Dial L for Loser: A Clique Novel (by Lisi Harrison)

Surprisingly, Claire -- the least glamorous of the bunch -- beats out Massie and Alicia for the part. She develops movie friendships with two teen stars, aggravating the others even though they land roles reporting on the movie happenings for an early-morning news show.

Tricks, miscommunications, and back-stabbing put Claire right back where she started -- at the bottom of the clique heap -- though there's a hint of potential film career.

There's no doubt that author Lisi Harrison, a writer for MTV, knows the female tween crowd -- what appeals, what's trendy, what's enticing. And clearly with the following of the Clique series, she's touched a nerve with this demographic.

But instead of creating a novel that helps girls see through the shallow world of cliques like the book's Pretty Committee, DIAL L FOR LOSERS perpetuates stereotypes of kids, specifically girls, being malicious, gossipy, jealous, materialistic, and unable to learn from experiences in a way that shows maturation and taking responsibility for yourself. While the "nerdy" (and most sympathetic) character does appear to get a taste of popularity and learn something about herself, the others are as self-involved at the end of the book as they were in the beginning.