Nothing Can Keep Us Together

Gossip Girl #8

by Cecily von Ziegesar

Welcome to New York City's Upper East Side, where my friends and I are the princes and princesses of private school, and graduation is just an excuse to throw a fabulous party - as if we need a reason.

Enter the world of Gossip Girl- a world where jealousy and betrayal are always in fashion.

We're nearly done with high school - forever! - but before we head off to the Ivy of our choice we've got plenty to keep us busy: B found S kissing N in the shower. Steamy! Even B can see that S and N would make the hottest couple ever, right? Wrong. B's about to strut down the revenge runway, and I have a front row seat. We'll see if this catfight looks good on the catwalk. Time to hide behind my oversized Chanel sunglasses to watch the show . . . .

You know you love me,
gossip girl

Genres: Young Adult, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, Teen, Childrens

221 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2005

About the author

Cecily von Ziegesar is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Gossip Girl novels, upon which the hit television show is based.

Cecily von Ziegesar was born in New York City. Her childhood dream was to grow up to be a ballerina; she began lessons at age 3 and auditioned for the School of American Ballet at age 8, but was rejected.

As a teenager, von Ziegesar commuted to Manhattan at 6 a.m. to attend the Nightingale-Bamford School. After graduating from Nightingale, von Ziegesar attended Colby College before spending a year in Budapest working for a local radio station.

Von Ziegesar returned to the United States to study creative writing at the University of Arizona, but dropped out shortly thereafter.

Back in New York, while working at book-packaging firm Alloy Entertainment, von Ziegesar became inspired to create the Gossip Girl series, which follows the lives of privileged teenagers in New York. The series climbed to the top of The New York Times best-sellers list in 2002. A spin-off series, The It Girl, made the list in 2005.

The Constance Billard School for Girls in Gossip Girl is based upon an exaggerated version of von Ziegesar's alma mater, Nightingale. She also culled events from the book from the lives of her extremely wealthy friends, as well as her own life as a perpetual gossip.

She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her family.

Reviews

[Tee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this series is like keep seeing an old high school friend you have nothing in common with, and whose company you don't even enjoy, but saying "yes" anytime they ask you to go get a coffee, just outta habit.

8 books gone, 5 to go.

[Zoe Stewart (Zoe's All Booked)]

I'm curious to see if there's going to be a single book where no one cheats at all. I higgghhhly doubt it though.

[Madeleine Knutsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vad händer egentligen med dessa karaktärer?

Vanessa är otrogen
Nate gråter hela tiden
Daniel ger upp sina drömmar för kärlekens skull
Serena är fortfarande snygg hela tiden men får knappt några kapitel
Jenny har fortfarande stora bröst och ska nu få en spin-off serie, ska den bara handla om hennes bröst för det är ju det enda man hör eller vad hon tänker på
Blair är tråkig och bryr sig bara om att hon har en engelsk lord som pojkvän som kanske redan är förlovad med någon annan.

Det här är inte super bra böcker, men jag kan inte sluta läsa den här serien. Det är som polly, bara en bok till och till slut så är alla borta.

[Alannah Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first started reading the gossip girl series, I thought they were brilliant. It offered excitement, betrayal and friendship, among other things. But as the series has progressed, it seems Cecily von Ziegesar has run out of ideas. The will-they-won't-they relationship of Blair and Nate/ Serena and Nate has begun to get irritating, and the constant shakiness of Blair and Serena's friendship, likewise Vanessa and Dan's relationship, is off-putting. This book, like the last few, has become rather predictable and didn't get me hooked in quite the same way as they did initially.
That said, I still got some enjoyment out of reading it, as the writing style is enticing and funny- and I will continue to read the series if only to find out the true identity of gossip girl! The only other thing that saved this book was Jenny, who has remained charming in all her ignorant youth. The author has made the right decision to follow up this series with a spin-off about Jenny (The It Girl).
If you enjoyed the last few books prior to this one, you'll probably like this one too. But if, like me, you've begun getting bored by them, don't expect much change here.

[Vidhya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I am super crazy about gossip girl(the tv series) , I think I am done with the book series. No more... pleasssee!

[Kirsten · Rating 1 out of 5]

terrifying.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not really sure why I keep reading this series. I guess that this point it is mainly to finishing them. The tv show really is much better.

[Cat · Rating 1 out of 5]

These books keep getting worse and worse. Arrrghhhhh why did I read them? Waste of time

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So gross but I can't stop devouring these books.

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interested to see how the summer plays out!

