Review: Clash by Kayla Miller

Olive, star of the Click series is back. As readers will know, Olive has always been a popular kid, a floater who has the ability to form genuine friendships with a range of other kids. Now she's in sixth grade, a member of the student council and she is doing well with her studies. When a new girl, sassy Natasha, arrives at school, Olive suddenly finds herself with an unexpected challenge. Natasha does not like Olive. And worse still, Natasha is keen to make friends with all of Olive's friends ... and suddenly Olive is left feeling as though everyone would rather be Natasha's friend than hers.

This was such a relatable and well written account of preteen friendships. I've probably said this before--Olive is a great character and author/illustrator Kayla Miller does an excellent job of putting her in situations that are so believable and relatable that this series now has a huge following among adults and teenagers, along with the intended middle grade audience. Olive's dilemma is one that many kids have had to face, of their friends being made to choose and seemingly coerced by a bully. Fortunately the novel also puts a huge emphasis on empathy and accountability and we see how Olive's actions--especially after the big incident--help to minimise any drama and fallout. There is a bit of adult intervention in the plot, but that makes sense given that one of the themes is bullying and the importance of speaking up. 

A fun, relatable graphic novel for kids and anyone else who cares to join in.

Highly recommended.

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