Lucky

It Girl #5

by Cecily von Ziegesar

The bash at the Miller farm was the hottest party Jenny Humphrey had ever attended. Literally. But when Dean Marymount announces that someone is going to be held responsible, and expelled, for burning down the antique red barn the heat is really on. Tensions are rising, rumours are flying, and pretty soon everyone is a suspect. But was it Julian, Jenny's shaggy-haired new crush, whose engraved Tiffany lighter was found at the scene of the crime? Or could it have been Callie and Easy who were in the barn together when the blaze began? Tinsley knows she's also in the line of fire for organising the party, but luckily she's come up with a crafty way to stay out of trouble: by blaming Jenny.

Genres: Young Adult, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, Boarding School, High School

246 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2007

About the author

Cecily von Ziegesar is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Gossip Girl novels, upon which the hit television show is based.

Cecily von Ziegesar was born in New York City. Her childhood dream was to grow up to be a ballerina; she began lessons at age 3 and auditioned for the School of American Ballet at age 8, but was rejected.

As a teenager, von Ziegesar commuted to Manhattan at 6 a.m. to attend the Nightingale-Bamford School. After graduating from Nightingale, von Ziegesar attended Colby College before spending a year in Budapest working for a local radio station.

Von Ziegesar returned to the United States to study creative writing at the University of Arizona, but dropped out shortly thereafter.

Back in New York, while working at book-packaging firm Alloy Entertainment, von Ziegesar became inspired to create the Gossip Girl series, which follows the lives of privileged teenagers in New York. The series climbed to the top of The New York Times best-sellers list in 2002. A spin-off series, The It Girl, made the list in 2005.

The Constance Billard School for Girls in Gossip Girl is based upon an exaggerated version of von Ziegesar's alma mater, Nightingale. She also culled events from the book from the lives of her extremely wealthy friends, as well as her own life as a perpetual gossip.

She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her family.

Reviews

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay story, and we got a slightly different storyline with the dean searching for the person who started the barn fire. The ending was a little silly though.
6 out of 10

[Nadhira Satria · Rating 5 out of 5]

five stars because Easy dumped Callie HA BYE BITCH

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

i just finished it two weeks ago. i started it and then stopped for like 4 months. i decided to read it again because i was out of other books. but i did like it. Easy is confusing me. but im glad he finally dumped callie. she deserved it. jenny wasnt doing anything to hurt anyone. shes just doing her thing. but i am disappointed that tinsely didnt get expelled. and im glad that brett is no longer a lesbian. that was just werid, and kara and heath are together. thats what that boy needed. a good girl that he really likes. and they are like perfect for each other.

[Carlynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back onto reading this series because it makes my inner tween happy. It’s so silly, but so juicy and dramatic, I love them.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are so addictive

[Lindsay Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book on a vacation plane ride. I didn't take me that long to read it. The reading level was pretty easy, it was good though. It was a book of the IT GIRL series.

[Jeanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Should've just let them be lesbianssssss

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

the book was amazing. not usually the one to read but i got through over 50 pages one day because I was so into it. the book is about college kids who started a fire at the barn. lots of kids were in there but nobody admits to actually starting it. each suspect must figure out who was the one responsible for the fire before each person gets kicked out. I recommend this book to teenage girls because of the drama and events that happen in this book. I liked the mystery and cliffhangers of this book. this book may contain some inappropriate language or scenes that some reader might not be comfortable with, so if you are sensitive to this kind of thing I would not recommend reading the book. I chose to give this book five out of five stars because I like how the book makes it so each chapter has a different persons point of view. I liked this book so much I plan to finish the series in the future. I also liked how the characters in this book have a huge variety of personalities and attitudes toward one and other. my favorite part of the book was toward the end of the book when they were all in the dining hall waiting for Dean Marymount to come in the door and one of them being the suspects would have to admit to causing the fire and get expelled.

[Elle Gutierrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

WHAT THE ACTUAL ....

okay first of all, the second half of this book was AMAZING! I mean I was living for the courtroom drama. EXCELLENTE! Just because of the last half of the book, it is a serious contender for fave book of the series. That ending was ... so great.

BUT COME ON! I was so ready for jenny to get the hell out (even though I know something would fix it, bc DUH she's the series protagonist) but still I wanted that girl gone!!

Tinsley gave quite the showdown. Like get that girl to a bar exam ASAP! She was spiteful yes, but she got the job done, and it pretty much went off without a hitch.

Easy and Callie break my heart!!! When will the heartache end?! Annnnd I mean, was what Callie did really that bad?? Technically she was looking out for them, not just herself. He should be at least a little grateful, no? EZ needs to cut C some slack.

I loved everyone (minus jenny duh) in this book, I just felt like they came to life in this one.

I am so ready for the next one, because I need to know what happens next! Especially with the tiny air of mystery now. Who cut the check??

SO MUCH I NEED TO KNOW!

[Alyssa Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading my favorite series from middle/high school for the guilty pleasure nostalgia.