[Amanda Tuinstra ( Liefde voor boeken Amanda) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recensie volgt op mn website.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate Serena and Nate.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think i can confidently say the only books in the series I don't despise are the ones where Blair gets to live her best life and Serena is in a ditch where she belongs

[Veronica Alvarez · Rating 1 out of 5]

We've been doing this for the past eight books people, I have no idea how this series nothing happens

[bailey (taylor’s version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish with my whole heart that this series would end with blair and serena being together. I’m actually upset with myself for not seeing it sooner

[Chrissy]

book Blair + Vanessa 🤌🤌

[ingrid ₊]

nate was just crying in this book lmaoaoa AGAIN DO IT AGAIN

[Andee · Rating 3 out of 5]

YOU GOT RID OF JENNY BUT KEPT DAN? DAN SUCKS.

[Annabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I remember correctly, I think it was about everyone going off for summer vacation. Actually it was kind of sad, because hardly any couples were together (like Blair and Nate)!! It was good, although I would have liked it better if there was more romance... even though that sounds really weird. I am excited to read the last two books in the series, and the next one that I think is coming out this fall! When I first picked up this series, I didn't think I would like it, but it turns out that I actually really like it! It is probably one of my favorite series. I know a lot of people think that they are just a bunch of trash (I know I did at first) they are very entertaining and funny to read. It's really interesting to keep up with everyone's rich, extravagent lifestyles! I would recommened this book/series to pretty much any teenage girl who liikes books aobut drama. Even if you think you won't like it, you may just be surprised! =)

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picks up where book 7 leaves off. This book revolves around graduation. As always there are some scandals...
-a boy that may not graduate due to a theft at school
-another boy that declares his love for a girl by announcing he will skip college to stay in the city with the girl he loves
-a on-again/off-again couple are off-again and he has a new girlfriend
-a girl has snagged herself the main of her dreams.
The book ends with the graduation night party where most everything changes yet again!

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everyone graduates and has a party. To tell you the truth, I'm getting a little bored with all the partying, shopping, hooking up, breaking up, and getting back together. I mean, how many ways can you tell the same story?

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Jenn G · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly I'm just reading them to finish the series at this point. It's ridiculous and the TV show is WAY better.

[Rhiannon Rabby | 31 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather uneventful, but it ended on a good note.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik weet niet wat het is met deze serie. Vind ik de serie echt goed? Nee. Wil ik om de ene of de andere onverklaarbare reden toch constant verder lezen? Ja. En ik kan je echt niet vertellen waarom. Want elk boek in deze serie heeft eigenlijk precies dezelfde ingrediënten en plot punten.

Als je erop inzoomt dan groeien de karakters eigenlijk nauwelijks en leren ze al helemaal niet van hun eigen stommiteiten en fouten. Ze doen steeds hetzelfde. Keer op keer op keer. En gek genoeg lijkt het ook nog eens alsof elk boek eindigt met Nate die sex heeft met het verkeerde meisje. Het heeft behoorlijk wat boeken geduurd voor hij überhaupt bedacht had wie het juiste meisje was, maar bij dat juiste meisje in de armen belanden wil maar niet lukken. Wellicht dat zijn drugsverslaving daar iets mee te maken heeft.

Wat het boek zo verslavend maakt, denk ik, is dat het ergens ook gewoon heel vermakelijk is om deze mensen keer op keer dezelfde stomme dingen te zien doen. Het maakt het ook lekker veilig en voorspelbaar. Dit boek kent geen onverwachte wendingen. Het zal je ook zeker niet verliefd laten worden op een karakter om dit karakter daarna iets onvergeeflijks te laten doen waardoor je die liefde weer op moet geven. Alle karakters doen onvergeeflijke dingen. En het zijn al helemaal geen karakters om verliefd op te worden.

Ik kan zo ongeveer wel al vertellen wat er in het volgende boek gaat gebeuren. Serena krijgt iets wat Blair wil zonder er moeite voor te doen. Nate krijgt een goede ingeving, maar weet daarna weer aan drugs te komen waardoor hij vijf minuten later niet meer kan herinneren wat voor goede ingeving dat ook alweer was. En Blair denkt dat ze eindelijk haar geluk gevonden heeft, maar krijgt dan het deksel op haar neus omdat mannen eikels zijn en Serena in alles, onbedoeld en ongewild, beter en leuker is dan zij.

Je leest in mijn volgende review of ik gelijk had...

[Liv Sutcliffe]

tbh i feel like nothing happened in this so it was 2 weeks of time in gg universe ??? vanessa and aaron broke up and serena and nate were never really together i’m super interested in what chuck will be up to??? and is jenny the new it girl of these books i keep getting a preview of?? throwback to age 9 me in the library let’s see ok !!!!

