Review of ‘Clique Bait’
Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars, Clique Bait follows Chloe as she uses her money and privilege for one thing: revenge.
Synopsis
Pretty Little Liars meets Burn for Burn in this thrilling debut from Wattpad star Ann Valett.
Chloe Whittaker is out for revenge.
Last year her best friend Monica’s life was unceremoniously ruined by the most popular students at their high school, so this year Chloe plans to take each and every one of them down. She’s traded in her jeans and T-shirts for the latest designer clothes, erased anything on social media that would tie her to Monica (and blow her cover), and carefully figured out how she will befriend the members of the clique, find out their deepest and darkest secrets, and reveal them to the world.
Chloe has the perfect plan . . . but there’s one thing she didn’t prepare for. And that’s falling for someone she’s determined to destroy. The closer she gets to uncovering the secrets the in-crowd is determined to cover up, the more she realizes that she is going to have to choose between betraying her oldest friend or the boy who’s captured her heart
Review
Clique Bait is the typical revenge story, but that is not to say that it is terrible or even mediocre. Ann Valett‘s debut novel is perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and is incredibly popular on Wattpad. It certainly is a good read, and some things set it apart from similar revenge stories.
Clever Storytelling
First, the structure of the Clique Bait deserves recognition. Valett separates the novel into parts of Chloe’s revenge plan. It guides the readers, giving them some semblance of the progression of the premise. It lures the reader in and keeps them engaged, eager to see how Chloe’s plan is coming along.
What is also clever on Valett’s part is the way she opens each chapter. Each chapter opens with a letter from Chloe to her friend Monica, whose life was ruined by the elite group of students. It is a great way to build a relationship between two characters, especially when one of them is nonexistent. It also gives the story some much-needed history to build up this high school hierarchy and how it works.
By using these letters between Chloe and Monica, Valett gives the reader insight into their relationship while also hinting at what happened to Monica. It is unclear what exactly happened to Monica which keeps the reader engaged. Is she at a private school? Did she commit suicide? The reader is left in the dark. It makes the story unique and impactful, giving this revenge story an edge over others.
A Step Away From Cliches
As for the story itself, while the premise is not wholly unique, but it does have a level of realism attached to the story. Chloe is a pretty headstrong character who comes from a privileged family. If she wanted to, she could have easily been a part of the popular crowd. However, Chloe chose to remain invisible instead of succumbing to the popular clichés. Her dedication and drive, and the ways she develops her plan is grounded in realism which allows the reader to remain grounded in the story.
Now, the characters themselves, this group of elite seniors, while their cruelty verges on the unrealistic at times, they still have a semblance of humanity to them. Lola especially has a dramatic shift in her personality allowing the reader to see the complexities of what it means to keep up her happy façade. Valett creates complexities with these characters, especially after what happened with Monica, highlighting how human they are.
Final Thoughts
Clique Bait is an engaging story as it tackles this revenge story realistically, it just is not unique enough, no matter how well written it is.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
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About the Author
Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband and son and their two cats, Mr. J the Kitten and Nyx.
About the Creator
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