With Friends Like These (17 page)

A Conversation with ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Q:
With Friends Like These
is the third book in your series of Christian teen novels, each having one of the Ten Commandments as its theme. With honesty being the theme of this book what do you think is the greatest benefit of telling the truth? When, if ever, do you consider it appropriate to lie?

A: As much as we may try to justify it, I don’t think there’s ever an appropriate time to lie. That’s because one lie leads to another, then another, and so on. Often, people will tell lies to avoid hurting someone’s feelings; eventually, that person ends up hurt anyway, and a lie only compounds that hurt.

Q: What advice would you give parents about how to have an honest rapport with their children? How can they have a relationship based on truth with their teens while still respecting their privacy?

A: While I’m not one of those parents who believe you must be your child’s friend, I still do think there is a certain level of respect that should be extended to your child. By showing your child you respect him or her as an individual, you’re teaching him or her to respect you. That, in turn, helps build a desire to be truthful.

Q: The Good Girlz deal with real teen issues—everything from boyfriend troubles to jealousy and competition. How do you create stories that are so true to life?

A: By writing reality. I write what I have lived, and what I see teens deal with on an everyday basis.

Q: Do you have a favorite Good Girl? Which one most reminds you of yourself?

A: One of the things I loved about the Good Girlz is that I took a little bit of me and infused it into each character. Then, I added some characteristics I wish I had growing up. For that reason, it’s kind of hard to pick a favorite. I love all of them.

Q: Do you think teenage girls have a harder time than teenage boys? If so, why?

A: Definitely, because let’s face it, there are different standard levels for the two groups. Certain behavior is accepted and even excused in young men, but young women can really mess up their lives with that same behavior. Then you have the media sending mixed messages about what’s hot, what’s beautiful, and what guys want. It can add a lot of pressure to teenage girls.

Q: What were your favorite books and authors growing up? What do you think are the essential ingredients of a bestselling teen novel?

A: I loved Maya Angelou’s
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
. And I was a huge Judy Blume and Nancy Drew reader. I think a teen novel needs to be something that keeps teens’ interest; after all, books are competing with so many other forms of entertainment. So a bestselling teen book today has to be a page-turner.

Q: Do you think celebrities and the media influence how teens view competition and being successful in today’s world?

A: We live in a competitive society and the catfights we hear about in Hollywood and the beefs we see rappers having with each other only serve to fuel the competitive fire. I think unfair pressure is placed on teens by telling them that they have to be the best. I don’t have a problem with being the best you can, but it’s when we add in that “by any means necessary” part as so many people do. We’re teaching young people that you should succeed no matter what, no matter who you have to step on to do it. And that, most often, is not a good thing.

Q: What did you learn from your own experience as a television reporter about the balance between work and personal life? Were you ever in a situation where you felt particularly competitive? If so, how did you handle it?

A: I think oftentimes people can get so caught up in their careers, or following their dreams, that they don’t realize what’s really important—and that’s family and love. The TV news business is extremely competitive. We fought all the time for the big story. I’ll admit, I was one of those “bulldog reporters.” But at the end of the day, none of that mattered. You can be the star one day and fizzle the next. (Just like Camille when they canceled her show.) So it’s important to always realize what’s really important.

Q: As a parent you are probably concerned about instilling values in your own daughters. How will you accomplish this?

A: Absolutely. I don’t want to just write about it, I want to be about it. That means, the things I try to teach in my writings, I definitely will teach in my household. I want to raise strong independent daughters, who make sound moral, ethical, personal, and professional decisions in their own lives. Of course, I’ll do that through example, but also by constantly talking to them about staying on the right path.

Q: What will be the next book in your Christian teen series? How do you choose which of the Commandments to focus on next?

A: We are currently at work on the next set of books in the Good Girlz series. I want to make sure we choose an area to focus on that will really touch some lives. So, while we haven’t narrowed it down yet, I’m definitely excited about continuing the series.

1. When the original Good Girlz—Camille, Angel, Jasmine, and Alexis—meet their newest member, Tameka Adams, they are turned off by her negative attitude. Camille says, “I’d just stick to the original Good Girlz, the ones I knew were my true friends. I guess we just had no room for outsiders” (page 5). Why do you think the girls don’t like Tameka? Does it have anything to do with the fact that she’s their group leader’s niece? What is the difference between a close-knit group of friends and a “clique”? What would you consider the Good Girlz?
   
2. Do you think it’s a good decision for Angel not to try out for
   Teen Talks
   because she’s now a mom? What does this say about her priorities and life goals? Did she have other options she didn’t explore?
   
3. Competition and lying are two of the major themes in
   With Friends Like These
   . What is the difference between competition over boys and competition at the television station? When, if ever, is a lie acceptable?
   
4. Do you think Jasmine has the right to be angry with Alexis for dating Jaquan? Why or why not? Is keeping Jasmine in the dark the same thing as lying to her?
   
5. Camille and Walter lie to their parents in order to date each other. Is this really necessary? What does this say about their relationship? Are they dating each other simply to rebel, or are they rebelling because they truly care about each other?
   
6. Why do you think Tameka uses underhanded tactics, such as giving the girls bad advice and stealing Jasmine’s research paper? If she had enough confidence in herself would she still cheat? How do the other girls react?
   
7. When Alexis and Camille are chosen as the finalists, Camille takes Walter up on his offer to help her get the job. Do you consider this cheating? Do you think she would have been more proud of herself knowing she got the job all on her own? How do the other girls react once they find out?
   
8. At one point in the competition, Rachel says, “God is at the center of everything we do…. We’re losing the glue that holds everything together” (page 85). What is Rachel trying to teach the girls about friendship and competition? What are they losing sight of?
   
9. When the girls believe Alexis had an overdose, they rush to the hospital to be at her side. What does this say about their underlying values and priorities?
   
10. How does the cancellation of the talk show put things in perspective for Camille? What does she learn about herself and the nature of competition?
    

Lend a helping hand like the Good Girlz! Find community service projects in your area by logging on to sites such as www. dosomething.org and www.handsonnetwork.org.

If you’re the host, read quotes from
With Friends Like These
and see if your friends can guess which characters said them.

Try hosting your own version of
Teen Talks
. Your fellow book club members can come on the show as one of the characters from the book.