Cecily von Ziegesar

Only two weeks remain until graduation and there are more than a few surprises in store for the senior girls at an exclusive private high school in New York City, as they fill their last days together with boys, gossip, parties, and shopping.

A Gossip Girl Novel

Gossip Girl #8: Nothing Can Keep Us Together

Geoffrey Froggatt

** spoiler alert **
           This is the eight book in the Gossip Girl book series. In this installment, the main characters, including Serena, Blair, Nate, Chuck, Dan, and Vanessa, are approaching graduation and the end of their time together in New York. At the same time, Dan's sister Jenny must figure out what to do with herself during the next school year, because she can no longer stay at her current school. Blair and Serena’s rivalry and frenemy relationship was one of my favorite aspects of the television show, but it hasn’t been as compelling in the books so far. Eight books in and it feels like Blair and Serena have only had an on-again off-again friendship while they fought over Nate. It just hasn’t been as epic as the television rivalry so far. I was never a big fan of Nate’s character in the show because I thought he was boring, but Nate’s character is annoying and surface-level in the books compared to his portrayal in the show. I never thought I would say that Nate’s television show counterpart had depth, but that version of the character is much more likable and interesting than the boring hot rich boy Nate from the books. He seems to just get high and sleep with girls, which makes sense for his character if he was a real person, but as a fictional main character in a long-running book series, it makes him boring as his main purpose is to be put together with random female characters and serve as an obstacle for Blair and Serena’s friendship. Nate’s entire character feels like padding to fill out the story and as a walking talking plot device that effects Serena and Blair’s friendship. One of the most interesting parts of the television show is Dan’s character arc that takes him from lonely boy on the outside looking in to Manhattan’s elite, becoming apart of the very world he always criticized. Dan in the books is technically now apart of that world at this point, or at least in its orbit, and there just hasn’t been any focus or acknowledgement of his growth or change. Dan’s character serves as a satirical look at certain starving artists types that find niche fame, but it feels like there hasn’t been any rewarding continuity for his character arc the way that there was on the television show. I liked the inclusion of Lord Marcus, I liked seeing the upper crust characters interacting with people that only their own massive wealth would give them access to. This book sets up Jenny’s The It Girl spin-off book series by getting a formal invitation to attend Waverley Academy boarding school. I’m interested in reading Jenny’s spin-off book series since I won’t have any preconceived perceptions of any of the characters and storylines, I just hope that Jenny gets better storylines in that series since she’s the central character. I liked Serena’s storyline as an actress and Blair’s storyline with Lord Marcus. The last scene with Blair and Serena kissing was one of my favorite scenes in the series so far. I would love if Blair and Serena’s rivalry and frenemy relationship evolved into a genuine relationship, and it would absolutely fit as Blair hinted at having feelings for Serena in one of the earlier books. I liked this book much more than previous books, and I hope that since I’m approaching the final books in the series that things will heat up and the storylines will hold more weight and be much more interesting.

Jessica 

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After the not-so-shocking dramatic end to Nobody Does It Better, Gossip Girl heats up as high school graduation approaches, their futures now closer than ever, new and old romances ignite, long standing friendships fall apart and Jenny looks into various boarding school options.

And word on the street is that a certain filmmaker is looking to remake Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Any guesses as to who is one of the many, beautiful, hopeful young actresses? Breakfast at Fred’s seems to be generating a ton of buzz and this serves as a central plot point along with graduation.

With Nate and Serena as a couple, Blair decides to take her life into her own hands and start fresh. Yale has accepted her and she finally feels as though she’s gotten back into her groove; although it’s clear that she feels the sting of Nate and Serena’s newfound couple status.

Nobody likes to see their two best friends date, especially when one of those best friends is the love of her life. But luckily for B, Nate is just as devastated by this turn of events as she is. He so clearly misses Blair. Surprisingly, the same could be said for Serena. In fact, their so-called romance is built more on the point that both want to prove to Blair that their surprise hookup in the last book was more than just a hookup between two friends. 

For my full review of Nothing Can Keep Us Together by Cecily von Ziegesar, please continue to BOOKEDJ.

Gossip Girl #8: Nothing Can Keep Us Together A Gossip Girl Novel

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