I had to lower my rating for this one because it just felt like filler. I was a little annoyed with some of the characters, mostly Brett though, she needs to check herself. Per usual, we have some new relationships and some failed ones, and I think it is setting us up for some good drama in the next book. Maybe we can stray from some of these repetitive on-again-off-again relationships... (looking at you Callie/Easy)

[Just A Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't think I'd be finishing this anytime soon, whoopsie. I thought I was going to put it down for a fantasy book because I've been addicted to them but I just couldn't stop myself. Darn Cecily Von Zigesar getting me so addicted! Well this was definitly a very good addition the series. Lot's of mystery and wanting to know what comes next and I liked how it ended with Callie and Easy :). Bwahah :)

[Mallory]

I love that this series was written at a point in time when it wasn't in fashion to give the insufferably mean characters "trauma" so we had to feel bad for them, like yes let me root for Tinsley's downfall in peace

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are cute, but definitely targeting teenagers. I was entertained.

[Jannieke · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice quick read! i've started rooting for heath, please gice him a lot of character development i'm starting to like him. he's pulling a chuck bass

[Linda]

Guess it’s what I wanted. Fluff to speed through.

[Cat's Bookery · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm baffled that there's a character named Ryan Reynolds in this series.

[lucie · Rating 2 out of 5]

me when my Marc Jacobs chunky loafers sink into the grass while i'm applying my Yves Saint Laurent lip gloss in my Seven jeans with my Tiffany charm bracelet

[ktheland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanna be pissed about being queer-baited YET AGAIN but I liked this book too much to give it two stars. Jenny SHOULD have left. Stay miserable Callie and a very big fuck you to Tinsley

[Courtney Shek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review with spoilers here

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why do I keep being surprised at how good this series is?!??!

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Que no me la creo tío, ese final estuvo... No me lo vi venir. Necesito amigas lectoras para comentar este libro.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate how much I'm enjoying these.

[Miia Pointer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Brett and Kara!

[Gabrielle La · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I read was Lucky part of the It Girl Series by Cecily Von Ziegesar. This is the fifth book in the series out of ten and is a spinoff of the popular series Gossip Girl. Besides all the Gossip Girl and It Girl books Cecily Von Ziegesar has also written Cum Laude and Gossip Girl: The Carlyles. She is New York Times #1 Best Selling author for these series. Her books are usually written for Young Adults and the genres are typically drama, comedies, short, and romances. This particular book is a drama and a young adult novel. The purpose of this book is to entertain readers with a suspenseful story about a group of high schoolers in a boarding school. Jenny Humphrey is the main character and is also new at Waverly Academy, their boarding school. The title Lucky is relevant when explaining her luck at this school. The popular girl who also happens to be her enemy, Tinsley, gets away with everything. Her charm, money, and beauty make her the luckiest girl in Manhattan. All the titles in the It Girl series are one word adjectives giving a preview of what the book will be about. It is intriguing because if you have read the previous books you will want to know who gets Lucky this time. Other main characters are Tinsley’s best friend Callie who is also dating Jenny’s ex Easy. Callie and Easy come into play when Callie tries to sabotage against his ex and blame her for the infamous fire. One night at Waverly the students had a party at the school barn, but it is cut short when the barn was lit up in flames. The dean of Waverly, Dean Marymount, creates a list of possible suspects. Of course Tinsley and Jenny are on it for their usual drama, Callie and Easy were placed for being in the barn, and all their friends were written up because of guilt by association. The same group of friends are the main characters in every book and there is always some type of conflict going on. When the whole campus tries to find out who started the fire, the theme of “Everything comes out in the wash” comes up multiple times. This book is aimed at teenagers still in high school dealing with school, parties, and relationships. This fiction book is entertaining and would be a fun, easy book to read. I really liked the book because it was an interesting read and not very hard to understand. Like Von Ziegesar’s other works it is a typical story of teenage friends dealing with their drama and revenge. The book is also interesting to find out who is the culprit and will be expelled forever. It is unpredictable and has lots of plot twists to keep the readers interested.

[Maha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucky is the fifth book of a series called It Girl. This 247 page book was about High school juniors attending one of the most prestigious prep school in the country. This boarding school was called Waverly Academy. Pretty much all of the kids attending this school came from very rich families who could afford to buy them out of anything. However, there was one girl named Jenny Humphrey who came by scholarship, and her family couldn't afford things like the rest of the students there. One night they all attend this party not organised by the school. Once the dean of the academy finds out that the antique barn was burned down, he makes it his duty to find out who caused this. Someone must get expelled for his or her accidental actions, but this causes many teens to point fingers at everyone and create possible suspects as well as rumors, which would be expected from any teenager. This causes the book to become very intense and mysterious.
The book takes many turns and twists. You never really know what is happening next. One definite strong point from the author was the suspense that was created as the book continued. I didn't expect the book to turn out as it did when I started reading. Cecily von Ziegesar wrote this book so that it flows very well together. Generally I would think that having more then 8-10 characters in a book can get confusing, which it did a bit later, but I also think it just placed well once you go really into the book. This book had many twists and the ending was quite a surprise for me.
I would recommend this book to many teens who like those typical teenage drama books. Girls or guys but I believe that most guys would loose interest in this because it was more a chick flick. Anyone who wants to read a cute and fun book for teenage students.

