Gossip Girl: Because I’m Worth It Written by Cecily von Ziegesar Published by Little, Brown and Company in 2003 Eva Curran

Introduction The setting is the Upper East Side of New York City. The book follows a group of rich teenagers. Most of the characters are in their second semester of senior year, waiting to hear from colleges. There is also an anonymous online ,Gossip Girl, that posts gossip about the Upper East Siders. This novel begins with Jenny joining a lunch group with Serena and Blair as her senior mentors. She befriends one of the other freshmen there, Elise. Dan and Vanessa also begin working on their movie project for school, while Nate is looking for his drug dealer.

Main Characters Protagonist- Blair Waldorf- She is focused on her studies and has always dreamed of going to Yale. Blair is very dramatic. She is very popular in high school and Gossip Girl posts about her often. Antagonist- Serena van der Woodsen- She is Blair’s best friend, although they are complete opposites and Blair is constantly annoyed with her. Serena is much more laidback and does not try very hard. She often gets things handed to her because of her beauty.

Central Conflicts Blair is trying to get accepted to Yale and falls for her the man interviewing her. She finds out he is the father of someone she knows, so Blair must think of a solution. Nate is caught with marijuana by the police and he must find a way to beat his addiction and falls in love doing so. Serena is dating Blair’s stepbrother, Aaron, which bothers Blair. Serena is invited to be in a fashion show, which causes tension in her relationship with Aaron. Dan’s writing is posted in a famous magazine and he begins to get invited to many parties and grow more well-known. Dan and Vanessa have troubles in their relationship after Dan starts being unfaithful. Jenny begins to like a new boy after Blair gave him Jenny’s number while shopping.

Minor Characters Nate Archibald- He is the attractive guy that every girl lusts after. Nate dated Blair for a long time, until he broke up with her for other girls. He is an athlete, although he is lazy and smokes often. Jenny Humphrey- She is a naïve freshman that tries to fit in with her classmates and wants to be popular. Jenny is very uncomfortable with her body and tries to hide it. Dan Humphrey- He is the older brother of Jenny. Dan is an aspiring author that is trying to be noticed for it. Vanessa Abrams- She is the girlfriend of Dan and a video director. She is very different from the preppy girls at her school.

What Critics Said: www.teenreads.com/reviews/because-im-worth-it-a-gossip-girl-novel This critic thought that exciting events happen for many of the characters. He or she also feels that there is a humorous writing style and that this book contains much better plots than the previous ones in the series. www.thenovelworld.com/2009/06/13/because-im-worth-it-review/ This reader loves the book, although she is not a big fan of Serena. He or she thinks of Serena as a “throwaway character” that becomes aimless. The critic believes that the situations the characters are put in get to be difficult to believe, but it is still a good book.

My Take on the Novel I thought this book was entertaining and well written. There are numerous characters, so it does not get boring. It was not too similar to the TV show, so it is still interesting and had new storylines for those that have already seen it. It is not the most realistic novel, because of how much money and freedom the characters have, but it still has many relatable aspects. I would recommend this series to any teenage girl.