Gossip Girl (Gossip Girl #1)

 
3.0 (2)
 
4.2 (51)
2159 0
Gossip Girl (Gossip Girl #1)
Age Range
14+
Release Date
April 02, 2002
ISBN
0316910333
Buy This Book
      

Welcome to New York City's Upper East Side, where my friends and I live, go to school, play, and sleep--sometimes with each other.

S is back from boarding school, and if we aren't careful, she's going to win over our teachers, wear that dress we couldn't fit into, steal our boyfriends' hearts, and basically ruin our lives in a major way. I'll be watching closely...

You know you love me, gossip girl

Editor reviews

4 reviews
Overall rating
 
3.0
Plot
 
3.0(2)
Characters
 
N/A(0)
Writing Style
 
N/A(0)
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A(0)
Spreading Gossip
Overall rating
 
3.0
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Meet GOSSIP GIRL, an anonymous New York teen who posts all of the latest news about her peers at her website. Readers are introduced to a variety of high schoolers whose days and nights are filled with money, cars, boyfriends/girlfriends, cell phones, agendas, parties, and more. If you're in, you're in; if you're out, you're definitely out - unless you are dating or are related to one of the cool kids.

The character with the most mystery surrounding her is Serena, a blonde beauty whose return to Manhattan sparks controversy galore as her classmates wonder why she has come back to her all-girl private high school after a year-long absence and travels overseas. Serena's estranged best friend Blair, who was just getting accustomed to being THE most popular girl, now must take a step back and share the spotlight. Not only is her popularity at stake, but so is her love life, as she worries that her boyfriend Nate only has eyes . . . for Serena.

If GOSSIP GIRL was a TV show, HBO, FOX and THE WB would all fight over the rights to it. GOSSIP GIRL takes 90210 and moves it to Manhattan. The teens are trashy and classy at all once; while they know the difference between Prada and Gucci, they don't always know the difference between right and wrong. The book is more melodrama than drama, and delightfully so. It's a beach read mixed with martinis.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Rich, beautiful....and mean
Overall rating
 
3.0
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Ouch. The teens in Gossip Girl are downright vicious. They are also beautiful, rich, talented, incredibly self-absorbed and petty. Even though you mostly can't stand them, you have to finish the book once you've started because it is like a train wreck or a soap opera. Once you look, you can't stop looking.

At first, it seems like Blair is the focus of the book. The poor little rich girl who used to be best friends with Serena (recently returned to the Upper East Side, after being kicked out of boarding school) had made the most of her time while Serena was away by consolidating her powerbase and becoming the "It" girl.

When Serena returns, Blair and the rest of the gang snub her and even help spread vicious rumors about her. Even Nate, Blair's boyfriend and one-time love of Serena, follows along. Meanwhile, they are partying, drinking, doing drugs and generally having a rip-roaring (very illegal) time.

Serena, we soon see, is the real heroine of the book. She's portrayed as the most beautiful flower in a field of precious blooms (if anyone happened to look close, they'd see that most of those blooms were tarnished), bewildered as to why her old friends will have nothing to do with her. She even comes to an epiphany of sorts when she realizes she doesn't really know what she's doing with her life.

Of course, not every character in this book is an empty-headed socialite with loose morals. We also have Vanessa, a rebellious filmmaker that initially dislikes Serena, until she finds out the other popular kids don't like her anymore. There's also Dan and Jenny, who are brother and sister. They go to school with the rest of the cast of characters, but they don't subscribe to the same lifestyle. Jenny, however, has secret desires to see how the other half live and she finds out in a manner she is not likely to forget.

Interspersed throughout the book are gossip girl extracts off of a somewhat fictional website: gossipgirl.net. Gossip Girl, you see, likes to dish what is going on from the inside. You don't know which character she is supposed to be, but you are supposed to believe that she hosts a website where she posts rumors and gossip about the lives of all the chosen.

I found the inserts to be a little annoying and I don't feel they added a lot to the story itself. They seemed more like a promotion tool (as gossipgirl.net really does exist, with a small amount of content put up by the publisher) than a valid addition to the story, especially since they mostly just provided a brief synopsis of what you had just read. They did add to the overall feeling of bad teens doing bad things, however.

If you liked the movie "Cruel Intentions," you are bound to like this book. Story-wise, it really boils down to be a story about acceptance and social pressure that anyone can relate to. And, even though I really didn't like most of the characters, I still want to read the next book in the series to find out what happens to them. I'll just have to read some "cheerful" things in between to get the nasty taste out of my mouth.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 1 0

User reviews

51 reviews
 
55%
 
20%
 
20%
2 stars
 
0%
 
6%
Overall rating
 
4.2
Plot
 
4.2(51)
Characters
 
N/A(0)
Writing Style
 
N/A(0)
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A(0)
Already have an account? or Create an account
View all user reviews View most helpful
what my daughter will sneak if I don't let her read them
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Reader reviewed by boobookitten

OK, so it is filled with the lives of teenagers who live their lives as if they were in their early to mid 20s with wild and crazy abandon.  True!  With that aside, it is juicy, well written and non-violent.  The characters, whether you like them or not have been deeply developed.  I am 40.  In my day, the juicy books that my parents may not have wanted me to read were sneakily read anyway.  Period.  As was a lot of my own underage drinking, smoking, sex and other stuff.  If you look at me now though, you'd never guess that.  I went through that stuff and turned out ok.

Parents- you might want to read them.  Not to forbid them- good luck!  But to know what your kids will read, and frankly because they were deliciously addicting!  I loved them.  And since I know what's in them, I can talk to my daughter about the stuff inside.  I found myself remembering the corresponding people at my high school and identifying me (a cross of Vanessa and Jenny) as well.  I give the entire Gossip Girl series a 5 star thumbs up!
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
GOSSIP GIRL!
Overall rating
 
3.0
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Reader reviewed by val

GOSSIP GIRL!

