The Mosts

by Melissa Senate

Madeline finished freshman year at Freeport Academy just as invisible as when she started. But after a summer in Italy with her sophisticated aunt, she returned as a sophomore with cool clothes, European attitude, and a hot new boyfriend, Thom.
 
Maddie's part of the in crowd . . . The Mosts. Her best friend, Caro? Most Beautiful. Her other friends, Fergie, Annie, and Selena? Most Stylish, Most Hilarious, and Most Hot, respectively. And Madeline? Most Popular. Her life is great.
 
While it lasted.
 
Now Thom's moved to California—so Maddie's no longer the girlfriend of a popular guy. The guy Caro likes only has eyes for Madeline—can you say social suicide? And a group of misfits at school are begging Madeline to help make them over.
 
Madeline knows there's a fine line between being a Most . . . and being a Not. She doesn't want her status to change . . . but what if she doesn't have a choice?
 
Fun summer fiction from Melissa Senate, The Mosts is sure to be a favorite among tweens and teens looking for a great beach read.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Teen

240 pages, Paperback

First published June 8, 2010

About the author

I'm the author of many novels, including my debut, SEE JANE DATE (also available in cute TV movie form to stream). I write emotional, heartfelt romance novels for Harlequin Special Edition. I've also had two novels published under a secret pen name, but I will happily share if you message me to ask. I also wrote seven Special Edition novels under the pen name Meg Maxwell.

I'm a proud mom and animal devotee who lives on the southern coast of Maine. 3 new Harlequin Special Editions novels are coming in 2025 and also in 2026.

Reviews

[Sharon Mariampillai · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an alright read. I thought the story was great for summer reading. However, I thought the characters were okay. Madeline was an okay character. I did not love her, but I did not dislike her either. I think I could not really identify myself with the story and Madeline. Hence, I was bored a few times during the read. I did enjoy it, but it could have been a lot better. Overall, an okay read.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one!


back cover--Madeline finished freshman year at Freeport Academy just as invisible as when she started. But after a summer in Italy with her sophisticated aunt, she returned as a sophomore with cool clothes, European attitude, and a hot new boyfriend, Thom.

Maddie's part of the in crowd . . . The Mosts. Her best friend, Caro? Most Beautiful. Her other friends, Fergie, Annie, and Selena? Most Stylish, Most Hilarious, and Most Hot, respectively. And Madeline? Most Popular. Her life is great.

While it lasted.

Now Thom's moved to California—so Maddie's no longer the girlfriend of a popular guy. The guy Caro likes only has eyes for Madeline—can you say social suicide? And a group of misfits at school are begging Madeline to help make them over.

Madeline knows there's a fine line between being a Most . . . and being a Not. She doesn't want her status to change . . . but what if she doesn't have a choice?

Fun summer fiction from Melissa Senate, The Mosts is sure to be a favorite among tweens and teens looking for a great beach read.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Madeline is a Most. Most Popular to be exact, and her best friend is Caro, the girl who's voted Most Beautiful ever year without fail. However, before her freshamn year, Madeline was a nobody. Invisible. It was a trip to Rome that transformed her, and her rise in the social hierachy was mostly due to her popular boyfriend, Thom. But now Thom is moving to California and Madeline has a reputation to keep. Not only that, but people from the "Not" list are actually offering to pay her to help them become more normal. Madeline could do with the money; plane tickets to California aren't cheap after all. And she's desperate to get away from her friends - the weirdness between her and Caro is getting worse and worse, and Sam isn't helping either. Why does he keep staring at her...and why doesn't she mind?

The Mosts was a meh book for me. I didn't really like it, but I didn't hate it either, and it had some good qualities that made it readable. I liked the concept, the idea of having a "Most" list and a "Not" list, and I liked the way that Madeline stopped really caring about who was on which list by the end, which showed some character growth. I also liked the "Not" interns; Joe and Elinor were my favourite characters because although they were over-eager and desperate to be noticed, they were sweet and kind of endearing too and I felt so bad for the way they were treated at the beginning. I'm glad they managed to feel more confident and at peace with themselves by the end, and I also liked the fact that Sabrina, Madeline's sister, refused to change herself for anyone, and felt comfortable in her own skin, even though she made the "Not" list every year.

