The Lifeboat Clique audiobook

The Lifeboat Clique is a really fun read that combines dark humor with the whole survival aspect. It’s been described as Mean Girls meets Life of Pi, which I completely agree. I found myself laughing out loud at several parts, while also cringing in anticipation of the disaster our characters go through. It’s a relatively quick read that truly feels like a unique piece of young adult contemporary fiction with a plot that feels fresh.The book follows Denver Reynolds, a girl who moved to LA with her family four years ago. She became best friend with Abigail until that all came crashing down. Our story picks up with the two basically as enemies. Abigail claims Denver ruined her life and turned the whole school against Denver. So Denver is your typical outcast just trying to survive high school. If only she realized her main concern should have been surviving a tsunami wave.When the wave crashes the party, Denver ends up floating out to open sea with four very unlikely people - the “cool kids.” Abigail is one of them, of course. There are two differing storylines going on throughout. One is telling us what happened throughout Denver and Abigail’s friendship and why they had their falling out. The other is about the group’s survival.There were moments very reminiscent of Mean Girls, like where the book goes into the social hierarchy of high school and the seating chart of the cafeteria. In fact, the dark humor reminded me of Heathers. The whole outcast aspect actually reminded me of Veronica Mars. In ways, Denver has the snark of Veronica.If you’re looking for a fun, quick read, don’t hesitate to get The Lifeboat Clique. It will have you laughing out loud.

If Veronica Mars was stranded on a lifeboat with a handful of 09ers, this is what would happen.If you don't get that reference ... My heart is sad for you.THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE is one of the funnest, wittiest, snarkiest books I've read in years. Denver is a powerhouse main character with a dry wit and comedic timing that will have any reader giggling and smiling.When Denver crashes a cool kids party in Malibu the night an earthquake hits and triggers a tsunami, she never expected to be stranded on a lifeboat with her former BFF turned mortal nemesis, Abigail, Abigail's two lackey mean girls, and one very intuitive but chill surfer boy.As they fight to survive and not lose hope, you will cheer with them, cry with them and laugh with them. Denver never loses her spirit and that is what drives this book. Her tenacity and fierceness is something we can all strive for.

Is it weird to say this book was a lot of fun? Even though it was filled with tragedy and death, there was humour all throughout it. There were also some really beautiful moments. A solid book, which I couldn't put down and finished in one sitting.

4.5 Stars. Not a forever favorite, but a solid dark comedy!"Trevor Dunham talked quite a bit about his man part just before he drowned."I gotta say, this book was love at first sentence-sight.I was super excited for this because it's so rare that I find a dark comedy in YA, especially one with a premise that interests me. This book definitely had the premise. What would you do if you were stuck on a broken-down boat in the middle of the Pacific w/ a bunch of kids you hate? It would be nice to think that you'd all just forget about your differences and Kumbaya and stuff, but would that REALLY happen?? Well, on this boat it definitely did not!I think that adding comedy and lightness to a life/death situation can be really tricky to pull off, and I was so happy that it was done to perfection here. It was silly and funny in parts (mostly flashbacks), totally sad and serious in others (mostly when life/death situations happened), and had a great use of satire in the everyday things that happened on the boat. Right away, I loved Denver. She was equal parts funny, snippy, and smart. She was all-alone after being dumped by BFF Abigail, and yet I didn't find her bitter. I think she wanted her friend back, but she didn't become an angry person over it (as I surely would have). I also loved how resourceful she was. She was always thinking and it saved their butts more than once. The other characters were like a Regina/Gretchen/Karen-mix and surfer-dude who wasn't near as annoying as I first thought he would be. This book is a total character book, so if you're not feeling the characters, you won't be feeling this book.The BEST part was that-- SURPRISE, this book has heart!! I really found a touching story in all the high school drama and mean girl antics. And there was a surprise thing that happened before the ending. I totally did not see this one really big revelation coming. It wasn't shocking in the way I was expecting either (I was expecting dark comedy stuff, and I got real-life realities). My only real let-down was I didn't love the ending. I don't like "lessons" in general, but I especially didn't like it when the lesson was something really frustrating. Although some good things happened, it still gave me a really downer-vibe. This story is not going to be one of my life-long favorites, but it's definitely up there on my fave 2016 books list.OVERALL: I loved this dark comedy that featured an unpopular girl trapped on a boat w/ popular people that hate her during a natural disaster. It was funny, but also truthful and emotional at times. I loved the characters (which is really what this book is all about) and can't wait to read more by Kathy Parks!My Blog:

