The Lifeboat Clique by Kathy Parks

Some people might say that Denver had a death wish. Why else would she have dared to sneak into a Malibu beach party where she’d be surrounded by enemies, namely including her ex-BFF Abigail?

Oh yeah. Croix. Denver never thought in a million years he’d ask her out, but who was she to question this miracle of fate? Well, that wasn’t the only surprise fate had in store.

During the party a tsunami hit the coast of California, wiping out everything in its path. Denver and a handful of others escaped death by holding onto the roof of the house and were swept out to sea. Of course, one of her fellow castaways was none other than Abigail, who could barely stand the sight of her.

Now that she’s floating in the ocean, stuck 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?

A hilariously dark and twisted story that sparkles with a remarkably fresh voice, The Lifeboat Clique is Kathy Park’s irreverent yet insightful novel about how to survive in the most unthinkable circumstances.

Goodreads Summary

I could never imagine being stuck on a raft with a bunch of people who treated me badly.  I could imagine that the temptation to throw them all overboard would be overwhelming.  In this sense, Denver may be a much more forgiving person than me.  When a tsunami forces a few popular kids in a boat with the unlucky, unpopular girl, they're all forced to face their differences.  Don't be fooled, this book is certainly not a moral lesson in how to reconcile with enemies.  This book is about how a girl somehow maintains most of her sanity while dealing with an ex-best friend and her popular buddies.

Denver is a nice enough girl.  I didn't like when she was self-deprecating (which didn't happen too often).  I did like how she was an observer and thought on her feet.  Thanks to some of her quick thinking the group did much better than they otherwise would have.  I liked how the author added in the female friendship component.  Denver and Abigail were forced to (somewhat) get along and confront what ended their friendship in the first place.  I liked how the situation between the two of them was handled.  The author has a way of incorporating a lot of humor in how the characters interact.  Overall, this book is recommended to young adult/teen readers.

4 Stars


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