[Kyisha Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but I would not say it was my favorite of the series. I liked how serious topics like drug-use and student-teacher relationships were handled in a way that both piques teen interest and shows the nasty realism. In this book the boys were flopping hard, and it was honestly nice to see because of the way they run after the girls. I felt that the special something was missing here but still a strong read regardless. And how well things are handled here just makes me like the show less and less, so nuanced!

[Jen | jenreadsx · Rating 1 out of 5]

Jenny really is the worst character

I’m also worried for all of those 90’s babies that grew up reading these books as a teenager and thinking all of this cheating, lying, smoking and toxic relationships are healthy… are you all okay?

[Hailey Davidson · Rating 1 out of 5]

The one where Nate needs Viagra (or Blair's feet) to get it up. (Feat. Cecily von Ziegesar being blatantly and exploitatively homophobic)

[Tiffany Spencer]

Nothing Can Keep Us Together
It starts off Blair is shopping with Allison, Isabel, and Rain. It’s the opening day for the Browns of London Trunk Show. They’re all looking for graduation dresses. Only a white one is a rarity. Sirena and Nate show up together, but Nate looks depressed and Sirena looks distracted. Blair is smug but continues to look for her dress. (Graduation is only 2 weeks away). Sirena hopes Blair will look her way. She doesn’t. Even though Sirena and Nate are together all they do is fool around. Isabel informs Sirena Mr. Beckham nominated her for senior speaker. She has no idea why he’d do this. Isabel asks if she’ll do it. Sirena isn’t the slightest interested but says maybe. Blair overhears and silently fumes. Vanessa nominated *her* for Senior speaker. Sirena *would* try to copy. Sirena tries to make a comment on a dress Blair’s holding but she doesn’t answer back and walks off to check out the dress. Meanwhile, Nate is outside crying (which he’s been doing off and on but Sirena thinks it’s sexy. But shouldn’t he be happy he’s gotten with his dream girl and he’s in Yale? Or did he pic the wrong girl?

Dan is made the speaker of Riverside Prep. He’s decided to leave early for Evergreen and has already gotten an summer job. Dan finds out he got the position because no one else wanted it. Chuck tells him Vanessa broke up with Aaron. But when Dan calls her Vanessa tells him it’s a lie. Vanessa invites him over later and he gets hopeful when she says Aaron has band practice. Meanwhile, Jenny and Rufus check out Hanover (boarding school). This is where Sirena once went. (Rather Jenny does) Jenny ditches her guide (Fiona’s) attempt to get her to go with her to study hall. Instead, she introduces herself around to girls that look like potential friends. The girls don’t pay her any attention and tell her to be quiet. Jenny finds out from one of the girls that Sirena ruined everything. Once she left they put in place a strict disciplinarian code. If you tell on your friends you get priviledges. There’s so much incentive that the place is now dry. Jenny realizes this isn’t the school for her. So, she takes Rufus to check out the next party school on the list Croton.

Dan notices the place looks different (thanks to Blair). Vanessa thinks of the corny little sentimental gestures Aaron’ has been making and thinks how different it is from Dan. She also thinks she’ll have to have a talk with him soon (not that she’s minded much). Dan and Vanessa both have a de ja vu moment. Vanessa invites Dan to check out a hidden sunroof Blair found. Before Dan knows it Vanessa is taking off his clothes and he doesn’t get in the way of her “need to express herself”.

After an unsuccessful day of trying to find a dress at a store called “Isn’t She Lovely”. Blair comes home to hear (Who she thinks is Aaron) at Vanessa and decides enough is enough. She calls up Chuck and tells him to take her to the Yale Club. She tells Vanessa (and finds out she’s not with Aaron it’s Dan) it just isn’t working. No hard feelings because she really does like Vanessa now. Sirena goes to her teacher to turn down making the speech and to convince him to give the speech to Blair. He just confesses he’s into her (which creeps her out and she tries to leave), but he requests a kiss. She decides to allow a small one to her cheek.

Nate attends the last LAX party (and tries not to cry). They all eat pizza, smoke some weed,then leave. After it’s over, Nate starts to think of Blair (and cries). One of the guys says the Coach has been taking Viagra and getting it up with his wife at a hotel. Nate thinks maybe that’s what he needs (since all he does now is cry) and heads to the Coach’s office and steals some. On the elevator at the Yale Club, Blair is acquainted with Lord Marcus Beaton Rhodes. (He looks like a British version of Nate). He asks if they can get together for a drink later. He’s staying in the suite adjacent to hers.