I can definitely see how this book wouldn't sit well with some people. The humor is dark, and I'd say if you're not into death being matched with a comical tone, maybe skip this one. If you took the cast of Mean Girls and placed them in a life-or-death situation, you'd get The Lifeboat Clique. After an earthquake disrupts a high school party, Denver finds herself trapped in the middle of the ocean with a drumming stoner and the cruelest, most popular girls in school, including her ex-best friend, Abigail. It's just like any other dramatic unraveling of past friendships we see in YA. BUT they're literally roasting to death in the middle of the ocean, with practically zero supplies, and only the underwire of a bra to catch fish. I'll take this over a cafeteria cat fight any day. It was brilliant. Interwoven between the fight for survival, there's flashbacks featuring Denver and Abigail that slowly explain what caused their relationship to go south. At it's core, aside from all the humor, this book centers around friendship and the essence of popularity. And just to put it out there, there's practically zero romance, despite what the synopsis may suggest. I had a lot of fun with this one. It's a little silly, a little crude, but in my opinion, hilariously weird.

Want more reviews, discussions and fun-filled posts? Check out my book blog, Out of Time.Pitched as "Mean Girls meets Life of Pi," how could I not want to read this? Admittedly, its a quirky combination but it worked so well! - Nova @ Out of TimeThe plot follows a girl named Denver who's stuck in a boat with a bunch of the popular people in her school. I want to say, before you read this, keep in mind that it's meant to be satirical. A lot of it is stereotypical and in any other situation, it would be a complaint but I found it humorous in addition to the plot.Denver is a lot like me so I was able to relate to her. She has a very sarcastic personality but she uses intelligent sarcasm [like metaphors and SAT words] so the meanings usually go over peoples' heads when she makes fun of them. I wonder what it says about me that I usually have the same problem. Denver is probably one of my all time favorite main characters because I was able to relate to her so well. If you've seen Mean Girls, the dynamic between outcast Denver and mean girl Abigail was like Regina George and Janis Ian [only that no one gets hit by a bus and there's a lot more interaction between the two.] The plot also jumps around from present to past, each past memory giving more context to the reason Denver and Abigail's relationship went south. It wasn't anything shocking but it also wasn't something I'd be able to guess. The reason I really enjoyed that part was because it wasn't a misunderstanding in which no one was guilty. I hate those. In this book, someone was guilty and I loved that because it showed fault to the characters.There are some moments of this book that I felt were unnecessary. For example, one/two characters that were offed for what I feel was no reason. The problem is that the story is about Denver and Abigail. Every other character was irrelevant. While there were five on the lifeboat, the other three provided entertainment and the occasional banter but not much else. The story would've gone on with or without them.The other part of the story involved their chronicles of survival. This included eating stuff that would make me green. Weird part is that while I was reading, I didn't really get that "grossed out" feeling. I've seen Life of Pi so that aspect was pretty similar. They were pretty resourceful, though - using an earring as a fishing hook. The survival part wasn't very large, though. It was just there to make the story more believable, as most of it wasn't even set on the book, it was set in the past.Despite all of this, I did enjoy this book. I loved reading about Abigail and Denver and more importantly, I enjoyed the ending. It was real. In a book like this, in a movie like Mean Girls, I expected the ending to be something like an ABC Family special. Listen guys, I can take satire but I don't think I can take the amount of cheese that I thought I'd be getting. Instead, the author surprised me by giving a realistic and funny end to a story.If you want something just for fun that you don't have to take too seriously, give this one a try! If you like sarcastic main characters who don't fit in with the "popular crowd," you might connect with Denver. Also if the idea of Life of Pi and Mean Girls made you laugh, caught your interest, trust that interest!

A fabulous book! Could have easily gotten boring but didn't! The main character was also very sassy and sarcastic, which I loved.Review soon!

Full Review can be found at http://thegraduatedbookworm.blogspot.ca/Alright, so let me start off by saying a big Thank-You to Harper Collins Canada for sending me a copy of The Lifeboat Clique to review. So right off the bat you go into Denver who is a total outcast, that used to have an amazing best friend Abigail. Of course one night changed all of that, and now the two can't stand to be in the same room with one another! Of course it's not as easy as they think it will be when they are stranded on a boat together...The few things that really got to me in the story, was that I eventually found Denver to be the girl who did obsess about herself. Why all the girls hated her, or that everything started to be all about her, whether it was her fault or it happened to her, and I just kind of didn't really want to listen to her complain about things or talk about the past in the way she did.The story was very fast paced, and if I didn't have so many things happening in a day, it would have been finished in one sitting! I found it to be really witty and funny with the little comments here and there. I did really like that as the story went on you go from the past to present, to get a better understanding of what really happened to Denver and Abigail before the Tsunami hit. I think that it was really well written, and you get more and more of the puzzle pieces to understand more about the two who used to be inseparable. I kind of wished that there was more talk about the present rather than the past, because I felt like you missed out a little on it.Overall I did really like the book. I found that there were a lot of topics being discussed in it that makes anyone of any age really think. I know they say that in high school there are always going to be cliques, but to be honest, there will always be cliques everywhere in the world, whether you're in school or not! It's something that just happens, and you are sometimes forced to deal with it, or you just accept it...Just like Denver.

