Cum Laude by Cecily von Ziegesar

I read von Ziegesar’s Gossip Girl books as a teen and loved them.  I am a huge fan of the TV show.  Are they silly and fluffy?  Of course!  And I would never say they are the best written books.  But they were fun.  While the characters were sometimes (ok, a lot of the time) loathe-able, I found something to like about them over the course of the series.  So when I saw that von Ziegesar had a new book, Cum Laude, I didn’t even read the reviews. Well, I should have.

Ugh, I hated this book. I’m not sure if the publishers are aiming it at the YA audience or adult audience, but I think that’s a non-factor. It’s just UGH. I finished it, but just barely. I couldn’t stand a single character. Maybe that that was the point- they are spoiled kids who attend a small, liberal-arts school in Maine. But come on- shouldn’t they at least have some redeeming qualities? They all whine nonstop. They hate their lives. No one is happy. And even worse? We never really get to know any of the characters that well.

Don’t waste your time with this one. It isn’t even a fun, fluffy read. I felt like I just wasted my time reading it.