The Clique
Lisi Harrison
The Clique
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Second Collection
by Lisi Harrison
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Nobody said being popular was easy—especially when the stakes are as high as keeping your spot in the most exclusive girl group in school. Secrets, rivalries, and surprises lurk behind every perfectly polished smile. Why does fitting in feel like a game you can never win?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This boxed set contains three books from the bestselling 'The Clique' series, focusing on the social dynamics and challenges faced by girls in a privileged middle school setting. Suitable for teens aged 13-18, the series explores themes of friendship, social status, and adolescence with a focus on girls' experiences. Parents should note it addresses typical middle school conflicts and social pressures in a realistic but engaging way.
Why we rated The Clique 11ME
The Clique is written at a Level 6 reading level across 272 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Clique works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate The Clique as 11ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, The Clique explores friendship, coming of age, family, social justice, and school & education — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, coming of age, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
5/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780316066938
- Pages
- 272
- Publisher
- Poppy
- Published
- November 15, 2006
- Type
- Fiction