Infamous

This is the BEST It girl novel! I loved the whole NYC thing, and Heath & Brandon are so funny! Can't wait for the next

Reviewed by Avni Gupta (age 15) for Reader Views (2/09) When I received "Infamous: An It Girl Novel" in the mail, I was extremely excited to read it. I have loved all of the other books in the "It Girl" series and I really liked the "Gossip Girl" books by this same author as well. As soon as I started reading, I was hooked! This book starts out with all of the Waverly owls headed in different directions for the Thanksgiving break. Callie is off to Georgia to spend some "quality" time with her mother, after her mother sends her to a spa that almost kills her. All Callie really wants to do is find Easy, her boyfriend who got expelled when he came to save her. When Callie finds a promise ring and a note from Easy saying to meet him on the Empire State Building on Thanksgiving, Callie definitely isn't going home to Georgia! Tinsley and Jenny were always going to go to New York, so Callie joins them. Brett, on the other hand, has to go home to New Jersey. When she gets to her house, she sees that her sister's boyfriend's parents have taken over the place and turned her normal fun-loving parents into people with sticks up their butts. Brandon and Heath stay at Waverly so they can "bag" the Dunderdorf twins, identical Swiss/ Swedish twin 17-year-olds. This Thanksgiving is going to be anything but boring! This book was so good! I couldn't put it down! There were amazing twists at every corner. I never thought that Tinsley of all people would fall in love, but there she was, in love. I also never saw Tinsley and Jenny as friends but in this book, they become best friends. Who would have thought that that would ever happen? One thing to watch out for however in this book is the somewhat inappropriate conduct and graphicness of some of the scenes. There were a lot of sexual innuendos in this book. Most of the time, there was also a lot of swearing. If you don't want to see that kind of stuff in a book, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!!! I don't mind that kind of stuff, so I didn't really care, but I know that I would not recommend this book to my 12-year-old neighbor because I know that this book is not appropriate for her. Overall though, "Infamous" by Cecily von Ziegesar was really good! One word of caution however, do not read this book if you have not read the six that come before it. You will be amazingly confused if you do! Make comment on weblog

These books are my total guilty reading pleasure. I know I'm older than the characters or the intended audience but there's just something about the stories that I just can't quit reading. I know the characters all act in ways they shouldn't and are doing illegal things and spend way more money than anyone should. However the writing is fast paced and you really get into the story. If you haven't read any of the books in this series before, you should probably start from the beginning as many past events get brought up a lot. It was a nice change of pace to FINALLY see Tinsley and Jenny become friends. I was really getting tired of Tinsley acting stuck up and mean to Jenny for stupid little reasons. I was kind of sad that the four girls didn't get to hang out together but all of the stories was good. I really like Brett's adventures back home. That would have been a hoot to see. It's a nice change of pace to see her out of her element and defending her family even though she's been hating them all this time. I actually kind of hope Tinsley and Julian (I love that name) get back together. He seemed like the one person who makes her act human. I was rather disappointed by the Easy/Callie story. There could have been so much more to that and with all their history, it just rises up so dramatically and then falls flat. My only real gripe is since Jenny returns back to NYC it would have been nice to see some cameos from the original Gossip Girl gang. I know they're in college but wouldn't they be home for break? It would have been fun to see Serena, Vanessa, Nate or Chuck just waltz by in the story and to have Tinsley meet with them and see some interaction. I would have loved to see the most popular girl at Waverly meet her match with the most popular girl at Constance Billard. But alas I don't think that'll ever happen. Also who is the girl on the cover supposed to be? I have not read anyone in the books that matches that description. There's actually no sex in this book, which was a nice change of pace. There's the usual cursing but I think it was toned down. Drinking is present so if you're not a fan of that, just beware. It was a really quick read and I enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to seeing what's going to happen next with the foursome. Hopefully everyone will stay friends for at least one more book....

Thanksgiving. A time for friends, family, a long-awaited break from the pressures of school, and giving thanks for everything we have received over the past year. Or so it should be. For Waverly Owls, Thanksgiving is a time to kiss classes goodbye, party until the wee hours of the night, find solace in a long weekend, and avoid the drama of our oft-times bizarre and aggravating families. Just ask It Girls Jenny Humphrey, Tinsley Carmichael, Callie Vernon, and Brett Messerschmidt. Jenny Humphrey never thought that Tinsley Carmichael would turn into someone she could call a friend, but over the past few weeks, the two of them have blossomed into bosom buddies who share secrets, give each other advice, and gossip about guys. Throw in Southern Belle Callie Vernon, and you've got yourself the Three Musketeers. Callie, Jenny, and Tinsley all think that they're destined to have a delightful three-day weekend in the city, but things go horribly wrong the minute they arrive in NYC. For one, Jenny's apartment is full of bald-headed, robed Hare Krishnas who are creepier than words can describe. Tinsley's parents have left town without any forewarning, abandoning her with no sign of an available hotel room anywhere. Callie, on the other hand, is destined for the time of her life. She's about to meet up with her beloved boyfriend, Easy Walsh, on the top of the Empire State Building. With no place to crash, the trio head to nerdy Yvonne Stidder's place to party like it's 1999. But partying isn't the only thing on the menu. Tinsley is determined to win back the affections of flirty freshman Julian McCafferty, Jenny is longing to put the memories of her relationship with Easy in the past, and Callie is simply eager to hook up with her soul mate once again. Brett, on the other hand, is looking to simply stir up trouble for her new in-laws back in New Jersey. Spending the long weekend in her animal print McMansion, Brett knows that her Thanksgiving is going to be ruined, but when she discovers that she has the power to teach her future in-laws a lesson they'll never forget, she ceases the opportunity. Guess they'll soon learn that tangoing with an It Girl is never a good idea. The closing pages of TEMPTED left me salivating to learn what would happen to our favorite It Girls - Callie, Jenny, Tinsley, and Brett. INFAMOUS picks up right where that storyline left off, providing new drama, gossip, and adventures for our favorite characters. As usual, Jenny is her typical naïve self; but with the assistance of romance expert Tinsley by her side, she may refrain from making the same "love" mistakes she's made in the past. Tinsley, while constantly trying to maintain a hard exterior, has finally met her match in Julian McCafferty - a boy who proves he may just be the one to tame our favorite wild child. Brett, having been exiled to Jersey, shows readers that, even when you're away from the city you can have a good time - at the expense of others. And Callie, with all

Infamous picks up where Tempted left off and Von Ziegesar doesn't disappoint. Just when you think you know what's going to happen next the complete opposite occurs. Several of the characters are changing, they're not who they used to be in previous books. Infamous like all the other books in the It Girl series does a great job of focusing on important story lines but also has enough balance so that no character is featured more than any other. I definitely recommend this book if you're a fan of the Gossip Girl and It Girl series. I can't wait to see what happens next.