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Del Rio Bay Clique #1
So Not The Drama
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.
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.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
14 people are currently reading
433 people want to read
About the author
Paula Chase
13 books201 followersI'm a creature borne of pop culture. It's created a volatile mix of hope and cynicism within me that I help myself understand by putting my young characters through the world's paces.
I have a big heart for young readers. Young Adult and Middle Grade novels are my home.
And because no one lives in a vacuum, I co-founded The Brown Bookshelf to ensure that the spotlight on children's lit created by persons of color never dims.
I have a big heart for young readers. Young Adult and Middle Grade novels are my home.
And because no one lives in a vacuum, I co-founded The Brown Bookshelf to ensure that the spotlight on children's lit created by persons of color never dims.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
ya-to-reads
February 20, 2014Boo for the "shading" cover. What's wrong with putting an Afro-Latina front and center? Is it because folks in this country are too stupid to understand that yes, Latinos come in ALL colours? To be fair, the Latin American world has its issues with colorism too. Still, I'll definitely be checking this out. Thanks for the rec!
August 28, 2023
Was probably ahead of it’s time when originally written, but felt like centrist BS. So many opportunities for actual reconciliation, but none were taken, the racism and homophobia washed under the rug. TW homophobic slur used btw, which by the way, the guy never apologizes for.
I don’t know, the friends are cute but it feels like the author just forgot to give depth to any of their life lessons. May continue the series to see if it improves.
Also as far as writing style, it felt like it was never reviewed by an editor with the way some scenes definitely rambled on. It took a lot to really get into the book.
I don’t know, the friends are cute but it feels like the author just forgot to give depth to any of their life lessons. May continue the series to see if it improves.
Also as far as writing style, it felt like it was never reviewed by an editor with the way some scenes definitely rambled on. It took a lot to really get into the book.
January 25, 2014
Paula Chase’s purpose for writing her book So Not The Drama was to entertain her audience with the life of a teenage girl and the problems that come with having friends. So Not The Drama lets readers know that with friends comes hassle but nothing can come between true friendship. It teaches the audience the meaning of true friendship. So Not The Drama is a guide in a sense. It shows readers what to do and what is not right when it comes to having meaningful friendships. This book could be considered a “go to” for teenagers with this sort of problem and have a lasting effect on everyone who will read this book.
So Not The Drama was very well written. This story is a cliff hanger. Once you begin reading, you will not want to stop. For example, the main character Mina and her friends were debating when “Mina’s eyebrows dared JZ to finish the debate” (Chase 115). Chase wanted her audience to continue reading so they could find out what was going to happen with Mina and JZ. She had a way of making her audience yearn for more of the story.
This book was somewhat captivating. Many teenagers experience friendship problems when entering high school While reading So Not The Drama, the reader will laugh throughout the book. Much of the audience will be able to relate to the story and think of their own personal stories. For example, the main character Mina was excited about starting her freshman year of high school when she exclaimed “There are approximately sixty-three hours, ten minutes, and forty seconds left before we are officially Del Rio Bay High Freshman!” (Chase 5). The reader will be able to relate and tie in real life situations.
The greatest strength of the book So Not The Drama was the fact that the audience will be able to actually relate to it. The story that took place can actually happen in real life. Every situation that happened can be tied into real life. The greatest weakness of this book would be the lack of prejudice being defined in the story. The audience might find it difficult to actually point out the fact the prejudice was even relevant to the story. Another weakness of this book would be lack of chapters in my opinions. Every chapter ran kind of long.
I would recommend So Not The Drama to my friends. This book is entertaining and will catch and hold the attention anyone who will read it. It will help with real life situations while entertaining. So Not The Drama will teach lessons and bring those who read it closer in relationship. This book is part of the Del Rio Bay Clique series so I would recommend the other books a part it. I know the rest of the books apart of the series will be as influential as So Not The Drama.
So Not The Drama was very well written. This story is a cliff hanger. Once you begin reading, you will not want to stop. For example, the main character Mina and her friends were debating when “Mina’s eyebrows dared JZ to finish the debate” (Chase 115). Chase wanted her audience to continue reading so they could find out what was going to happen with Mina and JZ. She had a way of making her audience yearn for more of the story.
