It's Not Easy Being Mean

Fiction by Lisi Harrison
Reviewed by Colleen Q
Not in the NVHS Collection as of this post


The only thing Massie Block, the glamorous, pretentious alpha, wanted was the chance to gain access to “paradise”. One of the Briarwood boys is holding the key to a secret room under his bed. To remain in control of the Pretty Committee, Massie knows that “her job is to win.” With every girl in seventh grade searching for the exclusive key, competition gets intense.

From the beginning, Massie is sure that Skye Hamilton, the astounding eighth grade alpha, is just testing her. Massie tries to stay confident, like a real leader. When Massie, Alicia, Kristen, Dylan and Claire, the entire Pretty Committee, aren’t able to find the key, the group gets annoyed and even a tiny bit nervous. The friends cannot let a “loser beyond repair (LBR)” control the secret room. The search narrows when Claire thinks she found the right Briarwood boy who is the one holding the key. However an LBR seems to be getting close as well. Who will be the luckiest group in seventh grade to acquire the extraordinary area?

It’s Not Easy Being Mean, is the eighth and best book of the eight in the series. The Pretty Committee, formed in the beginning of their seventh grade year in the first book, The Clique, remained together until the last book, Sealed With A Diss. Earlier in her career, Harrison worked with MTV, so she knows how to target a crowd. While I was reading It’s Not Easy Being Mean, by Lisi Harrison, I felt it was realistic and suitable for young girls ages 11-15. This novel is humorous in most aspects, exciting, and grabbing.