Because I'm Worth It

Gossip Girl #4

by Cecily von Ziegesar

With the college applications complete and summer in full bloom, Serena, Dan, Vanessa, Blair, and Jenny have got an interesting vacation ahead in New York City before heading off to college where they plan to fulfill all of their dreams.

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

Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

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

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, this is definitely the last Gossip Girl book that I will ever read.

I've kept at it over the years because they're so easy to read and there's something about the impossibly glamorous lifestyle of these teenagers that I love, but the books just really aren't that good!

The writing is terribly weak and repetitive, the constant label dropping becomes tiresome even for a fashion lover like me, and it surprises me how boring the story lines are despite the outrageous lives these characters live! For rebellious teenagers who have an endless supply of money to spend and parties to attend they sure are dull!

That's enough now. I'm quite finished.

[Zoe Stewart (Zoe's All Booked)]

The only characters who deserves rights are Mookie and Kitty Minky. The dog and the cat 😂

[Emma Skapetis · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
This one wasn't as bad as most of the others but it wasn't good either. I really hate the way body image and eating disorders are represented in the series. It's so toxic and these issues are unfortunately romanticized. The characters were actually a bit less unlikeable though. I guess I'll read book 5 sometime soon but I'm hoping I will be able to read something that is not as simple to read (I'm in a weird slump in which I've only been able to read very easy to read books but I didn't want to read and have not been enjoying so I haven't been able to read a fantasy 😭). RTC.
Characters
Blair: She wasn't that mean, annoying and unlikeable in this one (I absolutely hated her in the first three books).
I think she needs to stay single for a while after hooking up with a much older man that was a Yale professor and chasing after Nate.
Blair honestly gives pick me and not like other girls energy at times. The way she judges other girls is unbelievable.
Serena: She is honestly really annoying at this point. She is so vain and so self centered. Serena definitely thrives off the attention of everyone around her who are completely captivated by her🙄. I don't see why all the characters (except for Blair) are obsessed with her.
Aaron: He's really boring. I honestly couldn't care less about everything to do with him.
Dan: He's really annoying and I can't believe he is a published poet because of that awful poem called Sluts that he wrote when he was angry with Vanessa. I also can't believe that everyone is fawning after him because of it.
Vanessa: She is annoying but she is still more likeable than most of the characters in this series.
Jenny: I didn't dislike her in this one but I hated how judgemental she was of her new friend Elise for being a lesbian. It was homophobic and uncalled for.
Nate: He was actually more likeable in this one (because he went to rehab for his marijuana addiction). He also met and fell in love with a girl called Georgina there.
Chuck: I don't like the way that his bisexuality was represented. It was so homophobic and mean. I do however love that he blew a kiss to Blair (I've seen some of the tv show so I know that Chuck and Blair are an iconic couple in it).

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The childish storytelling is starting to wear on my nerves. All the girls are always giggling (and driving me batty). Most of the action has no consequence, and half the time I can't tell whether the narrator is being genuine or sarcastic. I've found it's best to read quickly and not think about the writing as much.

[Jaritza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I choose to read this book because I love the show Gossip Girl. The book is about a person who knows everyone secrets and displays them on gossipgirl.net and the seniors at Constance Billard School for girls want to know if they’re getting into college. My favorite character would have to be Blair Waldorf. Blair Waldorf is really outgoing and she does whatever it takes to get what she wants. What she has wanted to get is Yale. She’s my favorite character because that’s how I am. The emotions that I felt when I read this book are a lot of excitement. I would recommend this book to my best friend Andrea Perez because she loves the show as much as I do and I know she’d enjoy reading not only the book but the series. My least favorite character is Vanessa because she’s so obnoxious and retarded. The ending of the book is unpredictable. The part of the book that captivated my attention is when Blair Waldorf and Owen the interviewer from Yale meet at the bar for the the interview and they start kissing and he’s married which is weird because he is 40ish. If this book was made into a movie I would pick the same actors from the show to play the movie because they play their role fantastically. What kept me reading this book was that it’s about gossip and who doesn’t want to know gossip and by reading the book it eventually give you a guess of who might be gossip girl. My favorite line of the book is when Blair Waldorf say “Yale is my dream, I can’t go to another college. It’s my favorite line because everyone wants to achieve their dreams to me its inspiring.

