So Not The Drama: A Del Rio Bay Clique Novel (del Rio Bay Clique Novels) [Paperback]

Paula Chase (Author)

Book Description

Series: del Rio Bay Clique Novels | Publication Date: February 27, 2007

In exactly one hour, eighteen minutes, and thirty-five seconds, Mina Mooney will be dipping her pink Nellie timbs into the infamous frosh pit...

Hoping Del Rio Bay High will live up to her greatest expectations, Mina has big plans for infiltrating the school's social glitterati. After all, she's been mad popular for as long as she can remember--and she isn't about to go from Middle School Royalty to High School Ambiguity. But Del Rio Bay is a big school, so it'll take some plotting to avoid getting lost in the crowd. Good thing she isn't afraid of a little hard work and that her playground peeps--Lizzie, Michael, and JZ--have got her back.

But it isn't long before Mina's big plans for securing her social status take a back seat to some drama that was so not expected. Lizzie's scored an invite from the beautiful people that Mina can only dream about, and not only is Michael tripping about being back in school, but now he's beefing with JZ. Worst of all, Mina's sociology class experiment to rid the world--or at least Del Rio Bay High--of prejudice is about to backfire...because it might just mean she'll have to rid herself of her very best friend.

A novel about friendship, betrayal, and how far some will go for popularity, So Not the Drama takes a fresh and wickedly funny look at planet high school.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

"Popularity is a drug. . . . You honest to God need it." When Mina starts high school, the social scene in the cafeteria is the center of her world, and she longs to be part of the glam clique of snotty black rich kids. Then she is caught up in a class project on prejudice with three other students, and she sees close-up what's behind their public faces: Kelly, the rich, shy Puerto Rican; Jacinta, who lives in the projects; and Jessica, the snob. Meanwhile, Mina quarrels with her best friend (is it because Lizzie is white?) and worries that another friend, Michael, is being called "fag." The first book in the Del Rio Bay Clique series is too long, and its huge cast and constantly changing viewpoint slow things down further, as does the occasionally messagey sociology stuff. But the fast, funny colloquial talk (including e-mails and IMs) will probably pull readers into the contemporary friendship story, which revels in a rich diversity of race, color, and class. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Paula Chase resides in Maryland with her husband and two daughters, where she lives and eats competitive cheerleading nine months out of the year. Her writing has appeared in Girls Life, Sweet 16, Baltimore Magazine, and others.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: K-Teen/Dafina (February 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758218591
• ISBN-13: 978-0758218599
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #908,142 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #94 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Issues > Popularity

More About the Author

They say if you want something done, ask the busiest person in the room. They'll grab your task, throw it on the fire of their To-Do list and keep on burning. Paula Chase did that with teen lit and her debut novel, So Not The Drama. Concerned that YA was no more diverse than it had been in her teen years, Chase began writing contemporary fiction revolved around characters of color. Proclaiming her work, hip lit, a nod to the impact hip hop has had on mainstream culture, Chase's five-book series follows a multi-culti clique of friends and showcases the evolution of their friendship as they navigate the choppy waters of high school. The married mother of two is also a co-founder of The Brown Bookshelf, a site designed to push awareness of the myriad of African American voices writing for young readers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Who You Wit?, December 15, 2007

By 

Urban Reviews "Your Source for the Best in AA... (Online) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: So Not The Drama: A Del Rio Bay Clique Novel (del Rio Bay Clique Novels) (Paperback)

Welcome to the wonderful world of Amina (Mina) Mooney. All that Miss JV Cheerleader can think about is that she's 63 hours, 10 minutes and 40 seconds away from entering the glamorous world of high school. While her clique (Lizzie the actress, Michael the artist and JZ the athlete) can all go without the constant updates given by Mina about the amazing world that they'll be inducted in once they mix with the uppers, it's cool because the clique already knows that Mi is doing what she does best. GO HIGH SCHOOL GO!

Mina thinks she's made major strides since she's the only one out of the crew to land a LL (life lesson) course. But when she finds herself stuck in a group with Jessica (a glam who's had it bad for Miss Mina), Jacinta (a newcomer who is too hood), and little Miss innocent Kelly, Mina wonders how her status will fair with so much competition. While Mina strives to conquer a project, she learns that although she's adapted her project into her life, just maybe she needs to make a few minor adjustments. Will Mina break the ranks of her rigid friendship, or can Miss Mi add the right elements to balance the drama that has arisen?

So Not The Drama was a shock as I didn't expect the read to be as massive as it was. I'd convinced myself that I wouldn't like the book because it dealt with cliques. But I'm happy to say that Paula Chase whipped that craziness right out! As each teen deals with their own drama and friendships, readers see how each teen's strife compares to the other. I couldn't wait to call my sisters and aunts to tell them that this is definitely a WIN! So Not The Drama is a clean teen book that they can all feel good about allowing their teens to read. I'm so looking forward to reading Don't Get It Twisted. Paula, keep it up girl!

Reviewed by Nardsbaby
for Urban Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars High School Hopes, February 27, 2007

By 

Little Willow (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: So Not The Drama: A Del Rio Bay Clique Novel (del Rio Bay Clique Novels) (Paperback)

Making the transition from middle school to high school is never easy. Four life-long friends are about to take that step together: Mina, the girl who is genuinely nice to everyone and can't wait to be in high school; JZ, the jock and ladies' man; Lizzie, the hopeful actress; and Michael, whose secret ambitions aren't even known to his best friends.

A great deal of the book deals with Mina's sociology class, where a project forces the students to confront their prejudices head-on and and discuss family matters, racial identity, social status, and more. As the girls in her group visit each other's homes, they realize how vastly different their neighborhoods and backgrounds are, and that first impressions can be deceiving. While some books would make them all become buddy-buddy after this experiment, that is not necessarily the case here.

This is only one example of what makes Paula Chase's YA debut so realistic. Another would be Lizzie's awkwardness around the school's leading actress, who is prone to giving backhanded compliments. As four freshman start being pulled in different directions, tempers flare. Fights between friends can be worse that those with enemies. Lizzie and Mina find themselves at odds, as do Michael and JZ.

Unlike other clique-y books, which may emphasize the negative connotation of the word 'clique' to mean 'exclusivity,' DEL RIO BAY HIGH CLIQUE simply refers to the core group of friends. Also unlike similarly-titled stories, SO NOT THE DRAMA is a multi-layered story. High school is a vast ocean, and it's easy to get caught up in the current. It's just as easy to get caught up in this book. Urban, gritty, contemporary, and thoughtful.

5.0 out of 5 stars So Not The Drama, July 12, 2008

By 

OOSA Online Book Club "O.O.S.A. Gets It Read!" (World Wide Web, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: So Not The Drama: A Del Rio Bay Clique Novel (del Rio Bay Clique Novels) (Paperback)

Seeing that I've just completed my senior year of high school, my cousin kept saying what a good, clean read this would be for me. Finally after receiving the books, I have to totally agree. `So Not The Drama' is adventurous and filled with so much personality, drama and special friendships. I absolutely loved Mina's positive attitude about things. I am looking forward to starting `Don't Get It Twisted.'

Reviewed by: Lauren
OOSA Teen Reviewer