Customer Reviews
Falls Short 
2008-06-10
Upon first reading the beginning couple chapters, I realized the book was written...differently - in an almost desperate attempt to portray a fake writing style. I flipped back to the beginning and noted it wasn't written by Cecily Von Whatever (though several of her books are said to be ghost-written); this particular book by Annabelle Vestry, however, screams it.
The plot is interesting and has the signature twists and turns of the original Gossip Girls, it grabbed my attention immediately, though is overshadowed by Vestry's attempt at wit. After every paragraph (literally), there's an increasingly annoying "witty" comment made by the narrator. It's actually a huge reason why I'm not a fan of the books. There are so so many of these comments, most of them eye-roll inducing.
The original Gossip Girl flowed naturally, whereas this one appeared to be forced. As if Vestry is saying "Let me prove to you how uppity I can make these characters be."
If you're looking for a good Gossip Girl spin-off, try the It Girl which I favorite even more than the original Gossip Girl.
The Story Siren Reviews: 
2008-06-08
Meet the Carlyles, a new trio to hit the Gossip Girl Scene! Owen, Avery and Baby! Get ready for the triple threat!
Owen, the testosterone of the three, is very hot and a swimmer (I like him already)! Envied in Nantucket by his player persona, he only has eyes for one girl. The girl of his dreams.
Avery. Poor Avery all this girl wants is to fit in! Is that too much to ask?! Her scheme of perfect attempts leaves her no better off than before, it isn't until she really lets loose and things get a little crazy, that things start going her way.
Baby can't wait to get kicked out of her snobby private school and have her mother send her back to Nantucket into the waiting arms of her stoner bf. She doesn't find anything in New York worth sticking around for, that is until she meets J.P. Although he is as preppy as they come, he makes even her hippie heart skip a beat.
You know what I think about drama, so what was I thinking, picking up a book called Gossip Girl! Broadening my reading horizons! And guess what! I didn't hate it! I dare to say that I even enjoyed it! I really liked getting to know the characters and getting to know their roles in the plot. Yes, I hated Jack, I mean who wouldn't the girl is a biatch! Baby, Owen and J.P. are my favorites! I guess I must do okay with drama in small doses. I do have to say that I am a Gossip Girl virgin, I haven't read any of the first series, so my review is a little bias due to that. So, if you were a big fan of the first series, I can't tell you how this one will compare. All I know is, I will definitely be reading the next book You Just Can't Get Enough coming out in October! I know, I don't know what has come over me, it must be the sizzling weather!
You know you love me,
The Story Siren
Courtesy of Teens Read Too 
2008-05-22
The Carlyle kids have moved into the neighborhood -- and things are about to get wild.
As if they weren't already?!?
Avery, Baby, and Owen are the kids to envy now. The triplets of a well-known New York socialite are here to stay.
They all have spunk, attitude, and are destined to be the next Blair, Nate, and Serena whether they want to be or not.
This was a great start to an irresistible series that you can't help but love. This series will be your dirty little pleasure this summer. And the best part is, this is only the beginning.
Reviewed by: Taylor Rector
exciting new characters 2008-05-12
Great new and exciting characters. It was hard to stop reading this book. I can't wait for the next one to come out to see what happens with Baby, Owen, and Avery. They are amazing!!
A New Begginning 2008-05-07
Now after all this time of Gossip Girl, we think of Serena, Nate, Blair, Chuck, Little J and so on but we are staring over fresh with triplets that make up the Carlyles. Avery, Baby and Owen.
Is it a little hard to get used to the idea that there is a brand new cast for Gossip Girl and sometimes the original is always better but give this book a chance. It is pretty good and I did enjoy it and will continue reading.
New characters, same great Gossip Girl 2008-07-24
Good morning, Upper East Siders! Gossip Girl here.
Oh yes. She's back. B and S and N and J and D and V have moved on (both figuratively and literally), but not to worry. Gossip Girl (who is she, anyway?) still has plenty of scandal to blog about.
