Review: Gossip Girl, Psycho Killer

Title: Gossip Girl, Psycho Killer
Author: Cecily von Ziegesar
Publisher: Poppy
Release Date: October 3, 2011

Welcome to New York City's Upper East Side, where my friends and I live, go to school, play, and sleep-sometimes with each other. It's a luxe life, but someone's got to live it . . . until they die.

So begins Gossip Girl, Psycho Killer, a re-imagined and expanded slasher edition of the first groundbreaking Gossip Girl novel, featuring all new grisly scenes and over-the-top—Goodreads

Alright, I'll be honest—I've never read the Gossip Girl books. I watched the first couple seasons of the TV show until I couldn't stand it any longer—which was around season three or four, I think. Whenever it was that Hilary Duff joined the cast. NOT that I have anything against Hilary Duff—actually, I quite like her—but for some reason I just got really uninterested in the story lines at that point. 

ANYWAY. That's all to say that when I heard about Gossip Girl, Pyscho Killer I was very, very excited about it. I thought the idea of it was brilliant and very American Psycho (which I adore), and I just knew that the characters in Gossip Girl—which I always assumed was more of a satirical comment on how the kids of the wealthy live anyway—would be quite convincing as serial killers. 

Ok, for those of you who have read the Gossip Girl books, here's what you should know: this is more of a mash-up (à la Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) than it is a new book. In fact, Cecily von Ziegesar actually re-wrote the first book. Since I've never read them, I don't actually know how much of the text matches the first, but what I can tell you is this—Gossip Girl, Psycho Killer is delightfully rompy. 

Sometimes it's a little over the top, and the ways in which von Ziegesar decides to kill people can be a little, well, gross, but most of the time it's really funny and biting in its wit and evaluation of the 1% (as we're apparently calling the crazy-wealthy these days). 

So, if you're a little like me in that you enjoy ridiculously gory blood-lust every now and again, and you don't mind your serial killers wearing designer labels and using weapons like swords from the Met to exact their slightly detached vengeance, then you will greatly enjoy this. 

I'd also recommend this book for people who REALLY DISLIKE Gossip Girl. Since, you know, the characters all hate each other too and decide that they need to slaughter each other in magnificently evil ways. It really is very death-heavy. A LOT of characters die. Including a couple major characters. *grins wickedly* 

Waiting on Wednesday: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Title: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Publisher: Poppy
Release Date: January 2, 2012

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18B. Hadley's in 18A. 

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.--Goodreads


Let us count the reasons why I am excited to read this: 


1) I like long titles. I don't really like statistics or probabilities, as they both relate to math, but the statistical probability of love at first sight sounds like something that would be good to know for, like, pub trivia. Anyway. I think this title is nerdily, frumpily adorable and holds PROMISE as to what is inside the book. 


2) I like the name Hadley. 


3) I like British boys. 


4) I like the name Oliver. 


5) I especially like the name Oliver if it belongs to a British boy. 

6) I like the cover. It sort of reminds me of the movie poster (I feel like you should all know that when I first tried to type movie poster, I actually wrote "moster." Should we make that a new word? Moster? NO? Okay then.) for the film Waiting for Forever, which wasn't particularly good, but had a movie poster (you sure about nixing "moster"? You are? Okay.) I did like. 

Yeah, so now that I'm looking at the Waiting for Forever poster, it really looks NOTHING like the (better designed) cover for this book. But for some reason, when I saw the book cover, this movie poster is what I thought of. I'm obviously cracked. 

ANYWAY. With the exception of the crazy that was point number six, this all bodes very well. You know what does not bode well? 


This book doesn't come out until freaking January. Harumph. *sulks*


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. 

Waiting on Wednesday: The Magnolia League

Title: The Magnolia League

Author: Katie Crouch 

Publisher: Poppy (Hachette Book Group)

Pages: 368

Pub Date: May 3, 2011

After the death of her free-spirited mother, sixteen-year-old Alex Lee must leave her home in northern California to live with her wealthy grandmother in Savannah, Georgia. By birth, Alex is a rightful, if unwilling, member of the Magnolia League, Savannah's long-standing debutante society. She quickly discovers that the Magnolias have made a pact with a legendary hoodoo family, the Buzzards. The Magnolias enjoy youth, beauty and power. But at what price?

As in her popular adult novels, Crouch's poignant and humorous voice shines in this seductively atmospheric story about girls growing up in a magical Southern city.--Goodreads


Okay, I feel like there's something y'all need to know about me. I am Southern, I love that I am Southern, and I will read just about anything set in the South. So, obviously this book is on that list. 

My trip to Savannah, March 2010

However. This book is extra super-special because not only is it set in the South, but it's set in SAVANNAH, which is breathtaking, and definitely one of my favorite places. But a book needs more than just a fantastic setting, (At least most of the time. I'm sure there are exceptions.) and The Magnolia League seems to promise more than just Spanish moss and weeping willows--it's about both a debutante society and a hoodoo family! I mean, c'mon. Rich, entitled, Southern bitches + creepy magic = Yes, please!


I am counting down the days for this one! You best believe I have it marked on my Google calendar. 




Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.