Denver Reynolds never expected that crashing a party
would end so poorly. After all, she's avoided any contact
with her former best friend, Abigail Kenner, ever since
she allegedly ruined Abigail's life and shattered her
dreams. Now Abigail is part of the popular clique at
school while Denver remains friendless—until one day
football star Croix Monroe invites Denver to that dreaded
party. Unfortunately, a tsunami hits that same night and
now Denver is stranded on a lifeboat with Abigail and
three other members of the popular clique. It's an
experience that will change their lives forever....
THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE is a story of survival told with
flashbacks to the events that led up to the bitter
dissolution of Denver and Abigail's formerly close
friendship. Denver is a great narrator for the story as
she doesn't flinch away from showing the strengths and
imperfections of both herself and others. Kathy Parks
does a marvelous job at showing us how Denver and the
other survivors learn to look beneath the surface veneer
because quite honestly I didn't like the other survivors
initially very much. However, as THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE
progresses, we start to feel for the characters, and I
laughed, cried, and yes, cheered for them.
One surprise for me with THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE is the
humor. On the surface, there appears to be nothing
humorous about a tsunami survival story where one outcast
is trapped on a lifeboat with several popular kids. And
yet THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE is absolutely hysterical at
times! Part of the reason is Denver herself. Denver has a
wickedly clever way with sarcasm that is quite
intellectual at times. Some of her humor is self-
deprecating but overall it works well to lighten what
could otherwise be a very nasty and ugly story.
THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE has a broad spectrum of appeal.
Readers will particularly appreciate Kathy Parks's
character development and refusal to make anyone a one-
dimensional bad guy. However, I think the true heart of
THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE is the light Kathy Parks sheds on the
various social cliques (especially those found in high
school) as she takes those dynamics and completely
shreds them. Kathy Parks crafts a satisfyingly good
story, which is often satirical. THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE
takes readers on an unexpected adventure of survival,
loss, and even love. I look forward to reading more by
Kathy Parks in the future.
Mean Girls meets Life of Pi in this darkly humorous,
compulsively readable teen novel that’s perfect for fans of
Libba Bray and Andrew Smith. A hilariously dark and twisted
story that sparkles with a remarkably fresh voice, The
Lifeboat Clique is Kathy Parks's irreverent yet insightful
novel about how to survive in the most unthinkable
circumstances.
Some people might say that Denver has a death wish. Why
else
would she dare to sneak into a Malibu beach party where
she’d be surrounded by enemies?
Oh yeah. Croix. Denver never thought in a million years
he’d
ask her out, but who is she to question this miracle of
fate?
Well, that isn’t the only surprise fate has in store.
During the party a tsunami hits the coast of California,
and
Denver and a handful of others escape death and are swept
out to sea. Of course, one of her fellow castaways is none
other than her ex-BFF, Abigail, who can barely stand the
sight of her.
Trapped on a small boat with the most popular kids in
school
and waiting to be rescued, Denver wonders what might kill
her first—dehydration, sunstroke, or the girl she used to
think of as a sister?
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