I also quite liked Madeline's mum and Mac; they seemed like they knew what was going to happen but they wanted Madeline to experience it for herself and learn from her mistakes, so they didn't ever tell her what to do, they just let her figure it out for herself. There was also a Harry Potter reference (a calf named Hermione) which, as a huge HP fan, I appreciated very much. I actually liked the fact that Madeline lived on a farm, and I thought it was funny the way she complained about it yet also found it hard to imagine leaving her family and living somewhere else.

There was, however, a whole bunch of stuff I didn't like. For example, the rest of the characters. Madeline was shallow, but more so than a usual teenager, and she was too obsessed with popularity, I just couldn't relate to her at all. I understand she was meant to be this way to start off, but by the end she hadn't really changed that much. And her relationships were totally unbelieveable. Thom, who seemed like a nice guy to begin with, spent about half an hour explaining to Madeline that they were not breaking up, and that the long distance thing would work for them etc etc. He left with tears in his eyes. A week later, they're both over each other! I found this so unrealistic, Thom got over Madeline so quickly, after telling her he loved her too. If they supposedly loved each other, would they really give up on their relationship in less than three weeks? After being together for two years? There was no love, I really wish it hadn't been mentioned because I just felt like their relationship was ridiculous. If they were just boyfriend/girlfriend no mention of "love", I could have accepted it. But love. That damn word. They had to say it. I know long distance doesn't usually work out, but come on. Thom seemed to get over it in a matter of days, and I felt like the fact that he got a "new" girlfriend so quickly as well was just to make him seem like the bad guy to justify the fact that Madeline wanted to be with Sam.

And Sam, dear me. Didn't like him. First of all, what was his problem? His best friend anounces he's moving and suddenly it's okay to stare longingly at his girlfriend? No! At least wait until the guy has moved already, seriously. Madeline gets all this stick for breaking the "girl code", but Sam totally breaks the "guy code" by going after his best friend's ex, and he gets off scot-free. He's supposedly a "nice" guy too. I know this because Madeline described him as nice so many times I was starting to refer to him as that in my head. And we never found out why he was nice, or how he was nice, we were just told that he was. Plus, I don't even get why Sam and Madeline liked each other, except he was "nice" and they were both hot. What else? Their relationship was based purely on those two things. They barely even knew each other (they didn't seem to talk about much). Which is why I once more thought it was ridiculous when "love" was mentioned again. Really. Had Madeline learnt nothing? Because I'm pretty sure that if Sam had announced he was leaving for California, the same thing would happen all over again and they'd both get over each other quickly. Because really, why was Sam so different to Thom? He wasn't. So saying they loved each other wasn't something special because Madeline said it to Thom too. And look what happened.

I haven't even started on the other characters yet. Caro, Fergie, Annie - all horrible people. Avery, acted like she hated the Mosts, but really just wanted to be one and wanted to rule the school. She was commended for "standing up" to them (she didn't really in my opinion), and then she got the popularity she always wanted. Okay then.

I'm going to stop because I think I've said enough. It does seem like there's more I disliked than liked so you're probably wondering why I still gave a three. The reason is because The Mosts was an okay book, it kept me occupied and I didn't want to put it down thought the characters sometimes annoyed me, so I'd still say it's worth reading. Maybe you'll have better luck with it than me. Read it if you liked Mean Girls (but who doesn't love this movie :P) or Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.

[Melissa McGuire · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was nothing extraordinary about this book. It was the typical book about high school mean girls. It was cute

[Kris Kizer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Page 57... The

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

After Madeline finishes eigth grade, she goes off to Rome for the summer, assuming that when she gets back she'll be just as invisible at Freeport Academy as ever. When Thom, one of the popular guys in school asks her out, Madeline suddenly becomes one of the "Mosts", Most Popular to be precise. Two years down the line, though, and Thom is moving to California leaving Madeline alone and leaving her "Most" status particularly vulnerable. When a group of school misfits beg Madeline for help so they don't end up on the "Not" list (the opposite of the Most list), Madeline says yes. But what will happen when all of her "Most" friends find out? Madeline doesn't want to lose her friends, but are they really her friends?

Melissa Senate is a well-known chick lit author, but because her books are only published in America, I haven't yet gotten around to reading any of her chick lit books. However I saw that Melissa also writes books for teenagers and I really liked the sound of her newest book The Mosts. I decided to take the plunge and buy it for myself and I knew that at only 225 or so pages long, it wouldn't take me long to read so would be perfect for those days when I want something quick and easy to read. Watching the football, I decided now was as good a time as ever to see what I thought of The Mosts.

I must start by saying The Mosts is probably one of the most predictable books I have ever read. And I read chick lit, which a lot of people say is predictable. The Mosts is as light and as fluffy a read as you're ever going to find and there isn't much that really holds this book down. It's sort of a book version of the movie Mean Girls. I loved that movie, by the way, and The Mosts is like it's poor sister. You have the totally-un-popular-to-popular girl in Madeline and then you have the clique of every so popular girls who rule the school (The "Mosts"): Cora, Fergie, Annie and Selena and they take Madeline under their wing when she manages to bag herself a popular boyfriend, Thom. Fast forward a couple of years and Thom is leaving and Madeline's status as a "Most" is under threat... even more so when a gang of misfits enlist Madeline's help so they don't end up on the "Not" list. Madeline's friends aren't happy about that so Madeline has to choose... See, Mean Girls, in a book format.

On the other hand though I whizzed through it in under three hours and while it may have been a slight rip-off of Mean Girls, it was an OK enough read. Sure, Madeline's constant referral of the fact she was only helping out the misfits because they're paying for her trip to see Thom (and her father) does grate (she says it A LOT), but if you get past that, it's a good enough read. It's not going to win any awards but it is what it is: a fairly absorbing, and very quick, teen read. Pre-teens and the like will undoubtedly lap it up, but the message isn't a particularly good one. I'm not one for messages but The Mosts, for the majority, kind of gives away the message that you have to be popular to win at High School, otherwise you're destined to be taunted for life. Not a good message for a young teen just about to embark in High School. Yes, of course, it all could come good in the end, and I'm sure High School life IS indeed like that in reality, but you know, it's not the kind of message I'd want to be sending to a younger teen and that is who The Mosts is mainly aimed at.

The characters were a tad flat and all adhered to their characters; confused girl stuck in the middle of the Mosts and the Nots, the "Mosts" with their stupid attitudes towards people who aren't deemed special enough and then the misfits who are made to feel like misfits because of the horrible popular kids. No one was really fleshed out enough and it kind of made me sad Madeline wasn't as willing to stick up to her so-called friends a bit more. The book could have gone in a totally different direction if Madeline had a bit of gumption to her. All of the Mosts were fairly terrible, vapid and idiotic teenagers who think they're God's gift to high school. Of all the characters, the only ones with any realness to them were the "misfits", Joe, Avery and Elinor. I liked Elinor in particular, she was totally undeserving of the crap she got and I felt so sorry that she felt so low about herself.

Overall, The Mosts was only OK. It wasn't original at all, and was fairly predictable with two-dimensional characters but I carried on reading it and managed to finish it in under three hours. If you're looking for a light teenage read, the this is probably right up your alley but if you're after a book with a bit more depth, I'd steer well clear of this one, just so you don't get too annoyed about it's vapidity. Young teenagers will probably enjoy this more than older teenagers/adults. For me, it was just a bit too light.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before Madeline went to Rome, she was invisible at Freeport Academy. When she came back, she was wearing all the right clothes and attitude, and snagged Thom as a boyfriend. But now that Thom was leaving for California, Madeline wonders if her status with the in-crowd would change. And a group of outcasts are begging Madeline to teach them how to transform themselves from losers to people with more confidence. But Madeline's involvement with them could ultimately risk her spot with Caro and her friends. Does popularity even matter if you can't be yourself and do the right thing?

I was part of the Yearbook Committee in high school and in charge of making senior polls, and I can tell you here that some of the categories would have never made it to the official yearbook. Most Popular, Most Beautiful, and Most Hot? We're not supposed to input that stuff because feelings and insecurities would definitely be hurt. So I question how realistic this portrayal of high school is. And the Not list? Wow. Despite it being underground, I'm still surprised it went on for so long without the school staff knowing anything about it.

Despite that, I liked the storyline. It was sweet how Madeline transformed everyone and finally ditched her other "so-called" friends. I admired Avery's guts and was quite surprised Madeline and Avery became the best of friends since Madeline mentioned that Avery had an ulterior motives look that she couldn't trust.

