Von Ziegesar, Cecily. Because I'm worth it; a Gossip Girl novel - Brief Article - Young Adult Review - Book Review

Little Brown. 231 p. c2003.0-316-90968-8. $8.99. S This fourth installment of the incredibly popular Gossip Girl series takes up where the third installment, All I Want Is Everything, left off. Couples have been reshuffled, the stress of early decision results is here, and through it all the anonymous weblogger, aka Gossip Girl, posts her Hedda Harper-like commentary and satisfies everyone's inner yenta. The lives of our various protagonists boggle the mind with their limitless wealth and privilege, but these Upper East Siders continue to have plenty of skeletons in their spacious closets. The reader receives a front and center view of Blair's simmering bulimia and Nate's marijuana addiction gets addressed, but not in any way a parent would find edifying. While many adults will cringe at the breezy depiction of drugs and sex, the fact remains that this series is not based on the teen problem novel genre. Rather, it is a novel of elite society relationships, with the Manhattan fashion and nightclub scenes as its colorful backdrop.

Von Ziegesar has done a wonderful job keeping up the Gossip Girl tempo and even gives a surprise hint at the end of the novel toward decoding who Gossip Girl really is. As always, the content of the series limits it to a more mature audience, but senior high schools and public libraries should consider ordering multiple copies because of the popularity of the series. Courtney Lewis, Libn., Wyoming Sem. College, Kingston, PA

COPYRIGHT 2004 Kliatt
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group