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3.25 AVERAGE
3.25 AVERAGE
i’m actually fully addicted [to the series] at this point. is it trash? it’s absolute garbage… but it’s iconic.
this was such a slow read though (especially for being a short book)
this was such a slow read though (especially for being a short book)
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love all the dirt and gossip but the same old tired characters that never change (except for their clothes many times) are getting kind of old. But I'll keep on reading just the same.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Lika bra som förra gången! Lite passande att det var juletider i den här boken också, bra timing!
continuing my Ultimate Gossip Girl Reread. this one took me a while longer to get to because apparently three other people in my library ALSO wanted to read it for some unfathomable reason. i was almost personally offended by how long i had to wait lol
stray thoughts this reread has been putting in my head:
what makes these trashfire books so darn engaging and interesting is the narration voice. it's full-on sarcasm all the time and i'm only noticing it now that i'm reading these as an older person. when i was a kid (and again, i read these at 11, so i was very much a child) i took everything way too literally and it changed my entire perspective on these books (see: my review for the first book where i discuss about not eating eggs for nearly ten years because blair waldorf calls them "chicken's abortions". yeah.) that's what makes these books so good. you get someone looking at these kids' ridiculous lives and pointing out just how ridiculous they are.
WHICH IS WHY GOSSIP GIRL SHOULD'VE BEEN DOROTHA ON THAT STUPID FREAKING TV SHOW!
and i know the show and the series are two entirely separate entities, but still. what makes Gossip Girl successful is the narrative style, a style which the old tv show managed to capture quite well (especially in season 1) and the new one is still struggling with. they're different because the focus of the books is not on the characters per se, but on the absurd things that happen in their lives, while the show had to shift this in order to be interesting for more than one season.
that's why the books' main goal is never to find out who gossip girl is, because it doesn't really matter. gossip girl was someone watching in the background, and their lives were so much bigger than that. but once the show made the characters its center point, it allowed for this unseen narrator to play a bigger part in the story. all they needed to be was someone who could blend with the background and be everywhere without being noticed, and the show had the means to actually introduce this character to us and give them a name by having blair and the others interact with ~the help~ in a way they never would in the book.
who the hell would've been better for the task of being an undercover spy than the HOUSEKEEPER? i mean it's really an obvious conclusion lol
anyway i can't believe i wrote that many words about a gossip girl book. who am i even. all of that to say this has been fun and rereading this series is definitely the best decision i've made all year.
Current Series Ranking:
1. All I Want Is Everything (this has been one of my faves since i first read this series. i just love the whole serena and a freaking mtv rockstar thing)
2. Gossip Girl
3. You Know You Love Me
stray thoughts this reread has been putting in my head:
what makes these trashfire books so darn engaging and interesting is the narration voice. it's full-on sarcasm all the time and i'm only noticing it now that i'm reading these as an older person. when i was a kid (and again, i read these at 11, so i was very much a child) i took everything way too literally and it changed my entire perspective on these books (see: my review for the first book where i discuss about not eating eggs for nearly ten years because blair waldorf calls them "chicken's abortions". yeah.) that's what makes these books so good. you get someone looking at these kids' ridiculous lives and pointing out just how ridiculous they are.
WHICH IS WHY GOSSIP GIRL SHOULD'VE BEEN DOROTHA ON THAT STUPID FREAKING TV SHOW!
and i know the show and the series are two entirely separate entities, but still. what makes Gossip Girl successful is the narrative style, a style which the old tv show managed to capture quite well (especially in season 1) and the new one is still struggling with. they're different because the focus of the books is not on the characters per se, but on the absurd things that happen in their lives, while the show had to shift this in order to be interesting for more than one season.
that's why the books' main goal is never to find out who gossip girl is, because it doesn't really matter. gossip girl was someone watching in the background, and their lives were so much bigger than that. but once the show made the characters its center point, it allowed for this unseen narrator to play a bigger part in the story. all they needed to be was someone who could blend with the background and be everywhere without being noticed, and the show had the means to actually introduce this character to us and give them a name by having blair and the others interact with ~the help~ in a way they never would in the book.
who the hell would've been better for the task of being an undercover spy than the HOUSEKEEPER? i mean it's really an obvious conclusion lol
anyway i can't believe i wrote that many words about a gossip girl book. who am i even. all of that to say this has been fun and rereading this series is definitely the best decision i've made all year.
Current Series Ranking:
1. All I Want Is Everything (this has been one of my faves since i first read this series. i just love the whole serena and a freaking mtv rockstar thing)
2. Gossip Girl
3. You Know You Love Me
Rather than reviewing the plot of this book (seeing as there is none), I'll write about the 2-Dimensional characters in this book :)
Blair- Spoiled brat
Serena- Spoiled bubbly brat
Nate- Pothead
Dan- a literal weirdo
Vanessa- only wears black clothing
Aaron- Sir, get some help
Miles- Who is he again?
Jenny- I feel really bad for her because she is a child but people keep body-shaming her and their behavior is disgusting
In all seriousness, I read this book to see if I would like this genre, as I didn't want to read another serious book. I can now say I will not as much go near another gossip girl book. All I can say is it's not for everyone.
Blair- Spoiled brat
Serena- Spoiled bubbly brat
Nate- Pothead
Dan- a literal weirdo
Vanessa- only wears black clothing
Aaron- Sir, get some help
Miles- Who is he again?
Jenny- I feel really bad for her because she is a child but people keep body-shaming her and their behavior is disgusting
In all seriousness, I read this book to see if I would like this genre, as I didn't want to read another serious book. I can now say I will not as much go near another gossip girl book. All I can say is it's not for everyone.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Why am I still reading this series? Who the hell knows... Man did I used to love these in high school. The nostalgia of looking at these and feeling overwhelming love is weird. As an adult, all I get from these books is a ton of disappointment.
Moments of genuine humor are trapped here among superficial, mostly unlikeable characters. I did enjoy watching Serena do whatever the fuck she wanted and disregard men. I did enjoy watching Blair finally take a stand against Nate. Good, strong female shit.
But besides that, everyone is basically interchangeable. Also, these characters are so unbelievably lucky it'll suck you right out of the book.
Is Erika seriously going to continue reading this book series even after giving it a single star? Unfortunately, probably.
Moments of genuine humor are trapped here among superficial, mostly unlikeable characters. I did enjoy watching Serena do whatever the fuck she wanted and disregard men. I did enjoy watching Blair finally take a stand against Nate. Good, strong female shit.
But besides that, everyone is basically interchangeable. Also, these characters are so unbelievably lucky it'll suck you right out of the book.
Is Erika seriously going to continue reading this book series even after giving it a single star? Unfortunately, probably.