I really enjoyed this one! Kept me hooked throughout. And it was funny!

The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz I was very hesitant about this book until I saw that it was pitched as "Mean Girls meets Life of Pi" though I wasn't a fan of Life of Pi and I am a big fan of Mean Girls. The Lifeboat Clique is witty, highly entertaining and a lesson about stereotypes that is a quick read you won't regret picking up. After a falling out with her best friend Abigail, Denver is an outcast. Though not content with this Denver keeps her head down and just goes through everyday just trying to get through high school. That is until Croix asks her to a party that Abigail is hosting. Hesitant because she isn't well liked, Denver goes because she longs for a chance of normalcy in her life. Little did she expect to be washed out to sea. The first step was surviving the tsunami that hit California was the roof, but her next step is now surviving on a boat with four of the most popular people in school, one being her ex-best friend. Denver is extremely witty and funny. There were several times that I laughed out loud at the things she said. In my high school we really have no social standings of who is popular, we all just intermingle together. (Of course there are people that think they are "popular" but they aren't) But in Denver's it is broken up by the popular kids, jocks, nerds, ect. The popular kids look down their noses on the kids who aren't popular. Once upon a time Abigail wasn't popular, but after her falling out with Denver she earned her seat that the popular table. I felt for Denver in loosing someone who was like a sister to her, it was devastating. The other two girls on the boat remind me of Karen from Mean Girls. They are the stereotypical sidekicks that really aren't that intelligent. The are materialistic and rude to Denver. At first I hated both girls, and I could understand Denver's hatred too. But as the story goes on you couldn't help but like these girls. They would say things that would have me shaking my head and snickering at the same time. But the main thing is that they learned a lesson on that boat. Though I loved the quirkiness of this book it does bring up some serious points. "A person is a person no matter how small." And it is a shame that it took something as devastating as the death of most of their friends for the popular girls to realize that they are't much different from everyone else. Its a simple word that makes them different. I liked how Denver and Abigail in the end try to make a point that none of the stereotypes matter. Even though they didn't get through to many people, they learned a lesson just like everyone else in what is now called The Lifeboat Clique. Overall I really enjoyed The Lifeboat Clique. It was both entertaining and serious, but taught a valuable lesson. I am looking forward to Parks next works. This book is highly recommended for the fans of Mean Girls and Life of Pi alike, but also someone who is looking for a quick fun read.

The only reason Denver showed up at her ex-best friend's party was because of Croix . He asked if she was going, he wanted her there, so Denver braved the ridicule and hatred of the popular crowd and showed up. Worst decision ever. During the party, a tsunami hits and Denver finds herself floating out to sea, stranded with a few of the popular kids who hate her - including her former best friend Abigail.Going into this one, this seemed like the type of book I could end up enjoying. It seemed like it would be a lighter read, even with the disaster aspect, due to the humour and I was hopeful for a Breakfast Club type feel. I thought it did a good job contrasting the dark humour and lighter tone with the serious, life-endangering situation the teens found themselves in.I liked Denver's voice as the main character of the book. She had a bit of survival knowledge from watching things like the Discovery channel or reading books but she didn't turn into an expert survivalist just because the situation needed her to. She wasn't afraid to speak up for herself when she knew what to do, even though it meant arguing with the others in the boat, and I loved her dry, sarcastic comments through the book. Her voice reminded me of Veronica Mars in a lot of ways and that's always a plus for me.Along with the survival aspect of the plot, there was also the mystery of what happened between Denver and Abigail that caused their friendship to break up. There were flashbacks so we saw how their friendship progressed, where it started to change, and finally what the big event was that tore them apart. The flashbacks also helped develop the two girls as characters since there wasn't a lot of developing happening in the present, especially for the other three teens on the boat. For the most part, they were just there. There was the jock and the two sidekicks of the main mean girl. There were a few moments of insights into each one but not enough for them to feel like fully developed characters in their own right.Even with its light tone and humour, the book brought up a lot of good points about social structure in high school and its pointlessness and did so without feeling like an after-school special. I would have liked more depth in the other characters but overall, it was a surprisingly fun read for such a dark plot.*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I watched a Epic read vlog where they were talking about the first lines in books. "Trevor Dunham talked quite a bit about his man part just before he drowned." After they said that I went out and bought a copy. When I say I bought a copy I actually purchased it in hardcover, ecopy and audible. I cracked it open yesterday and I am already done. It was a easy story to devour and it left me feeling complete. The characters were easy to apply to people in your life or people you have met along your travels. The story was unique, funny, hopeful and sad. There were moments that I found myself laughing and crying in the matter of minutes. This was the perfect book to get you out of any reading slump. It was well written and the lessons that are learned can be applied to your life. It makes you think and try not to take things for granted.My favorite character was Denver. Her voice was perfect to tell the story of the Lifeboat Clique. She was a complex character that inspire hope inside of me. I loved how funny she was and all the big words she used. I can't wait to share Denver with all of my friends because she is the type of character that needs to be in everyone's life. She is strong and sassy and the type of girl you want as your best friend. I normally talk about my favorite moment at this point but I can't do that. It isn't because I don't want to give away any spoilers but it is because I just couldn't pick. All the pages were my favorite and I find increasingly difficult to determine which moment I liked over the next. I have to say that this is probably one of most favorite standalone YA books I have ever read. I loved the beginning and loved how the flashbacks were perfectly woven into the story. It made everything make sense and kept you hooked. I was at work last night and found myself sneaking away in to dark corners to finish the next chapter.I will recommend this book to all of my friends. I'm actually I got a guy at work who hates to read interested enough to pick up a copy and that is saying something. I plan on sharing it with anyone who needs a little hope and adventure in their life.

