♥ Book #2 :: Gossip Girl ♥

Title: Gossip Girl
Author: Cecily von Ziegesar
Copyright date: 2002
Pages: 201 pgs
Chapters: 28
How long it took to read: 4 days

This book was: not as good as I remember it being. :(
Category: Young Adult fiction
I learned about this book from: reading the series the first time around and being a fan of the show
Other books by this author: Gossip Girl series 1 and 2, It girl series, 
I would recommend this book to: Gossip Girl fans

Favorite characters: Blair Waldorf, Serena van der Woodsen, Erik van der Woodsen
Least Favorite characters: Nate Archibald, Jenny Humphrey, Dan Humphrey, Vanessa Abrams
When and Where it takes place: New York; Manhattan, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Plot in a nutshell: Introducing Gossip Girl, a wickedly funny and risqué paperback original novel about the provocative lives of the young women of New York City's most prestigious private school. Gossip Girl herself is an anonymous narrator with the ultimate insider scoop on the inner workings of this privileged society because she's one of them. Sharp wit, intriguing characters, and high-stakes melodrama drive the action of this cutting-edge novel that will make Gossip Girl the literary world's new "it" girl.

In Gossip Girl, when the beautiful Serena van der Woodsen returns to Constance after mysteriously getting kicked out of boarding school, the whole school is talking. All Blair Waldorf knows is that there's no freaking way Serena's going to just waltz back in with her Jimmy Choo mules and Kate Spade bag and steal everyone's heart again. But Serena's got other things on her mind, like college pressure and living up to everyone else's extreme expectations. Plus there's that guy who stands across the street and stares at her all the time.

Main characters: Gossip Girl, Blair Waldorf, Nate Archibald, Chuck Bass, Serena van der Woodsen, Jenny Humphrey, Dan Humphrey, Vanessa Abrams

What I liked best:
- I love how catty the book is written.
- The "movies" Blair makes up in her head.
- Serena is more fun and outgoing in the books.
- Hahahaha. Chuck singing along to Jay Z.
- I love how much I can relate to Blair. She amuses me.
- I forgot how much I loved Erik in the books.

What I liked least:
- Oh, the delusional thoughts of teenagers.
- It's weird to read about the characters in high school after all that happened on the show.
- Jenny's fantasies about Serena having sex with random boys is disturbing.
- It's like Cecily has one character in mind and gives everyone the same characteristics sometimes.
- Dan made Vanessa feel like she had to pee?
- Jenny's girl crush on Serena is disturbing.
- Blair is really controlling of Nate but he keeps leading her on.
- It sounds like from the books the kids read that Cecily read a lot of well written books. Yet her writing isn't that great.
- Vanessa is obsessive over Dan.
- Cecily used the word "said" too much.
- Serena smokes strong cigarettes because the pack is cool...what is this teaching today's youth?
- Spelling mistakes galore.
- Cecily uses "You know you love me" way too much.
- Nate is more pathetic in the books.
- Serena sounds like she's talking to a boyfriend when she talks to Erik.
- The writing is childish in parts.

Overall Rating: I can't believe it's been 5 years since I read this series last. Time flies, doesn't it? I think I was really addicted to these books the first time around because the show was so good and I wanted to know what happened before the episodes came on...although, I soon found out that the show didn't follow the series at all after the first book. Thankfully. The books aren't as good as I remember them being. Cecily is definitely not the best writer and a lot of the characters piss me off in the book. Nate is such a pansy in the books and Vanessa is insufferable. Dan is even more whiny than in the show and Jenny is kind of disturbed...more so than in the show...if that's even possible. Just goes to show, you can't go back...