Cecily von Ziegesar is best known for the Gossip Girl series. Before I ever knew von Ziegesar’s name, I knew who Chuck Bass was. The television show managed to bring new life to the books, especially for people that never knew they existed in the first place. The series, while adult in nature, if it’s anything like its television counterpart, is still marketed for a young adult audience. Cum Laude on the other hand, is von Ziegesar’s dance into an adult marketplace. I hasten to say that it is a bad attempt, but I cannot shake the Gossip Girl feeling in a lower class college setting.
The stereotypical characters are here as you would expect them to be, if you were imagining the author of Gossip Girl was writing a new book. You have a rich blonde, a druggie, and a jock. You have a pair of siblings that are on the outside, looking in. You have a beautiful setting in which to enjoy sex, drugs, rock n’ roll, and of course, Starbucks. All of the usual characters are represented.
It becomes apparent very quickly that if you’ve seen or read Gossip Girl that this is not going to be enough to please you. It always feels like a cheap, less interesting version of the series, but in a different setting that is equal in its ability to allow excitement. The actual book is meant to give you a glimpse of freshman year. Most people that went to college won’t remember it being like this! In some ways, it makes it a better, guilty pleasure, so this isn’t a complaint.
The main character is Shipley Gilbert. She is a blonde beauty that hails from Connecticut. She decides that Dexter College, a liberal arts school in Maine, is the perfect place for her to attend. Her roommate, Eliza, is sarcastic and not exactly fit from the same mold as Shipley. Meanwhile, the boys they are paired with (for lack of better words) are Tom, the athlete with a creative side, and Nick, the nature loving (even though he’s allergic) pot-head.
Shipley’s missing brother, a former Dexter College student that disappeared, plays a part in her interest in going to the school. She sheds her good girl existence learning to chew gum and smoke on the way to school because those are things that college girls do. Her relationship with the jock takes some twists and turns, but nothing outrageous ever happens.
There are parts of Cum Laude that drag on and on forever. The climax happens a little too quick which ends up feeling rather disappointing. Some of the novel, for example, the relationships that develop, are extremely predictable. Meanwhile, other parts are good, but cut too short to make you love this.
At the end of the day, Gossip Girl fans are better off re-reading one of more of the GG series books. Likewise, fans of the semi-racy, relationship-driven, college novel would probably be well advised to find another novel to sink their teeth into. If you’re not looking for anything filled with substance this might work as a summer read for you. However, I highly doubt anyone will revisit this after reading it once, which makes it a pointless purchase unless you need fillers for your bookshelf.
If your older children/teens have read the Gossip Girl series, this might not be too far out of their league, but there is a fair amount of sex and drug use to be found here. They call it an adult novel for a reason, so it is a step above what they might have read or what they should be used to. It’s important to consider this when purchasing this book for them. This would be best for adults.
Technorati Tags: Gossip Girl, Cum Laude, Book Review, Adult Novel, Shipley, Dexter College, Guilty Pleasure, Stereotypical
Written by Ashtyn Evans – Visit Website
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Ashtyn is in her early 30s. She is a mother, writer, college student, and music lover. Ashtyn has had a successful career as a writer since 2003. She turned to blogging in 2005. Ashtyn attends Wright State where she is getting a degree in Psychology. She has extensive knowledge in SEO and Social Media Development.