At Croton, Jenny’s tour guide is Chuck’s cousin (Harold Bass). When she hears they party eighty percent of the time, this is more her speed. He leads her to the middle of the woods to meet some people. She finds out they’re all popping ecstasy. Harry wants her to pop one quick so she’ll fall for him, Jenny fakes taking the pill. They say they’re going to play “Duck Duck Goose”. Then Dentyne is passed out. During the game, Harry suggests they take off their shirts. But then a teacher catches them, but he asked what he missed. He notices Jenny and tells her it isn’t a strip club, He tells her she can’t be serious about attending the school because they’re the best of the best. She finds out he’s the headmaster and says first lesson in discretion. Let’s pretend this whole thing didn’t happen. Then he dismisses her and sends her on her way.

As Vanessa tries to edit Blair’s interview for the documentary, she starts to have second thoughts about telling Aaron she and he could skip graduation. Dan keeps getting strange letters from a professor named Pierre whom I think he’s supposed to have a summer internship with. He wants him to stay with him his two dogs and his son. He also tells him he’s into real sex. Dan thinks he sounds “nice” but he’s starting to change his mind about Evergreen. Now all he can think about is Vanessa. He writes the professor back and tells him something came up and he can’t accept the position.He decides to send him a sex poem he wrote. Since his teacher can’t get Dan’s attention (she has a major crush on him) she gives them the last minutes of class to write whatever. Dan starts to work on a graduation speech that has love in it. (His previous one was copied from ones he’d heard in movies and on tv).

Blair is announced as the senior speaker. No one really wanted Blair to speak because it’ll be all about her, but they don’t think Sirena *can* write a speech because of all the drugs she did at boarding school. Blair of course is ecstatic. Until she hears she dropped out of the running. Vanessa makes her see it doesn’t matter how she got it. She meets up after school with Lord Marcus to all the other girls envy. Of course, they all start to gossip on everything from she’sjust dating him to make Nate and Sirena jealous to he’s a dishboy at the Yale club. Or either her cousin. Blair makes sure he gives her a very public display of affection just as she sees Nate and Sirna in a taxi. Ditrns hsd yskrn Nsyr yo dhop got hrt ftrdd. She’s musing about how Blair found Marus. Nate by this time is hard as a brick. Sirena’s just glad he’s not acting like a punk and allows him to rip her clothes off. After it's done he starts to cry again. But Sirena thinks it makes them official.

Marcus takes Blair shopping at Oscar De La Renta’s store for her dress. Only to find out he’s his uncle! Well *play* uncle. His mother will wear nothing less. They find the perfect, white, suit for her. But then… Gossip Girl says Oscar sends out body doubles to parties and his store on Madison. Jenny tells her friend Elise about a school she heard about for prospective art students (Waverly Prep). Correction (It’s a school with a good art program). She decides to do portraits of Elise in eyeshadow. Her dad in red wine and Dan in instant coffee.

Vanessa thinks about how the new film being shot “Breakfast At Fred’s” based on “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” but for teens. The director Kevin saw some of her work and previously asked if she’d work with him on it. But she’s supposed to be driving around the country with Aaron. Yet, it’s tempting. Then Dan shows up and they go back up to the roof. Aaron meanwhile comes back to the apartment. As Dan leaves, Vanessa slips back into the apartment and has sex for the second time (just like before) in the shower with Aaron. Blair shows up to the audition first in line dressed exactly like Audrey Hepburn. Sirena shows up and tries to make conversation with Blair. Blair decides she’s over Nate and Sirena and invites them both to come to the bar with her and Marcus at the Yale Club. Blair does her lines perfectly. Sirena worries about getting the role. She doesn’t look anything like Audrey but the director has told Blair they aren’t looking for an exact match. He tells her to do her lines over with glasses. They’re about to leave when one of the crew girls comes up to Sirena and tells her something (that she doesn’t tell).

At the club, Blair tells Sirena she’s going to write about going after what you want. She never thought she’d get everything she wanted but she tried hard. Sirena debates whether she should tell her the crew person told her to come back for a second audition. Not that she’s even sure that she wants the part. She just blurts out she’s so in love with Nate. Blair decides the Yale Club would be the perfect place to throw a party. The boys meanwhile are in Marcus’s room discussing Blair. Lord Marcus says he’s thinking of inviting Blair to England for the summer to meet his family. Nate starts to cry. Lord Marcus comforts him. Nate decides its just what he needs. When they go back downstairs tho, Nate is looking at Blair getting horny.

