Gossip Girl: It Had to Be You: The Gossip Girl Prequel (Gossip Girl)

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The Beginning of the End, 2008-10-10
It's been several years since Serena van der Woodsen, Blair Waldorf, and all of their a-list (or wannabe a-list) pals burst onto the scene. Since then, Gossip Girl has basically been credited for spawning the entire young socialite/it girl/prep school explosion that's come out of the last few years including many-a-copycat book series and several TV shows to boot, including our very own Gossip Girl. br / br /As the series comes to a close (to be replaced by Gossip Girl 2.0 that follows a group of triplets), Cecily Von Zeigesar picks up the pen one last time to write about how it all began for our favourite Upper East Siders. There isn't much by way of plot other than explaining a lot of the future plotlines we love and loathe, but the crux of the story probably comes from Serena, Nate, and Blair being BFFs until the two girls realize they're both jonesin' for the same boy. Of course the usual minor characters are in play - Chuck, Isabel, Kati, Jenny, Dan, and Vanessa - but their storylines are even thinner than what the main trio are going through. br / br /I enjoyed this book because I haven't been into the GG series for several years now, but going back to the beginning like this was a delightful surprise as key traits and quirks for each character popped up as part of their character histories. Additionally, because the purpose of the book was to explain the characters future motivations and personalities, they were written as much more logical, reasonable, grounded, and most importantly relatable. The uber-flightiness we see in the later books isn't quite as prominent here, and it works. br / br /That being said, having mostly only been exposed to the TV series over the last year, it was weird to go back and see the less glamorous (if you can believe it) portrayals of many of the characters - in particular the Humphrey family - as well as the juxtaposition between how the characters' relationships on the show compare to those in future books (i.e. Dan Serena, Chuck Blair). br / br /Ultimately I'd say this is a great must-read for any Gossip Girl fan, whether lapsed or obsessed. Don't be expecting the book series - as the kids are quite a bit younger here and fairly less insane - but don't be expecting the TV series either. A great ending/beginning for the original young socialite series.

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Absolutely Intriguing, 2008-07-31
All I can say is that I loved the book! At first I thought the books could never amount to the greatness of the show but when I started to read I got hooked! The first book I read was "Don't Forget About Me," which was bought by a friend for me since she knew I was obsessed with the show. After reading it I was motivated to buy "It Had to Be You" and now after reading it I want to read ALL OF THE BOOKS. "It Had to Be You" was extremely interesting. There were no boring parts and the ending, just like the endings of the episode's on the television show, left me wanting more! Although the books are slightly different from the show, they are just as great! LONG LIVE GOSSIP GIRL!! LOL

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Upper East Siders Scandals, 2008-06-06
Gossip Girl tells the tale of the Upper East Siders sophomore year. It was really fun to read but the one thing I don't like in this series is the excessive use of inappropriate words. But the great thing about this book is that it doesn't focus on the female characters it also gave much importance to the male point of view. I like this one.

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spectacular, 2008-04-26
one of the best based on a series written book that has ever been published

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bad book, 2008-04-19
this book should be taken off the shelves! it made me sick! i hope there arent girls who are truly that vulgar.