Customer Reviews

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

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4 star:		(3)
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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

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.

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

Mina has all the wit and charm and stuff that teenagers are made of. So Not The Drama by Author Paula Chase is fresh and clean. Chase brings Mina to life in such a powerful way that you just got to want to know who's that girl? Well, she's Mina! She has her own giddyness that makes being crusty-eyed so kewl, but she ain't got that mini skirt she's desperate for--oh, oh! This is a wonderful treat for the high school princess(es) in your life!

Mina and her friends, JZ, Lizzie, and Michael, also known as "The Clique," are about to leave behind their familiar middle school where they are comfortable and popular, and enter the big, unfamiliar Del Rio Bay High School. They've heard stories, and they think they know what to expect, but when the friends get to high school, they realize they're not nearly as informed as they thought they were! No matter how much you think you know, high school is a lot to handle.

Mina's got big plans for her time at Del Rio Bay High. She was popular in middle school, and she definitely wants to become one of the elite in high school, too. However, her schemes (predictably) do not go quite as planned!

While this book has been categorized as African-American fiction, and Mina is black, I don't think that only African-American teens will enjoy the book. Prejudice is an issue that is dealt with skillfully, and that's important, but there is so much more to this book!

There has to be, really; it's nearly four-hundred pages long. It dragged a little at times, but, for the most part, it was an enjoyable book, and quite readable! I made the mistake of judging SO NOT THE DRAMA by its cover and expecting yet another fluffy, forgettable novel, but this book definitely surpassed my expectations. While the dialogue didn't always strike me as completely realistic (although, admittedly, I am a middle-class white girl and don't really have the same background as many of the characters), the story as a whole was surprisingly real and deep. SO NOT THE DRAMA is well worth reading.

Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce

So Not The Drama is full of drama - the identity defining, personality developing, character building kind that all teenagers face. When four best friends; Mina, Michael, Lizzie and JZ take the long and winding road from junior high to high school, they hit a few unexpected potholes along the way. Mina, determined to not become a little fish in a big pond, plots to maintain high popularity as a cheerleader and all around "it" chick. Can she do it? Lizzie faces her fears and follows her acting dreams. But where does it lead? JZ's jock status remains intact, even as he's limited to the junior varsity squad. But what about his ego? Michael decides to be who he really is, instead of what's expected. Can his friends handle that?

As difficult as defining and maintaining ones identity can be, an assignment in Mina's sociology class gets thrown in the mix; causing these friends to delve even farther into their own psyches and each other's as well. As the story unfolds, they question friendship, family ties, cultural pride and whether any price is too high when it comes to being our authentic selves.

Paula Chase has written a novel that is at once engaging and inspiring, controversial and comedic. The teen's language is so catching you'll find yourself reciting it once the last page of dialogue has been turned. Ms. Chase tackles common teen problems with wit and finesse, and presents a microcosm of the world that is refreshingly diverse. If So Not The Drama is any indication, Ms. Chase will have a clique of her own, one that follows these characters and their adventures for many books to come.

Lutishia Lovely
Author, Sex In The Sanctuary
www.LutishiaLovely.com

So Not The Drama by Paula Chase is a wonderful exploration of a young girl's mind. Mina is a middle-class African-American girl who has spent her middle-school years as the `It Chick'. She is consumed with how she will be perceived as a freshman at Del Rio Bay High School. She has good friends who keep her in check, most of the time, but popularity is her drug.

Freshman year finds Mina in a class called Life Lessons that will expose her feelings and how she relates to those around her. The meetings force Mina to branch out and communicate with people who would not normally be of her choosing. The class meetings forces Mina to look inside herself and will change the dynamics of her relationships with her classmates. Mina will also be forced to look at her long-time friendships with fresh eyes.

So Not The Drama was a reading adventure. I loved the way the author used teen-speak, it was as though I was sitting in a roomful of teenagers. Also impressive was the diversity of the characters. There were no one-dimensional characterizations. Ms. Chase dealt extremely well with the tension that exists within the African-American community between the `Haves' and the `Have-Nots'.

So Not the Drama is a recommended read for anyone, who loves a well-told story. I look forward to reading future books in the young adult, Del Rio Bay Clique series.

Angelia Menchan
APOOO BookClub

Mina Mooney couldn't possibly be more excited about the start of the school year because she will finally be a freshman at Del Rio Bay High. Admittedly addicted to popularity, Mina has spent most of the summer trying to figure out how she can move back to the top of the chain of cliques by becoming a part of the group of girls who call themselves the glams. Her clique, at the start of the year, includes Lizzie, a white girl who is into theater; JZ, a star athlete; and Michael, an artist. The group has built their friendships over a number of years, despite ups and downs and various personality quirks. However, as the new school year starts, each of them struggle to find their place in a new school and this puts a strain on the relationships.

Mina considered herself lucky to be placed in a Life Lessons (LL) sociology course as a freshman. The Life Lesson courses are highly selective, each student is only allowed to take one such course during their tenure at the school, and the courses are unconventional because they do not have textbooks or follow typical classroom protocol. The class is to complete a group assignment that will examine and hopefully help each member eradicate their prejudices. The groups are prearranged by the guru (or teacher), and when Mina learns who her group mates are she couldn't be more disappointed. As the group meets, Mina begins to change not only her outlook, but her attitudes toward her group of friends are also dramatically altered. What ensues is a story about stereotypes, friendship, and peer acceptance that is full of twists and turns.

SO NOT THE DRAMA is the first of a series of Del Rio Bay Clique books. The characters are diverse and the storyline is fresh and interesting. This book is sure to be a hit with a variety of readers, but I especially liked the fact that several of the characters are black, middle-class, and have both parents in the home. In addition, the characters are inventive, endearing, and because of the diversity of characters, there are sure to be at least one or two that almost any reader can relate to. I also loved how the author highlighted the schism that exists between African-Americans who live at different socio-economic levels. I also enjoyed the fact that, despite the book being part of a series, the story felt complete and didn't leave me hanging. I will read other books in the series, not so I can find out what happened, but because I am now invested in the characters and their stories. SO NOT THE DRAMA is a wonderful start to a series that is sure to be the beginning of an interesting literary journey.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers