Queen Bee (graphic novel)

Queen Bee is a graphic novel aimed at middle-schoolers about cliques and popularity, written by Chynna Clugston, an American graphic artist, who has written several other comics for an older age group.

ynopsis

Haley Madison is a quiet, unpopular girl at her middle school. Although she tries to join the in crowds, she finds this difficult when she learns that she has psychokinetic powers which tend to manifest themselves whenever she becomes excited or angry. When her foster mother decides for them to move to a new home so that she can take a job for a teen magazine, Haley is thrilled and quickly plans on how to become cool in her new middle school. On her first day there, she is shown around by Trini Turner. Haley, however, is far more interested in gaining the attention of the "Hive", a group of ultra-popular but very nasty girls. After she uses her powers to teach a bully a lesson, the Hive decides to include Haley with them. She is thrilled and soon becomes the leader of the group, since she is able to beat the former leader, Angelica, at everything. She also breaks off her friendship with Trini after a Hive member says that Trini and Angelica were friends when they were younger, but Trini was possessive and jealous of Angelica. Haley's popular status, however, is seriously threatened when Alexa Harmon comes to the school. Seemingly cute, sweet, and lovable, Alexa is actually very competitive and mean. She also has psychokinetic powers and recognizes that Haley has them as well. Soon, Alexa joins the Hive and begins to dethrone Haley. One day, during a test, Haley notices that Alexa is cheating by looking at answers on a small piece of paper. She uses her powers to make the paper fly onto the teacher's desk. Alexa retaliates by framing Haley for cheating during their next test (she uses her powers to move a piece of paper out of Haley's bag, making it look like Haley was using it for answers). Haley receives a failing grade on the test and is told that her only option to save her grade is to ace an upcoming project. She is partnered with Jasper Reines, the quietest boy in the class. Although is rude to Haley at first, he apologizes and they become friends. Meanwhile, desperate to regain her popular status, Haley decides to enter a talent contest that Alexa is also entering. Unfortunately, Alexa spies on Haley and continues to copy her dance moves and songs, forcing Haley to constantly change her routine. Jasper discovers the girls' psychokinetic powers and how Alexa is abusing hers and decides to help Haley by playing live drums during her performance. He also provides her with an 80s song. During the contest, Alexa uses her powers to ruin other competition, despite Haley's attempts to stop it. Alexa wows the audience with her song and dance routine and then Haley and Jasper go onstage. They give an even better performance and manage to make it through to the end, even though Alexa tries to drop a ceiling light on Jasper's drum set. Haley wins by one point. She thanks Jasper and shows him a locket she has, which has a picture in it of her as an infant, along with another baby who Haley assumes is her sister (Haley was abandoned and never knew her real family). The next day, Haley restarts her friendship with Trini (after finding out from Jasper that the story the Hive member told Haley was false. Angelica actually ditched Trini meanly because Trini wasn't cool enough) and they eat lunch together. Alexa comes to gloat, telling Haley that a talent scout chose her to be a fashion model. She also flirts with Jasper. Haley retaliates by making Alexa slip and fall in a lot of food. Later, the group goes to the mall and sees a poster of Alexa as the model. Haley pauses to graffiti the poster, but notices that Alexa seems to be wearing a locket similar to her own. It is likely that Alexa is the other baby from the locket pictures and that they are sisters.

Characters

* Haley Madison - main character. A former unpopular girl, Haley quickly becomes Queen Bee in her new school. She has psychokinetic powers that allow her to move things with her mind. She is quickly dethroned, however, by Alexa Harmon.
* Alexa Harmon - is the bad girl of the novel. She also has psychokinetic powers, but instead of using them for good, Alexa tends to use them to cheat or help herself in other malicious ways.
* Jasper Reines - is the only other person that knows about Alexa and Haley's powers except them. It is hinted that Haley and Jasper are interested in each other romantically.
* Trini Turner - is a kind girl not particularly interested in what other people think. She shows Haley around the school on Haley's first day, and tries to be her friend, but Haley ditches her after hearing a false rumor about her.

Publication history

* "Queen Bee", a middle school drama. graphix / Scholastic Press (2005), ISBN 0-439-70987-3.