Gossip Girl

After much resistance and sighing and complaining, I surrendered to the idea of reading Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar. I went into it with expectations, no, certainties of how horribly catty and shallow it would be, knowing I would hate it. I gritted my teeth and felt on the verge of screaming out in frustration through most of the book. However, regardless of my book-induced inner anguish, I couldn't put it down. It wasn't until the end of the book that I realized I actually enjoyed it. Chock full of things we'll never see and experiences we'll never have, it still somehow managed to bring the "other half" into a light that made them recognizable to the rest of us, though that wasn't even its true appeal.

I find I have a problem with many works of fiction, be they books, movies, plays, whatever. It always seems to me that simple common sense is always sacrificed for the sake of plot twists. This frustrates me to the point where I often find myself cursing the characters aloud (thus attracting much attention to the lunatic talking to her book). To be honest, this was the appeal of Gossip Girl for me. There was very little, if any, of this happening in this book and for that I thank Cecily Von Ziegesar.

If I had to make a comparison, I would compare this book to the nastiest roller coaster or carnival ride you've ever been on. Through the whole ride you're praying for deliverance and cursing yourself for being dumb enough to be strapped to this thing. However, once the ride is over and you stagger away, you realize how much fun you had while mentally doling our your worldly goods. So you stagger to the back of the line and anxiously wait to be strapped back in. I too, have strapped back in as I dive into the sequal, Gossip Girl: You Know You Love Me. I do, Cecily, I do.

- Krista