(G.G. tells us the director is casting his sister and just called the others for extras). GG also says Lord Marcus is in an arranged marriage and that someone found out who stole the Coach’s Viagra. (The Coach says whoever stole it won’t graduate). As Dan writes his speech, he thinks of taking the theme of (and quoting from) “The Road Less Traveled” Even though his classmates aren’t taking the road less traveled and are going to college. Well maybe he will take the road less traveled and not go to college and stay there with Vanessa. Only he’s supposed to be taking and lets his mind wonder to much so ohe doesn’t realize when times up. Jenny has finished her exam and worrying about why she hasn’t heard from Waverly. She thinks maybe her grades and talent aren’t enough. Maybe she should send them the photo spread she did with Sirena and the excerpt on page 6. Blair and Sirena are cheating there way through their exams. Sirena is thinking of her second audition, It’s on the same day as graduation which is going to make Blair hate her all over again.

Dan makes another appearance at Vanessa’s. Vanessa really was hoping not to see Dan before she and Aaron left because she’s not sure how she feels about him because she’s been putting off thinking about it. to attend the Vanessa and Sirena are noticeably absent at the ceremony. At the boys ceremony, Nate sees that his status for graduation is pending. The Coach grabs him and tells him he has his number. Dan gives his corny speech and gets the “White Writers Award”. Aaron shows up and tells Vanessa she doesn’t think she should come. Then he says he knew about her and Dan. He says she should have told him. Then he says she shouldn’t miss graduation. He doesn’t even seem mad about it. In no time flat she’s in her dress. Aaron offers to drive her. Vanessa makes it just in time to get her diploma and get the “George O Keefe” award. Sirena is late (and wearing the same suit as Blair) but shows up after her name is called and just as Blair gets her diaploma.

As Nate compares pictures of Blair and Sirena, he realizes he’s still in love with Blai (and cries). Coach calls and tells him his punishment is helping him fix up his place in the Hampton and going to AA meetings. He’d have his diploma by the end of the summer. Rufus isn’t happy with Dan (although he says he’s just deferred for a year). Jenny gives a call from Waverly’s administrator that a spot has become open. She gives Rufus the news (and catches him smoking pot). Lord Marcus presents Blair with a pearl necklace identical to the one she borrowed from her mother to audition aond invites her to Europe for the summer. In her mind, she’ll be engaged before she starts Yale. Sirena tells Blair she got the part. Blair acts unruffled. But then Tyler’s girlfriend shows up wearing the same suit. Blair doesn’t blow up. Just puts on her best Audrey Hepburn imitation. At the party, Nate returns the sweater Blair got him with the heart sewn in the sleeve. He’s taken the heart out. Blair tells herself it’s just a sweater. Dan shows up with roses for Vanessa. She realizes she almost choose the wrong guy. Dan tries to tell Vanessa about his decision, but Sirena drags her away to dance. Vanessa thinks he’s making the wrong decision but they’d work it out over the summer. Jenny still has the ecstasy pill and offers it (and herself) to Nate. Blair overhears (and is told by Isabelle) that Lord Marcus is married. Rufus shows up at the party, tells him he talked to the guy at his school, and the guy agreed to keep his place open in the fall. Blair goes to Marcus' room to confront him, but he’s gone. But there’s a letter and an envelope with a ticket to meet him in two weeks. The letter apologizes for saying goodbye. In the box are earrings that match the necklace.

Sirena sees Jenny and Nate coming out of the bathroom, but Sirena doesn’t seem bothered. She’s more relieved. Nate is acting strange. He tries to kiss all of them but what the hell? Blair then kisses Sirena.

My Thoughts
No weird random characters in this one. But I felt sorriest for Blair. Usually, I don’t have any feelings for Blair but I think I could relate to knowing what it feels like to FINALLY (FINALLY) think your Prince, and then… you don’t even know what the hell just happened. It hasn’t happened YET but there were too many signs in this that Blair isn’t headed for a PAINFUL heartbreak! There was some good news tho. I’m glad Jenny got into Waverly since it seems to mean so much to her. I just hate that Jenny seems to struggle so much with identity in this series. She’s just the wild, big, breasted chick. Hopefully, Waverly bring out more to her character than that. I’m wondering should I start “It Girl” now or until I get done with this one. It seems to be a good place to start this series. But if it’s as hard to get through as this one has been. This series is an even more adult more shallow version of “The Clique” complete with sex and drugs. Every single book someone cheats. It’s getting so repetivite not even the characters care about their cheating partners anymore (shown by Blair and Aaron). 6 More to go!

Rating: 5