In the age of computers, cell phones, and iPods, getting teenage girls to read during their downtime can be a real challenge – unless they’ve found the perfect rich girls series to get them on a reading roll. Teen book series based on the lives of upper-class teenage girls and their peers abound, and teen girls are eating them up.
So what makes these books, where cattiness, jealousy, and betrayal rule, so enticing? And which ones are winning popularity contests? Get to know these book series, and decide for yourself.
Book Series for Young Teens and Middle Schoolers
Not all characters in Lisi Harrison’s Clique novels (Little, Brown, 2004-2011) for young teens are likeable, but there’s bound to be a few in the group whom teen girls can relate to, whether it’s mean-spirited clique leader Massie Block or out-of-place newcomer Claire Lyons. These books about wealthy New York middle school girls run the gamut of teenage girl themes, including friendship, romance, and fashion.
For those who have read the entire Clique series and want more of the same, Lisi Harrison offers a spin-off series, the Alphas books (Little, Brown, 2009-2011). Based on the life of Clique character Skye Hamilton and her friends at the exclusive Alpha Academy, the Alphas series begins anew with stories of teens striving to be the most talented and avoid being sent home from their highly competitive high school. Readers who like a futuristic setting may find the Alphas series especially appealing.
Teen girls wondering what it would be like to be the daughter of a pop star or supermodel can check out The Daughters (Little, Brown, 2010-2011), Joanna Philbin’s new series for teens and young adults. Fourteen-year-olds Lizzie, Carina, and Hudson share their insecurities, hopes, and dreams in these engaging books about life for children of the rich and famous.
Teen Book Series for High Schoolers and Beyond
For a good mystery intertwined with common teen girl themes, Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard (Harper Collins, 2006-2011) delivers. This series, now a popular television show too, revolves around the death of Alison DiLaurentis. whose body is found in her backyard. After four friends set out to track down her killer, they soon receive messages from “A,” who knows all about them, even secrets they told Alison. Now the girls have another mission: finding out who “A” is and if this mysterious person is linked to Alison’s death.
From friendships to scandal, all the drama can be found in Cecily von Ziegasar’s Gossip Girl series (Little, Brown, 2002-2009) for mature young adult readers. Like many of the series in this genre, Gossip Girl depicts the lives of wealthy teenage girls from New York – Blair, Serena, Vanessa, and Jenny. With a hit TV program and 17 books in the series to date, Gossip Girl boasts a huge fan base. Next up? Gossip Girl: Psycho Killer, which the publisher calls “a re-imagined and expanded slasher edition of the first Gossip Girl novel.”
Those tired of the New York setting can opt for the A-List books by author Zoey Dean (Little, Brown, 2003-2010). Again written for mature young female adults, the A-List tells the stories of a group of four girls from wealthy, famous families living in Beverly Hills, California. Their love lives, dreams, jealousies, and fears are all here in this favorite series about high school seniors.
Teens and Their Fascination with Books About Rich Girls
What makes these books that depict a world of shallowness and backstabbing so much fun to read? As many readers confess, they’re a guilty pleasure. Critics agree. Publisher’s Weekly notes in its review of the first Gossip Girl, “readers who have always wished Danielle Steel and Judith Krantz would write about teenagers are in for a superficial, nasty, guilty pleasure.” School Library Journal calls the book “[f]luffy reading…that’s likely to have high appeal for older teens.”
But not all of these books are strictly fluff. Pretty Little Liars contains an element of suspense that hooks readers and, according to SLJ, “will have teens thirsting for more.” Adds Amazon.com, Sara Shepard’s “infusion of mystery and murder breathes new life into the tired genre of high society chick lit.”
Writing style is also a draw for readers of the genre. The books are fast-paced, easy-to-read, and addictive. And although the characters may not be portrayed as deep, their uniqueness and believability make them strong. Teens can quickly get acquainted with them – and even find redeeming qualities. “Along with the designer names and posh addresses, there’s some introspection, too,” writes Booklist in its review of The Daughters.
New York Times reviewer Naomi Wolf has another reason why these often controversial books for teens are selling by the millions: “They have the allure of being a road map to the coolest, highest-value kind of social success.” That, says Wolf, and marketing.
Although the above series won’t change society’s views of cliques, spoiled rich girls, and superficial values, these books can do something positive for teen girls – inspire reading, which just might make Massie, Skye, and Blair worth getting to know. In fact, some teens may find them even more fun than Facebook.
For more on popular teen fiction, see Characters, Themes in Sara Dessen's Books for Teens Lure Readers.
Sources:
- Booklist, review of The Daughters, by Joanna Philbin (2010).
- Publishers’ Weekly, review of Gossip Girl, by Cecily von Ziegasar (2002).
- School Library Journal, reviews of Gossip Girl, by Cecily von Ziegasar (2002) and Pretty Little Liars, by Sara Shepard (2006).
- “Ten Questions for Naomi Wolf,” The New York Times (March 16, 2006).
Susie Yakowicz - Susie Yakowicz is a Minnesota freelance writer whose work has appeared in dozens of publications for children and adults.
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