This book was somewhat captivating. Many teenagers experience friendship problems when entering high school While reading So Not The Drama, the reader will laugh throughout the book. Much of the audience will be able to relate to the story and think of their own personal stories. For example, the main character Mina was excited about starting her freshman year of high school when she exclaimed “There are approximately sixty-three hours, ten minutes, and forty seconds left before we are officially Del Rio Bay High Freshman!” (Chase 5). The reader will be able to relate and tie in real life situations.
The greatest strength of the book So Not The Drama was the fact that the audience will be able to actually relate to it. The story that took place can actually happen in real life. Every situation that happened can be tied into real life. The greatest weakness of this book would be the lack of prejudice being defined in the story. The audience might find it difficult to actually point out the fact the prejudice was even relevant to the story. Another weakness of this book would be lack of chapters in my opinions. Every chapter ran kind of long.
I would recommend So Not The Drama to my friends. This book is entertaining and will catch and hold the attention anyone who will read it. It will help with real life situations while entertaining. So Not The Drama will teach lessons and bring those who read it closer in relationship. This book is part of the Del Rio Bay Clique series so I would recommend the other books a part it. I know the rest of the books apart of the series will be as influential as So Not The Drama.
November 7, 2012
Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com
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.
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.
September 13, 2009
The book So Not The Drama is about two girls named Mina who is a freshman at Del Rio Bay High. Mina is also a jv cheerleader, captain at that. She expects high school to be so different and for there to be no drama which is all wrong. Her school year is full of drama. Sha also has one best friend and her name is Lizzie. It tells you how their friendship has its ups and downs. They also have two other friends that they be with all the time, their names are Micheal and Jason "JZ". But Mina has one enemy and her name is Jessica Johnson. She feels as if she is just the it girl, and that she tells everyone what to do. Mina high school crush is Craig Simpson. All girls like him but Mina happens to be the one that gets him first.
Mina is taking a socialogy class her freshman year that ends her up in a group with these girls that she doesn't know. One member happens to be her enemy Jessica. They decide to just let everything flow well and just get alone so they can get a good grade for it. They are also two other girls in the group and their names are Kelly and Jacinta. The point of them doing this project is for them to get to know each other. They all are freshmans except Jessica. During this class project Lizzie gets the feeling that Mina is leaving her out on everything. She starts not to hang around her anymore. Lizzie gets jealous, and things start to heat up!....
Mina is taking a socialogy class her freshman year that ends her up in a group with these girls that she doesn't know. One member happens to be her enemy Jessica. They decide to just let everything flow well and just get alone so they can get a good grade for it. They are also two other girls in the group and their names are Kelly and Jacinta. The point of them doing this project is for them to get to know each other. They all are freshmans except Jessica. During this class project Lizzie gets the feeling that Mina is leaving her out on everything. She starts not to hang around her anymore. Lizzie gets jealous, and things start to heat up!....
January 1, 2009
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
Reviewed by: Lauren
OOSA Teen Reviewer
May 1, 2012
This book really is something. Because its talkking about prejudice and I never knew it accured in these situations. I thought that when we had a group of freinds its just you know a group of freinds. This book really made me think about things.
November 20, 2014
So not the Drama was a great book.I really enjoyed how this book relates to stereotypes and prejudices.
I finished this book in 5 days and my personal favorita character was Mina, they way she saw her flaws and mistakes.
I finished this book in 5 days and my personal favorita character was Mina, they way she saw her flaws and mistakes.
June 5, 2008
Lana -
Not really your kind, but definately an easy, fun read. You will not be smarter for having read this.
Not really your kind, but definately an easy, fun read. You will not be smarter for having read this.
June 15, 2009
Stereotypical High School...it's very clique, nothing like our school.
September 18, 2008
very good... until the story starts running very slowly. it has a lot of pages so its very hard to read it when there isnt as much suspense.
Read
March 25, 2009Recommended in LJ Core Collection for Urban Lit
September 23, 2009
The whole series is really good, love the characters.
October 25, 2009
Pretty boring so far....
June 9, 2012
a very good book
i recommend that ppl. read it
i recommend that ppl. read it
Want to read
September 2, 2015Pre-read:
Glitterati...confirmed.
Glitterati...confirmed.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews