I loved the book, i think Serena is a great role model she always is nice to everyone. It has a lot of ;product placement; and makes people wish they could be rich and glamourous like Serena and Blair. Though that is the point of a book to read it and be entertained, not possitive messages.
Gossip Girl Books
(2005, Fiction - Coming of Age, Written by Cecily von Ziegesar)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Addictive high-society fluff with bad messages.
Themes in this book include: dating/crushes, materialism, substance abuse
updated 01.21.10
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 15–18
What to watch out for
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Role models:
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Gossip Girl Books was written by Kate Pavao
Parents need to know that characters in these books drink, smoke, do drugs, throw parties, and have sex. Their party lifestyle is glamorized (and their own parents are permissive about their drinking); sex is not graphic, but it isn't always equated with love, either. Also, brand names run throughout, from high-end clothing designers to skin products to alcohol brands.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the popularity of the series and why teens seem to find it so appealing.
- What do books like these do for their readers?
- Are they simply guilty pleasures, or do they have lessons to teach?
- How are you supposed to feel about the rich characters -- envy them, hate them, feel sorry for them?
- What do you think of all the materialism? Does it make you want labels, or make you think they're shallow?
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More on Gossip Girl Books
Book Summary
Manhattan's young, rich, and beautiful throw parties, fall in love, and stress about getting into Ivy League colleges -- all while wearing designer clothes. Their comings and goings are recorded by a secret spy within their fold on GossipGirl.net.
The seven books currently in this series (number eight is due for release in Oct.) follow bitchy Blair, earthy Serena, stoner Nate, edgy Dan and Vanessa, cute Jenny (and others in their circle). Beyond fancy vacations and charity events, they get glam in other ways: Serena models for a hot designer and Dan publishes a poem in The New Yorker. And then there are the inevitable romances: Nate and Blair. Dan and Serena. Nate and Jenny. Dan and Vanessa. You get the picture.
Books reviewed in this series include
Gossip Girl
All I Want Is Everything
Because I'm Worth It
Is It Any Good?
This is really superficial stuff, but it's no wonder it's such a hit. These rich kids' designer lives are the stuff we've all fantasized about. It's just as easy to relish the high moments (Serena hooks up with a rock star; Dan and Vanessa finally get it on) as it is the disasters (Blair dates her Yale interviewer, only to find out he's the married father of one of her classmates; Nate gets busted trying to buy pot in Central Park). While none of the characters are particularly noble, it's fun watching them throw fabulous benefits (complete with Kate Spade gift bags!) or jet off to a tropical island for the holidays.
The author expertly weaves their various storylines together for maximum energy. But do your kids -- the ones you trust not to take this world too seriously -- really have to read the whole series? (Probably just one or two will do.) The GossipGirl.net interludes are the perfect device, because they remind readers of our place in the whole mess: We are not these characters. We are not their friends. We are simply gawkers.
Publisher’s Details
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co., Publication date: 8/9/2005
Number of pages: 199, Price: $9.99 (paperback)
Read Aloud: 15, Read Alone: 15
Number of pages: 199, Price: $9.99 (paperback)
Read Aloud: 15, Read Alone: 15
Our Members Say
See all 90 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Excessive consumerism
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
TRUE TO LIFE... but not for the sheltered kid!
personally i love these books... i love the fashion and the different dramatic stories going on! ... if you don't want your kids to read "real life" type books, then clearly these books aren't for them, but they'll relate to a lot of the situations whether they admit it or you want to believe it!
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Negative role models
Great series(:
It's a great series, but not for younger readers. Parents are worried about what their children will learn from this series, but while I was reading the books i realized their lives were ridiculous and that what i am learning is that I will NEVER do those things because the things in the series don't happen to most teenagers. Plus you see the way they act and how they treat each other and most girls would't want people treating them that way so they won't act that way.
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I rate this title on for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive consumerism
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Negative role models
well written, although characters aren't good role models, it is easy to understand their circumstances and get wrapped up in their lives. I for one enjoyed the series, they are a lot better than the show, and i wouldn't mind going back and reading it again. it's definitely for an older audience though
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I rate this title on for age 15 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Negative role models
even tho these books have a lot of negative stuff, i love them, i started reading them in the 7th grade and im ready for the new one, "i will always love you" to come out in november. if u have a problem with these books then just dont read them or let ur kids read them. but go ahead and let ur kids read fairy tales with magic and blood and a bunch of stuff thats not okay even tho eveyone says it is :)
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Ratings at a Glance
| 67% | of parents don't think the messages are positive |
| 67% | of parents don't feel there are good role models |
| 67% | of parents say the sexual behavior isn't age appropriate |
| 67% | of parents say there's too much drinking, drugs, or smoking |
| 67% | of parents say they notice product placement |
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