Gossip Girl: Bk. 1 - Gossip Girl

Publisher and industry reviews

Jacket review

'Gossip Girl has the effect of gossip itself - once you enter it's hard to extract yourself; teens will devour this whole.' Publisher's Weekly

UK Kirkus review

Following the runaway success of Harry Potter, Bloomsbury is now branching out into the teen market, with what is sure to be a controversial series of short novels about the activities of a gang of hip, young New Yorkers. This first story follows the trials and tribulations of a group of rich high-school friends from the Upper East Side, who regularly get drunk or stoned, indulge in experimental sex and wouldn't be seen dead in non-designer gear, all under the indulgent eyes of their parents. This is Sweet Valley High with more than a hint of acid - the characters in Cecily von Ziegesar's deliciously bitchy novel are catty, malicious, treacherous and utterly riveting. Blair and Nate have been going steady for a while, and Blair is gearing herself up to let him go all the way. But the unexpected return of her old schoolfriend Serena puts paid to all Blair's thoughts of losing her virginity. Serena has been kicked out of her boarding school, and will be rejoining her former classmates at the Constance Billard School for Girls. Serena is drop-dead gorgeous and during her absence in Europe, Blair has enjoyed being the centre of attention. That's all set to change now Serena is back on the scene, and what's more, there's definitely something going on between her and Nate. And why did she come back? Are all those rumours about STDs, abortions and strange rituals with chickens really true? It takes no time for the gossip machine to get going, and Serena finds herself increasingly isolated by her former friends. The main story is interspersed with salacious emails from the mysterious Gossip Girl who spreads rumours about the goings on of the NYC crowd with abandon, and makes only a cursory attempt at anonymity by using her victims' initials. Fast-paced, outrageous and extremely provocative, this will go down a storm with teenagers - whether their parents will be quite so thrilled at this uninhibited account of teenage antics remains to be seen. Ages 14+ (Kirkus UK)

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