Gossip Girl (Audiobook-Abridged)

Author:Cecily Von Ziegesar

Narrator: Christina Ricci

ISBN:978-1586215705

Publication Information:Hachette Audio

Language: English

Plot Summary: An unknown blogger only known as Gossip Girl blogs and narrates about the lives of a group of rich teens that attend wealthy private schools on the Upper East Side in Manhattan. Serena (or S) has just returned from a year at a private boarding school, ready to shake things up. Blair (or B) has become the queen bee of her private school Constance, and does not intend to let anyone (especially former best friend Serena) knock her off of her throne. Nate is Blair's boyfriend, a stoner jock that doesn't know what to do with his life, and Dan is an emaciated writer/poet who is obsessed with Serena. Nate's younger sister Jenny is a freshman at Constance and also obsessed with all things Serena, while Vanessa a goth punk filmmaker (and another Constance student) is in love with Dan. This is the first book in a large series that follows this ensemble cast as they work their way through high school and Manhattan, drinking, shopping, and falling in and out of love.

Critical Evaluation:The Gossip Girl series is like the worst reality TV series, a disgusting display of overindulgence in all areas of life that is simultaneously hard to read about yet almost impossible to turn away from, a literary train wreck of sorts. Although I would be hard pressed to ever recommend the Gossip Girl series, I think it is important to have read and be knowledgeable about this series, because it is immensely popular. So popular that a television series has been created that is based on the books and is now on its third season. The writing is sharp, but the plot and characters are lacking. However, as far as audiobooks go, Christina Ricci is a superb narrator, and her voice is a pleasure to listen to.

This book will surely be popular among many teen readers, but the prevalence of drugs, sex and alcohol will make this a series that many parents may be leery of when they see their children reading the Gossip Girl titles. While I'm not advocating censorship, this issue is something that librarians should be cognizant of when their teens are checking out the books.

Reader's Annotation:S is back and B isn't happy. Will B remain the queen of Constance, or will S usurp her throne? You know you love me, xoxo.

Author Information: Cecily Von Ziegesar grew up much like the cast of the books, living in Manhattan and attending a small private school on the Upper East Side. She still lives in New York (in Brooklyn), with her husband, two children, and cats. Gossip Girl was her first book, and there currently has 13 titles in the series, as well as four books in her other series, The Carlyles. Gossip Girl has been turned into a television series that is currently in its third season, and has been renewed for a fourth. (Information taken from the author's website http://www.gossipgirl.net/author/).

Curricular Ties:N/A

Genre: Contemporary life

Book talking ideas:

• Should Blair forgive Serena for sleeping with Nate?
• How should Dan go about pursuing a relationship with Vanessa?
• Nate smokes a lot of pot. Does he have a problem? If so, should his friends intervene?
  

Challenge issues:Sexual content, underage drinking, drug use

• Familiarize yourself with the book and its contents.
• Check the library for specific policies on challenged books.
• Check the ALA website for advice on how to respond and react when a book has been challenged. (http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/index.cfm)
  
• Find positive reviews from reputable websites.
• Ask the challenger for their specific objections and try to address them using information from the above research.

Interest Age: Grades 10 and up

Why I selected this piece:Like it or not, the Gossip Girl series are extremely popular and here to stay. It was important to me to find out what the books were all about.