[Michael (Mai) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love and I hate Gossip Girl. Each time I pick up a book I start reading it and think "meh." Meh- because it's so hard to believe in the lives of these rich girls and boys. I could sooner believe in aliens then what these people get away with. But then I keep reading and at the end of each book I think - "well, I guess I should buy the next one."

This book covers Serena becoming a famous model, Nate going to rehab, Blair having a little bit of morals (totally surprised with this one), Jenny experimenting, Dan and Vanessa being the weirdest couple ever (same as before), and Chuck potentially being gay or bi.

The worst part of this book was little-to-no Chuck action. I don't care if he's gay, straight or bi but I want him to interact with people more. He gets my pulse racing and I don't care who he kisses so long as he's kissing someone.

The best part of this book was the drama. That's the best part of every Gossip Girl book. I wouldn't bother to read it if someone was happy or good for too long. Now I know why my mama watches soap operas.

Read it if you love to see what these richies get into. Don't if you hate the drama. :D

[Maggie Thrash · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best and most subversive book of the series. Most people don’t understand how intelligent these books truly are

[palomapvesio · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 44% because I prefer to watch the TV show, I can’t get myself into this books anymore. I’m done.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I planned that I finish book series this year and I was in the mood for a classic. I started Gossip Girl when I was 13, read the first three books and then watched the show 10001 times and now I’m back with the books. I must say that this was probably not the best book from the series, it felt like that at least in the beginning. I’m not sure what to think of Serena and my fav Blair also became kinda weird, but towards the end it became entertaining like always. What the author made from Chuck is so weird, I wish he would appear more tho. He is barely a support role, can Vanessa appear less instead please ?
I must say I loved Nate in this book. He and his storyline were my favourite. Nate was always an up and down for me, I like him but he was an ass towards Blair but I really liked him here.

I don’t read much YA stuff anymore but I’m sure that I will read a GG book from time to time because they are a guilty pleasure of mine. I like to go into this new yorker society and get entertained of this superficial stuff and follow the characters.

[Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll admit it: I really like Gossip Girl as a show. And I was going to Europe for a couple weeks, so my mom bought me this as something to read on the plane. I had no plans to read it, but I packed it anyway, in case I ran out of books. It's sort of hard to find English books in central Europe. I did end up reading it on a day I was feeling sick, and I didn't hate it; I read it in a couple hours, without stop, but man, I really didn't like it. It requires you to suspend your disbelief, which is fine, but to an insane extent, and really, for characters who are wholly unlikable. I definitely wouldn't read another, but I'll watch the next season of Gossip Girl. The show has certainly improved upon the books.

[Phoenix2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

'Because I'm Worth It' is the fourth book of the Gossip Girl series, and even though it becomes more scandalous, it isn't as interesting as the previous three books. Still, towards the ending things got better.

[AJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I could tell you what these books are about

[Amanda Tuinstra ( Liefde voor boeken Amanda) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recensie volgt op mn blog

[Noah de Campos Neto · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Gossip Girl but the books are getting a little boring now. Do they even know Gossip Girl exists😭

[Nadhira Satria · Rating 4 out of 5]

these books are like crack ughh i forgot how fun they are

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know, I don't particularly like these books and yet here I am just finishing book number four. They are books that I read because I know I don't get too emotionally invested in. They are just light and easy (and I keep thinking Dan will stop being such a wimp). I'm trying to decide who's stories I usually ENJOY reading, and I'm probably going to go with Dan and Blair being at the top, even though none of the characters are particularly likable.

ALAS, I'm more than positive I will continue these, if only because I want to know who Gossip Girl is. And I'm curious to find out if the books crossover with the TV Show at all (more than just having the same characters).

[jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

read in 2006 - read after seeing tv show - better review to come

3 stars

[Penelope (Penelope’s Picks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

Have I mentioned that the books are SO MUCH better than the TV show?! I forgot how totally different they were.

[Abi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still wasn't a fan of the characters in this, but they weren't completely awful. Another okay read in the series.

[Hailey Davidson · Rating 1 out of 5]

The way this had the most shockingly vile and hilariously stupid scene ever in a book. I can't believe I read that. Dan Humphrey Public Enemy #1.

[grazi ♡︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The college admissions period has passed, and now all that's left is to wait for the old letters to arrive in the mail. As Valentine's Day approaches, love takes over the New York elite, bringing a sweeter and more youthful mood to the couples we know, but the turbulent phase left it affected the icy heart and extremely fashionista of America's most beloved teenage group.