The romance between Sam and Madeline was sweet and very simple. Simple not in their process of becoming boyfriend and girlfriend, but simple as in their relationship and how they grew to like each other. It was just sweet and not at all tragic and dramatic like most YA books.

(I won this ARC through RandomHouse.)

[Elusive · Rating 2 out of 5]

‘The Mosts’ is about Madeline who is now popular after getting a makeover in Italy. With her good looks and fashionable clothes she is part of a clique but everything falls apart when her boyfriend Thom moves to California and she helps three outcasts to improve themselves.

Although this book was a quick, easy read, it lacked substance and the charm of Senate’s other books. The long distance relationship was very poorly done. Madeline and Thom supposedly love each other and he even constantly reassured her that he wouldn’t dump her for another girl. However, within a few days he’d already stopped replying to her messages or replied late and she’s already eyeing his friend Sam Fray. There’s nothing realistic as Madeline doesn’t even seem bothered or upset about Thom spending less time with her. Plus, changes like those don’t happen immediately – they usually take time.

I also couldn’t figure out how Madeline and Sam could like each other. They weren’t exactly friends, didn’t talk much and didn’t seem to have any mutual interests. It’s more like they’re physically attracted to each other but it’s passed off as something deeper. Meanwhile, the makeovers of the three outcasts were too easy. After changing their hairstyles and clothes, they instantly develop confidence. It just doesn’t work that way. It didn’t help that Madeline kept repeating she was only helping them to get the money to visit Thom. Madeline’s ‘friends’ were despicable especially Caro, the queen bee. Caro’s personality was perfect for a bitchy character.

As predicted, there was a happy ending for everyone and although some positive messages were delivered in the story, the book was pretty mediocre compared to Senate's other superior works.

[Xyra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was to have been a first read as it was the first giveaway I was selected to receive. I was thrilled and grateful to be chosen; there was a mix up so it took a lot longer to read than it should have. Perhaps like Elinor, Avery, and Joe the timing and reasons were now right.

The writing was easy-going and comfortable. I did feel as if I were there with Madeline and her anxieties. She had a ton. I found the book to be completely enjoyable.

Throughout we saw Madeline grow and become the her-ist her...finally loyal to herself and not her status. While aiding others with their confidence she took a look at her own and stood tall. I loved that.

The book also had a familiar feel to me, who not only loves to read but also to watch movies. Part Mean Girls, part Can't buy Me Love, part Gidget...all great recognize yourself and rise above coming of age movies. Then there was the author's slight nod to her own favorite fan-dom in how she named the calves in the barn (Herminone and Weasley, eh?! Love that too.)

Madeline's real friends - those that actually kind of bought her - did an equal job in making over Madeline as she did in boosting their own confidence and self-esteem. She didn't need much of a push though, she was not completely entrenched as her pseudo friends; she was always more like Sam in her sensibilities. There were a few times I wanted to give Madeline a good NCIS Jethro Gibbs smack to the head, but she actually did that herself.

Thank you again for choosing me to receive this book. It was a good read.

I found the

[Devora]

The Mosts is the story of Freeport Academys Most Popular girl, Madeline. She came from obscurity to claim the title and is now part of Freeports most competitive clique. However, in the book the mosts maddie goes through quite a bit at first her boyfriend thom moves to california, leaving maddie upset lonely and sadly not sure how their relationship will turn out. truth is she became popular after an exciting trip to rome where she completely changed her style. when she returns home her rise on the popularity scale is pretty easy she meets thom, thom is popular they start dating now maddie is popular. now that thom is gone maddie worries about her position in the clique. she quickly finds a way to see thom again. turns out her fathers wedding is in california and if maddie can save up 400$ to pay for the flight to california she then gets to see thom while going to her fathers wedding.but then things get complicated when the interns at her mom's farm start asking maddie to help them become popular. when they offer maddie 400$ to help them become popular maddie doesnt feel like she has a choice but to say yes. the way she sees it she earns 400$ fast and easy. she then starts feeling attached to her new friends.meanwhile maddies best friend caro most beautiful has her eyes set on a guy that only has eyes for maddie.

