Sunday, October 09, 2005

Nothing Can Keep Us Together by Cecily von Ziegesar

As usual Cecily von Ziegesar's book if nothing if not exciting, she doesn't stop at the usual; filling her books with scandalous gossip and things us 'normal' people would not do on a whim. Yet, as per usual, the heart of the book truly lies with that of a teenager and the vast amount of money the character's have will never change it - they still have the ups and downs of everybody. With Blair mad at Nate and Serena and focusing instead on Marcus, Lord Marcus that is; an older, British and seemingly better version of Nate and, of course, without the stoner aspect. And while Serena is thrilled at her role in Breakfast At Freds (modern day Breakfast At Tiffanys), which Blair also tried out for, Nate is having his own problems. Things are less then perfect for Vanessa and Aaron, while Jenny ends her boarding school search at Waverly Prep, the new centre of Gossip Girls spin off, The It Girl.

The Gossip Girl books; the glossy magazine of the teen-lit world. I dislike the characters; the fact that there is never a seemingly happy ending (just like life) which I cannot do without, and normally, the lives of the rich do not interest me at all. Yet here I am, reading each novel as soon as I can, and talking about fictional character's lives, with, frankly, as much enthusiasim as a particurlarily intriguing piece of gossip about someone I actually know. I've long ago stopped asking myself why, and have just come to accept the fact that I read and buy these books; and with a cover that matches the inside so perfectly, why should I worry? Nothing Can Keep Us Together, certainly keeps up with the rest of the series and lacks nothing. The ending, though somewhat suprising, seemed neithur un-realistic or untrue to the characters and I accepted it like everything else in the series. This book, although not without it's kinks, is certainly worth reading for any and every gossip girl fan; you will certainly not be disappointed.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Bristol, England