[Belen By · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the beginning of the book for me it seemed very difficult to get into the book itself. It seemed very confusing and mixed up but then ended up making more sense and making me not want to put it down!!! This book is about a group of high school juniors attending one of the most prestigious and elite prep schools in the country, Waverly Academy. They are boarding school students, and all come from rich, privileged families that can afford to buy off any mistakes their kids make. Except of one girl that goes by the name of Jenny Humphrey, where she decides to throw a secret off campus party and it all goes wrong because someone burned down the building where it they were having the party. It is a historic building by the way and all of the kids are all tense because no one will confess to it and even though they all have an idea of who it was. Creating suspense is definitely the author's strong point. I couldn't put the book down! There were so many surprising twist and turns, and it definitely didn't turn out the way I expected. It almost seemed like a mystery, as everyone tried to figure out who burned down the barn. One pleasing part in this book was seeing how the kids lived at boarding school. I really liked the detailed description of this elite East Coast school. It gave me a taste of what a fancy school like this would possibly be like. Lucky made me think about how all actions have consequences. It also made me think that everyone makes mistakes, and that it is better to just be upfront about them, because you may end up suffering less if you do. This was a really good book with an interesting and surprising ending! I really liked the book!!

[Tiny Pants · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why do I like this series enough to actually purchase titles from it at full price? Unlike Gossip Girl, The It Girl axes all the tedious male characters (Nate), and particularly those who become tedious recurring jokes (Chuck and Dan) and focuses more on the female characters (though there are a few tedious male characters thrown in for good measure -- Easy and Brandon). Also unlike GG, TIG has a mix of characters who you unequivocally hate unless you're a complete sociopath (Tinsley) and characters who are sometimes almost sympathetic (Callie).

But the biggest difference between the series is that the ghostwriters are much, much better writers than Cecily von Ziegesar (who purportedly did actually write the first few GG books). The characters in TIG have actual motivation for the things they do, which makes the books I think a much more interesting read. Things happen for a reason, not just because of the characters' sheer fabulosity. The main thing you do miss from GG is the actual voice of Gossip Girl herself, which is always funny as she calls the various characters out on their flaws and foibles. The emails and IMs that break up the action here just don't work in the same way.

[Alicia Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally I'm nearing the finish, on the fifth book, Cecily has most definitely kept her novel series alive and well. Cecily reminds us of all the the usual drama I've become accustomed to, as well as brilliantly funny dialogue (Heath Ferro should be immortalised forever), new scandals and a look at the many Waverly relationships. The relationships, both romantic and platonic, are tested in Lucky, which is par for the course when it comes to Jenny and her super-hot, super-rich friends. Tinsley and Brett devised a diabolical plan to take down a fellow student (no spoilers), Callie was stuck in the middle of the most frustrating love triangle with Easy and Brandon, and Jenny found out just what it's like to be lied to (like she hasn't felt that already). Honestly, from my personal point of view, if I were any of these girls, I would have upped and moved by now, probably to a convent somewhere. How they've stuck through so far 5 books of tumultuous relationships, cat fights and drug-induced clichés is beyond me, but somehow they have. Well done, girls - you made it through the year! I am soo definitely looking forward to the next book and already have it shipped on it's way right now.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Taylor Rector for TeensReadToo.com

After the fire at the barn, the school is in an uproar trying to figure out the culprits of who started it.

As readers of this addicting series already know, ever since Tinsley Carmichael came back to school she has had it in for Jenny. Jenny wasn't the one who started the fire, but that doesn't mean anything as far as Tinsley is concerned.

Bret and Kara have rumors flying about them! What will they do to stop them?

The boys are getting into the usual amount of trouble. Will they help stop the rumors of who started the fire? Or fuel them?

This weekend the prospective students are in town, meaning those already attending the school have to be on good behavior. But do they really know what that is? And does one of the new students have a dirty little secret?

LUCKY is the fifth book in the IT GIRL series, and should be read in order. I wouldn't want to let you ruin such an addictive series by reading them out of order!

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was actually glad Jenny got the boot, and sad when she didn't. Yes, the whole series revolves around Jenny's arrival, but it's the closest thing I have to Gossip Girl. After struggling to read an equally grabbing book for three months, I thought that I would be finishing this book someday under the warm July sun.

Cecily von Ziegesar has the skill to make you stay awake and read, and the story is easy flowing. Let's admit it, the story is not the most highly intellectual. If it wasn't part of a series, it would be just a book about bunch of boarding school kids, who try to find out who started a fire and plot against each other, not the most thrilling plotline. But, it was presented in a funny way, and I don't know how Cecily does it but everything she writes is highly addictive. Apart from that I enjoyed all the remarks to the original Gossip Girl novels, wish someone like Dan, Vanessa or Rufus could pay a visit to Jenny, or for Jenny to go back to Manhattan and run into some of her old classmates.