I love the characters in gossip girl, but i don't like the way it was written because it kinda doesn't have a sense in it. It's just about parties, and their love life, but when i checked out the tv series, i learned to like it.
Gossip Girl gives you the exclusive pass to Manhattan and will make you WANT to live in Manhattan!
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Beautiful Dirty Rich
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Reader reviewed by Agustina Gonzalez

Cruel. Hot. Jealousy. Betrayal. And anonymous. Are the words to explain this book. Gossip Girl is a guilty pressure. Every page informs a dangerous and yet fun side of the Upper East Side.


There is Blair Waldorf, the poor little rich snobby girl that only has one thing in her mind, to have sex with her boyfriend, Nate Archibald. But they are interrupted by the arrival of Serena van der Woodsen, Blairs long-time best friend who left one year ago to attend boarding school. Blair is not very thrilled to see her, not wanting to give up her spotlight as being the IT" girl. Later she finds out that Serena and Nate had sex before Serena left.


Serena being ignore from her friends joins the school plays and meets Dan Humphrey, the lovesick boy, has been crushing on Serena his pre-teen. Vanessa Abrams, best friend of Dan and secretly has a crush one Dan, too. And Jenny Humphrey, Dans younger sister.


Through the book an anonymous blogger, known as Gossip Girl blogs delicious gossip about these teenagers. The book contains some fictional, yet reality.

Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Guilty Pleasure
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Reader reviewed by Lea

I'll admit it, this was once a guilty pleasure of mine. They mystery of Gossip Girl and the lives of Blair, Serena, Jenny, Dan, Vanessa, and all the others are impossible to resist.

When Serena comes back, rumers float around. Blair wants nothing to do with her because she's the new queen bee, and doesn't want to be second best ever again. She has Nate, popularity, everything.

The characters are shallow, weak, eager to please, stoners...I could go on. But it's difficult to look away from a trainwreck waiting to happen...and the chance to solve the mystery. Who is Gossip Girl?
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
thireen
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Reader reviewed by chrisite

this is the most scandoulous book ive ever read.i love blair shes my favorite.so the main characters are blair serena and nate.blair and serena are former best friends.serena always was the upper popular girl but then she did something really bad and left manhattan with out telling anyone.therefore blair is left to be in command with her boyfriend nate.but blair doesnt know that nate was with serena and that her best friend betryaed her.but then serena comes back,blairs threatned and nate leaves her for serena...
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Problems and Romace= Trouble
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Reader reviewed by emmynoodle

Gossip Girl is a story of two girls that were friends and are slowly becoming rivals. When one of the girls tries to take the others man-it turns nasty! Blair is madly in love with Nate and Nate feels the same way about Blair! Who will get the man and win it all, and maybe get some revenge? Read Gossip Girl and find out!!

Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Gossip LOVELY ;)
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Reader reviewed by Desiree Mobley

This book is the very first Gossip Girl in the series and i tell you these books are amazing!!!
They are full of drama, love, mystery, and even revenge that is oh so sweet! Read it and you will be up night after night and during the day when you cant read oh baby you will want it bad!!
XOXO
Des
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
My not-so-guilty pleasure
Overall rating
 
3.0
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Reader reviewed by Sara E.

I'd seen the book around, thought seriously about getting it, but decided against it since I usually don't like a lot of chick lit. It was on sale one day though, so I just got it for the heck of it and finally read it. I am thankful I did. Even though its just as cheesy as most other chick lit books, I loved it. Probably because the element of gossip. It was addicting, and as the jacket said, it has the effect of gossip itself. You can get involved in the world guilt-free. Following the lives of the Upper East Siders and all the scandalous situations they find themselves in, this book is sure to entertain. It's hilarious and the anonymous gossip girl herself is a treat.

Blair and Vanessa are probably my favorite characters throughout the book. To be honest, I think - and this is my only complaint - that the other characters are pretty dull, airhead types, that are lacking personality.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Money Sex and lots of DRAMA!
Overall rating
 
1.0
Plot
 
1.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Reader reviewed by Sharon

This book is the kind of book you either love or hate there is no in between. Its set in Upper East side of manhattan and the main characters are the Creme de la Creme the snottiest richest and prettist of them all. Even thought all of them are in high school their problems aren't about school or college its whose best friend is sleeping with whose current boyfriend. It gets boring after a couple of books in the series and the t.v. series is waayy better than the books.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Gossip Girl
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Reader reviewed by Alyssa

After hearing excellent reviews on the Gossip Girl Book Series I decided to pick it up and see for myself what all the gossip was about. The book and the remainder of books in the series that I have already read have been all I expected and more. The books concentrate on the lives of a group of teens living the life on the Upper East Side of New York City. They shop at the finest stores, go to the most incredible parties and attend the most expensive schools. But there lives arent all that easy, they are faced with most of the challenges that regular teens in high schools everywhere face, getting into the best colleges, looking good, relationships, drinking, drugs and there home lives.
The first book in the series starts off with Serena, one of the groups friends returning from a boarding school that she had been attending for the past year. Blair the it girl, after Serena was gone, is very upset about the return of her best friend and begins to spread vicious rumors around the school along with her boyfriend Nate. I wont tell you all about it youll have to read about the gossip in the book. The story is told by an anonymous Gossip Girl that posts some rumors in a column every now and again. This book along with the others in the series are anything but boring, as they focus on these rich kids living the incredible life the action is extremely suspenseful. This series is surprisingly unlike any book I have read on this subject. It gets inside the kids lives and shows the things that you may not expect from this bunch of kids, but youll need to read it to find out what all the gossip is about.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
View all user reviews