Massie Block is the president of the Pretty Committee, the most popular group of girls at Octavian County Day School. Claire Lyons is the new girl, struggling to make friends. When Massie isn't shopping for the latest fashions, planning glamorous parties, or flirting with the most sought after boys, she's indulging in her favorite hobby: making Claire's life miserable. Will Claire ever be able to fit in?
Author Lisi Harrison took time out from writing the next installment of the best-selling Clique series to talk with us about Claire, Massie, and navigating the battlefields of middle school.
What inspired you to write the Clique series?
Lisi Harrison (LH): I worked at MTV for 12 years, and the way people acted there reminded me of middle school: the need to be accepted, the lengths people would go to. That's a scene that goes on forever and ever.
The Clique girls attend an elite private school and are beautiful, rich, and fabulous. This isn't what most girls' lives are like, and yet the series is a best seller. Why do you think that is?
LH: The messages in the book are things that most girls can relate to: being an outsider, wanting to fit in, thinking that everybody's life is better than your life, and everybody's looks are better than your looks, and everyone's clothes are better than your clothes. Everybody can relate to that, whether you're the queen bee or the awkward new girl. Adding all the glamour and the glitz and the fabulousness is what makes the read entertaining instead of just downright painful. Part of my goal is to make girls realize how silly all of this is and have them laugh about it instead of cry. I want to whisper in my readers' ears, "Guys, it's not that serious, we're all just being dorks, we're all being goofy, let's just laugh."
As the new girl in town, Claire is subjected to vicious cruelty from her peers. Why do you think it's important to write about real teen issues like bullying?
LH: That's what's happening. It is such a universal theme in so many girls' lives, whether they're on the Massie side of things or the Claire side of things or somewhere in the middle like the other characters. Everyone can identify with one of those positions, and so it resonates in their lives.
Your books center on the ongoing conflict between Massie and Claire. Who are most of your readers rooting for?
LH: I think they're definitely rooting for Claire, but I think a lot of them are with Massie, too. It's been my goal to make Massie somewhat sympathetic, and to show a side of her that's insecure just like everyone else. I'm hoping that people will root for Massie to be rehabilitated. I think people want to see her get better, get nicer, and get a little more confidence so she can stop acting so mean. And then of course everyone wants to see Claire win because she's the ultimate outsider, and a lot of people identify with that.
One way that I show Massie's insecurity is that she's incredibly nervous and shy about sex and boys. The girl who seems to have it all behind the scenes is really shy and awkward and not comfortable with sex yet. And in that way Massie's feeling like the outsider. The girl who sets the trends and who is ten steps ahead of everyone when it comes to fashion and what's in is ten steps behind in her sexual maturity. I wanted to put that kind of first-kiss nervousness on Massie. And Claire, the outsider, is actually the one who's most comfortable with boys, and has the most experience.
Dylan is the Clique member who's always on a diet. Do you find that body image is a big issue among your readers?
LH: Body issue is huge among the readers, and it's huge in our culture. Dylan's really not overweight at all, and her diet strategies are so ridiculous and over the top and obsessive. I'm trying to show how ridiculous it is. On a serious note, it's a sad waste of time, and it's almost a luxury to be able to worry about an extra five pounds. If that's the biggest concern in your life, you have to know that you have a great life.
The girls at Octavian County Day School are nothing without their expensive designer labels. But some of the girls can't afford to dress like the others, which makes them social outcasts. Why is status such a big part of the books?
LH: It's another superficial way that girls today differentiate themselves from each other. It's the same thing as weight, the same thing as fashion, what your boyfriend looks like, what you look like, what your friends look like — it's just another silly distraction from what's really important. Growing up I wasn't allowed to wear designer clothes. It taught me to be more creative, and now I'm grateful for it.
What are some tips you'd give to young girls for building self-esteem in a Pretty Committee world?
LH: Know that deep down inside, every single person on the planet is insecure. Once you truly know that, you're able to understand why people do some of the mean, nasty things they do. When you know the origin of people's attitudes it really is empowering. And know that no matter what, no one else can do your thing as well as you can.
What's next for the Pretty Committee?
LH: More boys, more fights, and more fashion, wrapped up in an all new adventure!
