I first read the Gossip Girl series a few years ago and I wouldn't have read this one since I was at least fifteen years old. However, I decided to re-read the whole series this year. I am still so fond of this series, as it was one of my favourites throughout my adolescence, but I just can't shake how awful this one book was. It's probably my least favourite of the entire series.

First of all, where was Jenny???? I understand that she was away in Prague for the summer, but that hasn't stopped Cecily von Ziegesar in the past. We have often seen characters in different settings to each other, but they were still given a fair amount of time. For the last book in the series, it was unfortunate to see so little of Jenny. And when we do see her, it's only as a supporting character in Dan's plot. I would have loved to have seen more Jenny.

The biggest thing I had an issue with was the whole Dan 'being gay' thing. I don't feel like I need to explain why it was wrong and exploitative and almost dangerous for impressionable minds to be reading, but I will just say that it has portrayed same-sex attraction as a total joke. There are definitely right and wrong ways to depict young people questioning their sexuality, but I would say that this is definitely the wrong way. It didn't bother me that Dan didn't end up identifying as gay- it was more that he, and everyone around him, were basing his sexuality off the way he was meant to act, with Jenny saying things like, "You don't act very gay." It was littered with awful stereotypes and gross misconceptions about what it means to be a gay man.

And lastly, I don't see why the final book in a long and successful series would be ghost-written. To me, only Cecily herself could have closed the series. Instead, we were left with a cheesy, obvious wannabe attempt at Cecily's quick wit and snarky humour. It just seemed whoever was writing it was trying too hard.

For a closing novel, I'm disappointed. But I will always love Gossip Girl.