Serena is madly in love with Aaron, her friend's cat stepbrother, with whom she seems to want to spend more than five minutes of her precious time. Vanessa and Dan are becoming extremely touchy-feely and seem excited to take the next step in their relationship. Jenny starts attending a girls' discussion group where she finds a new friend, unexpected help, and a new relationship. And even Blair seems to have turned around and found her triumphant return to the movie of her life, but because it's so simple in the lives of our select group, everything is about to change with the arrival of Grande's biggest fashion event. Apple: Fashion Week.

After everyone gets involved with the event, in one way or another, the romantic mood seems to be buried under a snowstorm. But, are the relationships built so far so fragile that they melt like a cold blizzard after a brief rain? Filled with betrayals, lies, drugs and, of course, a lot of gossip, the elitist world on the right side of the river seems to be about to take an unprecedented turnaround that not even our favorite gossip girl could have foreseen.

Written by Cecily von Ziegesar, Gossip Girl – I Deserve it! is the fourth volume in the most frivolous and fun book series about the scandalous life of Manhattan's elite. Using her in-depth knowledge on the subject, Cecily builds an engaging plot that is not concerned with being deep or even rich in content, everything here is designed to satirize situations that the author herself experienced or witnessed during her adolescence.

With that in mind, we can embrace the plot the right way and appreciate all that it has to offer us. Cecily seeks to show the darker and more singular side of her protagonists, making readers laugh and leaving us very interested in the daily problems of teenagers who have everything at their feet... or, if you think about it, almost everything.

It is in this volume that we follow the development of some plots planted in the previous volumes, although they still do not have such a profound effect on the story itself. Past developments begin to blossom in this volume, as well as the consequence of a sequence of acts that were overlooked in previous works, bringing new dilemmas and interesting twists to the plot.

We can see this through Nate Archibald, who spent most of the other books on drugs and now has to deal with the mess he's gotten himself into. After going through a forced abstinence crisis, the boy falls into a police action that takes his pretty face to prison and from there to a rehabilitation center. That's where we're introduced to Georgina Sparks, a millionaire heiress who plunges headlong into drug madness. It's interesting to see how such trivial things seem to change the boy's life after this series of events, awakening something minimally interesting in him after all his boring path.

Blair Waldorf lived the worst semester of his life. The girl has been through the worst possible situations and Serena's new relationship with her stepbrother is getting on her nerves. But everything starts to change when she gets another chance to take her disastrous test to get into Yale, especially when she starts to take an interest in the former student she's supposed to test with: an older man who's the same age as Yale. your father. In this book, we begin to explore Blair's problems more deeply, as well as raising a new flag that further enhances everything she has experienced. B also shows us the other side, acting like a big sister to the freshmen who are part of her group and bringing interesting relationships that we didn't expect from her.

Serena only has eyes for her new love. After spending years just looking for fun, S managed to find something that really interested her while being discovered by one of the big names in fashion, who intends to use all her charisma to further enhance the light she seems to emit. Balancing the two points in your life can sound fun but it can also bring a tremendous headache.

Dan and Vanessa go through something similar. Both were discovered and now have to deal with the immediate fame their works brought, and it is through them that an interesting study takes place. Each one deals with their recent success in a different way, bringing out the best and worst of both and bringing unusual situations to the couple, some of them revolting. Having this explored in this volume shows how little we know the characters, and how much we still need to unravel their personalities.

Jenny decides to focus more on herself and forget about past mistakes. Experiencing new things and allowing yourself to open up more to the world. Surprisingly it is through Blair that the girl finds support, receiving tips and advice even in a new relationship. J also meets a new friend, named Elise Wells, with whom the girl begins to have a complicated relationship, which brings out new layers in their personality.

The edition of Record brings all the glamor that only the best of Fashion Week can provide. With an impeccable and fun typography, which divides its chapters and the “texts” of the most famous blog in literature, the book immerses us in its universe while pulling out different emotions.

Full of twists, betrayals and, of course, glamour Gossip Girl – I'm Deserving! he buries his novels for good and invites us to explore the dark side of fame. Contrasting two remarkable events, which arouse the best and the worst of its characters, the book takes us on tortuous paths that can change the narrative's direction once and for all and, believe me, it was never so delicious to follow everything she has to tell us.

