All I Want is Everything (Gossip Girl, #3)

by Cecily Von Ziegesar

Well.

I can't say this has aged well at all. And was I ever that young at seventeen? There's an odd mix of youth, sex and swearing - which is probably more to do with how much I've aged in the last decade - but I felt it worth noting at least.

This was sort of entertaining? But also not really at all? I do think we've come a long way as a society regarding attitudes and acceptable behaviors towards and about women. The casual slut shaming, derogatory comments and even sexual touches are no longer left to linger silently - I won't deny it still happens but I definitely think we're more likely to speak up and out about it than we were.

Regarding the book itself - any love I have for the characters is more to do with lingering nostalgia over the television show rather than the book - because frankly none of them were particularly likeable. They were whiny, self-centered and kind of flat. The television show has doubtlessly also not aged well but it's also very different to the book series. Plus I'm a Chuck/Blair fan - I never liked Nate on the show and I absolutely hate him in the book. I don't get what Blair even kind of sees in him.

When I first read this I rated 3 stars but upon rereading I can't go higher than 2 stars - there's just not enough depth to the characters or the plot to warrant more.