[Monique · Rating 2 out of 5]

SO, a big turn off of this book, is the shallowness, especially in the beginning. I know people are imperfect, etc and make bad decisions, but I don't need to read about them. Like, seriously, someone needs to tell this MC what makes a real friend and what makes a fake friend. And, she was soo desperate and clingy to the boyfriend who moved away. Like, the reason you shouldn't date at that age cause it most likely will not last past high school, and does you no actual good, since you're not even of legal age to get married, which leads me to the other inappropriate stuff in this book. Language and scene descriptions also lead me to not like this book and never recommend it to anyone I know. The book started to be less shallow through the ending parts that I read, but it was just kind of blahh.

[Ezzy G. Languzzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was a little of CAN'T BUY ME LOVE meets SABRINA. Maddie, a high-school sophomore, struggles with her first boyfriend moving cross-country. The group of girls she hangs out with are a shallow, evil-spirited, salad-eating, diet soda-drinking group of "you-know-whats." I don't want to give too much away, but let's just say it was gratifying to see Maddie's transformation at the end (friends and all). Senate writes a tight story, peppered with humor and believable innocence. I whipped through it on the beach, wishing it had gone on another ten, twenty pages. This book delivers a powerful message to young girls about believing in themselves and celebrating their individuality. That's right, conformity is for the birds.

[Kourtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was hard for me to put down (thank goodness for my Kindle App on my Blackberry! Thank you technology!!) Mix one part "Can't Buy Me Love" one part "Mean Girls" and a whole lot of Melissa Senate's great writing style and you have a winner!

This book brought me back to the days of being a youngster and seeing my name in slam books. I, being a misfit myself, could relate to the "misfits" in this book. Would I have begged, pleaded, and paid money to a "most" to transform myself? Probably not, but at least now I can pretend to know what could have been had I done the same.

I definitely recommend this to (1) any Melissa Senate fan, (2) anyone who has ever felt that they are on the outside looking in, and (3) everyone else!

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cliques are a big deal in high school. The Mosts by Melissa Senate is all about the pecking order. Madeline Echols, Most Popular, finds out that her uberhot boyfriend is moving to California. Other boys then begin to show interest in her, including queen bee Caro's crush, Sam. Will she be exiled to Not-land by her friends?
Read the rest of my review here

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A clique is an inclusive group of people who share common interests, views, purposes, patterns of behavior, or ethnicity. The clique from this "Most" list will bring back memories or the Most popular, Most attractive, Most sylish girls from your high school years. This story is about a girl who finally ended up in the Popular group only to find out that maybe that's not really what mattered. Quick read, predictable. I'd recommend for 8th - 10th grade clique-ish girls. Not a boy book.

[Claire Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little generic, but then aren't all the high school popularity books? I enjoyed the development of the relationship between the MC and her "pet projects", her polar opposites, "the Nots". Nice quick read. I've really been enjoying Melissa Senate, and I'm looking forward to more women's and YA from her.

[Georgiann Hennelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cliques are big in high school. Madeline Echols, is the most popular, When she finds out her hot boyfriend is moving to California. Other boys begin to to show interest in her. Including the Queen Bee Caro,s crush Sam. Will Madeline be exiled to Not-land By her friend?

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually a pretty good book! It was written good, although some of the things in the story line errked me. It was very similar to a mean girls type story...just taking place in farmland Maine.

[Soomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The four Best friends who are the most popular girls at school. And one of the girl, Madeline has the hottest boyfriends in school. They were happy and she enjoyed her life but when she heard her boyfriend is leaving to California... her life went upside down.

[★¸. • * ° *Jillie* ° *•.¸☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like it, but I didn't hate it. I could not attach myself to any of these characters. The writing was good that's why my rating is a 3. I have read other books by Melissa and have like them just fine. I just did not connect with this book.

[Lee Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet and romantic! Loved the setting and the characters.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Loved the main character and I love how she grew into her own person. Great story!!!

[Pam]

second first reads winner in a month!!

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is great...another win!! I look foward to enjoying this book and the others I have recently won. How nice to actually enter something and win once in awhile!!!

thanks good reads!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly really good read.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

A typical "mean girls" story that is a lot of fun and easy to read. I think most teenage girls would like this one.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 since I enjoyed it more than I thought I would

[BCPL Youth Services Librarian]

Click to see book in BCPL's online catalog

[Hanaa709 :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was really good. i kind of saw the end coming but even though caro wants to block Madeline out and considers her not a most she is still a most!

[Leonel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and quick read. It made me smile.