[Izzy]

this book takes the silliness and the extragavance (which are my favorite things about this series) to a whole new level. it also makes nate seem more like a human with an extra brain cell for the first time, which is a plus! this was over the top, silly and fun as always.

i know i usually have weirdly personal and long review for my reread of this series but my stupid self returned this ebook to the library before i got to check out my notes lol just know that blair cuts all her hair off and tries to get with a 40 year old man, jenny is still my favorite freshman in the universe, serena randomly gets invited to open a nyfw show because why the fuck not, and it was a jolly ol' time.

Current Series Ranking:
1. All I Want Is Everything
2. Gossip Girl
3. Because I'm Worth It
4. You Know You Love Me

[Ali D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes I wonder how these books are real

[Martina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely prefer the tv show, but still, it's a fun read.

[Sully · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 stars rating

This review is also posted at http://readingnookandcranny.blogspot....


The title of this novel is a bit ironic. I got through to the end of the book, and it honestly didn't feel like it was worth reading. The drama/plot lines this time around were a little boring and felt like we've maybe already done them before.

Serena still can't seem to stay interested in a guy for more than a few weeks, though she does suggest getting matching name tattoos, so that's something I guess. Still, her flighty personality when it comes it her relationships is already getting a bit tired.

Blair is on the fence with her own relationship problems. Between one of her father's Yale friends, one of her step brother's friends, and once again Nate, her own problems seem trivial as well - especially since they all still seem to revolve around one main key element still - losing her V card. Sometimes these characters are so far out there from my own personal experiences that they are just a little too unbelievable to enjoy.

Vanessa and Dan run into some trouble in their rocky but new friendship turned relationship. In all honestly, I thought they were doomed from the start, but the way their story arc goes is not exactly what I thought it would be. How ironic, though, that these teenagers both get their first break into big time entertainment right around the same time - Dan with his poem and Vanessa with her film.

And Jenny considers a breast reduction surgery while befriending someone who is actually her age and gets her to experiment in some new things she hasn't tried before (and that doesn't include her inclination to smoke weed, which she picked up from Nate).

And sad, pathetic Nate. I actually kinda like what happens to him this time around. He skates through life with not a care in the world expect the worry that his pot dealer is leaving the country. It was nice to see him sweat (a little bit) for a change.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the quotes on the back cover refers to this series as "Sex and the City for the younger set," which is misleading. Because I'm Worth It was written with none of the wit or intelligence which made that tv show so popular. The characters all lead ridiculously glamourized lives, full of parties and four hundred dollar shoes, but they lack any pretense at substance. Some of the characters might have been more interesting if we'd seen them for more than a few pages. The perspective shifts every few paragraphs if there's more than one character in the scene, and each chapter is only a couple of pages long, giving no time for plot twists or resolutions before moving on to the next thing. The whole book reads like a serious case of ADD.

Also, I have to wonder: how is it that every single one of these vapid, shopping-obsessed kids expects to get into an Ivy League school? Why are these characters even looking at school at all? They're rich, they're spoiled, and they think the world owes them just for having been born. In my experience, these are not the sort of kids who bother with post-secondary education, especially considering the dialogue rarely strays from discussing parties, shopping, sex, or drugs.

Worthy role models, indeed.

I'm not of the opinion that we should try to keep all references to things like sex and drugs out of YA novels. They're relevant issues for teens and pre-teens, and removing the references from books won't keep kids from having to deal with the issues in real life. That being said, this book is a far cry from helping to foster healthy attitudes towards... well, anything. Bulimia is treated as a convenient way to keep slim, sleeping around has no consequences (unless you're cheating, in which case it makes people cry but you can still get away with it), and romance is an excellent motivation to go to rehab. This tripe is not horrible for just kids to read; nobody should be exposed to anything these books have to say.

[Moonie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wasn't feeling this book. It was dull. The plot and characters. The only characters I like are Blair and Jenny (well more specifically Jenny's story). I thought I couldn't hate Dan anymore that I already do but this book proved me wrong. Also, I refuse to believe that his poem was able to get published in a renowned magazine/ newspaper. I borrowed this audiobook and the next book in the series from my library at the same time so I might as well read that too.

[Jenny ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serena, Blair e Jenny carregam a série nas costas.
Nate e Georgina é legalzinho, Dan e Vanessa são dois insuportáveis.

[Avery · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate these books so much but I’m so invested omg.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I mean, you really say you liked it...no. I hated it and yet I know I will read the next one.