As someone who’s worked in a library for the past 4 years, I’m more familiar with books than anyone really needs to be. I know what’s popular without even trying; after you’ve shelved the same book a hundred times, it’s pretty obvious that a lot of people are reading it. So I really wasn’t all that surprised when the Gossip Girl books got turned into a TV show, it seemed everyone from 15 to 30 was reading the series. It never held any appeal for me, though. There are just too many books out there about rich, bitchy kids. I like my books to be a fun escape from reality, so it’s no fun for me to read about unpleasant people. I deal with that all the time in real life!

But, despite my reservations about the books, the show has been getting a lot of hype. And since season 2 debuted this week, I felt that this was my chance to watch the first season on DVD and give the show a fair shot. And I’ll admit, it’s pretty fun. The actors are pretty, the clothes are great, and the storylines are just compelling enough to keep you interested, without being overly complicated. The entire show is based on gossip, so each episode (which is about a group of privileged teens at a Manhattan prep school) is basically about who is sleeping with whom, who got caught doing drugs, etc. 

The cast consists of reformed bad-girl Serena; her Brooklyn-based, scholarship-holding boyfriend Dan; his little sister Jenny; Serena’s best friend, uber-bitch Blair; Blair’s good-looking, unambitious boyfriend Nate; and Nate’s best friend, the scandalous Chuck, played with delicious aplomb by Ed Westwick. Chuck is by far the most interesting character; he runs the gamut from potential date-rapist to heart-of-gold best friend, all the while using his money and charm to break every taboo in the book.

This show will never win any awards, but it’s funny and sassy, and a pretty good way to waste a Monday night. It’s worth checking out.