her to wear it. Anyway, they get in trouble at school and everyone but Massie is worried. Massie wouldn't ah-bviously be punished. Her dad donates huge amount of money to their school, OCD and they wouldn't dare punish her! But the school comes up with bad news- they're going uniform! Everyone turns to Massie with looks of loathing and she couldn't afford that! So she convinces the teachers to let them design uniforms and have a contest, to see who designs best.

For all the trouble, it's only Kristen who gets grounded (because she isn't as rich as the others and swaps her clothes on the way to school) and she doesn't attend the Halloween "Hell Freezes Over" party. Everyone seems to have fun at the party- even Claire who finds a friend in Cam, a good looking guy and they get along well. The story ends with a family dinner and everything being good and everyone feeling satisfied.

It's titled "Best Friends for Never" because Claire tries really hard to be best friends with Massie and her clique, but Massie is determined not to let her join her gang!

My take

It's a book that will be enjoyed most by girls in their early teens and those who love ah-dorable stuff like high end clothes and shoes. It's very descriptive, which makes visualizing the story very easy and that's what makes it interesting. The story and tantrums of a young girl, who feels complete with her gang and who cannot live without shopping. To me, Massie seemed the kind of girl who I wouldn't want to be with. I identify more with Claire, who has accepted how she is and doesn't care much about clothes. But to read about Massie gives insights into the insecurities and fears of those who are bullies. There are a few things which they are comfortable with, and they love to show it off. Sometimes I felt it's a little too descriptive, but I enjoyed reading it nevertheless. Felt kind of same when I used to read the Sweet Valley High series in school! 

Recommended for young teens!