Young Adult Literature without Apology

Amy's assessment of contemporary young adult literature, organized by author and title, censored by noone.

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von Ziegesar, Cecily (2006). Notorious (An "It Girl" novel). NY: Little, Brown. ISBN: 031601186X.

I admit it: I'm a sucker for series fiction, especially of the popular, girly type. When I learned that von Ziegesar's "Gossip Girl" series would be spinning off a new line of novels called "The It Girl," I was more than ready. Notorious is the second installment in the new series that features Jenny, the clueless sophomore from "Gossip Girl," as the primary focalizer. When Jenny goes off to Waverly Academy, an exclusive boarding school, she finds herself living closer to the true "haves" of Northestern society than ever before. In the first book in the series, Jenny is just settling in; in the second, a new character is introduced. Like Serena from "Gossip Girl," the introduction of Tinsley Carmichael to the world of "The It Girl" is similarly dramatic. Tinsley, like Serena, was rumored to have been kicked out of Waverly, but returns to the delight of the boys on campus and the disappointment of the girls. Like Serena (anyone else sensing a trend, here?), Tinsley is effortlessly beautiful, worldly, magnetic and popular. Unlike Serena (finally!), no one would ever suspect that Tinsely's heart is made of gold. A Jessica Wakefield character for the 2000s, Tinsely--who, of course, moves into Jenny's room--begins to shake up the tenuous relationships Jenny is beginning to foster at Waverly. This second novel featured Tinsley intentionally breaking up the forbidden relationship between one of her friends and a hot young teacher and starting a secret club for girls meant to encourage group sexual activities. I can't wait to read the next one. . .