4.5📚What stood out to me in The Lifeboat Clique was the focus on the ebbs and flows in friendship. It highlights how the security and intimacy of friendship can be damaged due to factors within and outside of one's control. Friendships can sometimes fizzle or come to a complete halt. However, there's hope in clearing up misunderstandings, agreeing to disagree, choosing to love, and lots of apologizing. This book reminded me of Amy Schumer's "Life & Beth." If you like this book, I recommend the show (on Hulu).

Originally posted HEREThe Lifeboat Clique is funny, and is definitely one that I didn’t think I’d like this much. Just the idea of “Mean Girls” on a boat, trying to survive, just sounds a little crazy to me. And, while this is a survival story of sorts, the whole book isn’t about that aspect. I love the parts pertaining to the two main characters, Denver and Abigail. Their past history gives you more about their characters, than the present narrative. Denver is the outcast. Never in a million years did she think that she’d go to a party and get swept out to sea with the most popular kids in school. (Just so you know, this whole story is laugh-out-loud funny) Denver is quite the character, despite her pariah status. She’s really smart, and she insults you with big words. I really like her as a character, and once I got to know more about her history with Abigail, I liked her even more. There are flashbacks to when Denver and Abigail were friends, and that ultimately led to how they fell apart. For the most part, the author did a great job of building Denver’s and Abigail’s characters. However, the other kids were just there. I feel like they could have been cut from the story altogether. They added nothing for me, and when Denver stated her opinions on what to do, she could have easily argued those points with Abigail. So, again, they weren’t needed. Or, if the situation were different, those characters could have really made an impact. So, with the need for tragedy, someone else had to come along for the ride.Overall, this story is meant to be funny. I think the humor worked for the serious situation. Denver isn’t a perfect character, and that’s what I liked most about this book. She’s an outcast, but she can very much hold her own and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. This story is meant to be mocking, so if you can go into it knowing that, you will have a great time reading it. I spent most of the time laughing, even though some of the situations were anything but funny. Still, I couldn’t resist. Definitely recommended!

The Lifeboat Clique follows Denver as a tsunami hits the coast of California and she is left stranded on a lifeboat with a group of people she’d rather not be seen with, including her ex-best friend who hates her. “All the rules and roads were gone. We were washing slowly away from land, having just undergone a disaster of epic proportions, but our social strata were still in place. And I was at the bottom with the shellfish.” Denver was a really entertaining protagonist. Like I rarely laugh at books but she genuinely made me laugh with how sassy and funny she was. Being in her head was so interesting and although the situation was series (hello?! these people are stranded and could possible die) and even though sad things actually do happen, Denver still manages to provide well needed comedic relief and I was here for her! She carried this whole novel! “But that was the cruelty of fate, whether you were dying at sea or simply trying to get through high school. Sometimes fate kissed you. Sometimes it snubbed you. Sometimes it passed you a love note, and that note was a lie.” I think at heart, this is a story of friendship, the broke between Denver and her ex-best friend, Abigail. It takes them a tsunami, being stranded and almost dying to resolve their differences and grow closer once again and I really liked being a part of that journey. “Speaking of which, I prayed for the assholes on the rooftop with me because, I admit, I thought God would look favorably on it, and besides, it seemed selfish not to. So as sincerely as I could, I prayed for their lives, too. Their entitled, arrogant, somewhat useless lives. Then I went back and prayed again and took out arrogant and useless so it would seem softer.” Overall, The Lifeboat Clique, although entertaining, does fall into that pile of books that I enjoyed, but don't think I’d read again.