There's a new family in town, the Carlyles, descendants of one of New York's finest socialites, Avery Carlyle. The mom, Edie, is kind of crazy --- you know, the artistic bohemian type. Her three kids are triplets: blond, beautiful wannabe-popular Avery, swimming hottie Owen, and bad girl brunette Baby. They have just relocated from Nantucket and are waiting to move into the spectacular townhouse owned by Avery Carlyle the First. In the meantime, they're living in the apartment that Blair Waldorf used to occupy, and Avery Carlyle the Second is having a heck of a time scraping that tacky Yale sticker off her medicine cabinet.
B and S have graduated, so there's a new queen bee around. Jacqueline, aka Jack, is one of the richest, most evil girls at Constance Billard, maybe even on the Upper East Side. Get on her bad side and she's sure to make your life hell -- which is exactly what she has planned for Avery. But Jack has a secret of her own, and if anyone learns it --- anyone like Avery --- her reign as queen could be over.
While Avery hopes to recover the popularity she didn't even have a chance to gain, Baby is trying to figure out ways to get kicked out of Constance Billard and sent back to Nantucket. Swearing in French is a good start, but it's leaving school in the middle of the day and hailing a cab to Port Authority that will really make people take notice.
Owen doesn't have to worry about his popularity. After all, he's hot. In Nantucket, he never had a lot of guy friends, so he's happy to befriend his swim teammate Rhys. All seems to be going well for Owen and Rhys (no, not that way) until Owen meets Rhys's girlfriend Kelsey. Funny how Kelsey looks exactly like this girl Kat who Owen had a summer fling with.
Summer might be over, but the Upper East Side is just starting to heat up. New York's richest prep schools are still as full of scandal and Prada as ever, and Gossip Girl is there to blog every minute of it with her usual acerbic wit. Avery and Jack are sure to be the best of enemies. Owen has only been in New York for a week, but he's already caught in a love triangle. And will hippie Baby ever fit in?
You know you love it.
--- Reviewed by Carlie Webber
surprising 2008-07-10
I am a 69-year-old man who is quite out of touch with the generation portrayed in this book. I have no idea how realistic the book is. I generally read only nonfiction and picked this book up thinking it was a satire on young adult books. Reading it from that perspective it was very enjoyable. There is a lot of humor in it, and a lot of humorous side comments. The author doesn't take herself or the contents very seriously.
To the extent it realistically portrays the young generation, I am shocked. I neither condemn nor praise their lifestyle, but if the book is realistic, it ought to be read by my generation, most of whom are probably as out-of-touch as I am.
A fun read, not as addictive as the other Gossip Girl books 2008-07-03
Maybe this series just needs some time to really take off, but I didn't find this latest series quite as cattily addictive as the other ones were. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it a lot, it was a fun, light beachy read that followed a lot of the same types of storylines that I have come to expect.
But for some reason, it all felt less fresh than it did in the other Gossip Girl books. Like the author knew what had to happen for drama's sake and plodded through writing that storyline regardless of whether it felt real. When I read author interviews, they often say that the characters took on a life of their own and that they, the author, often didn't know how it was all going to turn out.
The lack of that unscripted freshness really did damage to this book, I think.
That said, I sound like I must not have enjoyed it, but I did. I read it in a couple days and it was nice having something light and fun to read. I liked having new characters to get to know and having them go to some familiar places.
It's just that after enjoying the other series so much for its newness and freshness, it is disappointing to find this one lacking sizzle. I'll probably buy the second one and see if it picks up, but if I feel the same about that I won't continue reading. I didn't like the manufactured feeling of the drama.
great book 2008-06-13
great book. a good new year with a new cast. a must read, it will only get better once you know and love the characters
Doesn't Hold a Candle to the Previous Books 
2008-06-12
I absolutely love the Gossip Girl books, but this one was not the same. Although I did think it was alright, nothing beats Blair, Serena and the old gang. Even the writing style seems somewhat different. The previous books seemed much more glamorous than these and the characters aren't very likeable. Overall it was alright, but definitely not as good as the others! We want to see what happens to the old gang in COLLEGE - the original series should have been continued!
