Cum Laude | D

A beautiful blonde girl with guarded dark blue eyes and an unsmiling pair of glossy pink lips fills the cover of Cum Laude, written by Gossip Girl creator Cecily von Ziegesar. It may appear at first glance like just another Gossip Girl installment, albeit the college crowd. However, this book differs in that it tries to instantaneously age the characters by thrusting them into the "dark" college world of sex, drugs, parties and betrayal, and presents a more mature format of writing.

The novel follows the lives of five main characters and the people most closely connected to them in their first year at Dexter College, a small liberal arts college in Maine. First there's Shipley Gilbert, a golden-haired beauty heading off to the same school that her troubled but intelligent older brother Patrick attended before disappearing. Then there's Shipley's roommate Eliza, a rebellious dark-haired girl who chose Dexter over Harvard simply for its eccentricities. Tom is the handsome jock turned experimental artist who thinks he owns the world. He lives with roommate Nick, whose interest in pot seems to eclipse just about everything else. Lastly there's Adam, a commuter student who lives on a wholesome farm in the neighboring town.

While the book attempts to stay as mature and grounded as possible (the author even sets the story in 1992, long before the prevalence of cell phones, laptops or any of the other technology that highlight her Gossip Girl stories), it ends up coming across as insipid and unoriginal. Von Ziegesar tries to flesh out unique characters, but there is no depth to their personalities or the motivations behind their actions; instead, the reader is just expected to go along with whatever wild and crazy adventures the author cooks up. Plot development is pretty much non-existent, and even when disturbing things happen to the characters, it is hard to feel sympathetic or to really feel anything. "Find Yourself" is the school motto of Dexter College, yet all the characters seem to do is fall into horribly familiar clichéd stereotypes.

The entirety of the 259 pages was truly a boring fight to the finish. No substantial action even occurs until three-quarters of the way into the story. Unfortunately the author has presented the ending in such a manner that could be the set-up for future sequels. The only thing that could possibly do this train wreck any justice is to end it here.

All in all, Cum Laude is a futile attempt to portray modern college students' trials and lacks any of the punch that Gossip Girl provides. Fans of Von Ziegesar should pass this book up and stick with her more successful drama-filled series. Other than passing references to former President Bill Clinton's first presidential run, there is even less substance than the superficial cover would lead you to expect. Perhaps Cum Laude is just an example of "stick to what you know."