I read the Gossip Girl, It Girl and The Clique books but never finished them after getting tired of the same fabulous life and oh so rich parents but it was their personalities that drove me crazy. They never knew how good they had it. But now its all Vamps, Weres and Witches unless its me who picked up on it after reading True Blood Book 1. I personally feel like these "Fab & Rich" books are still alive and kicking. How do you feel about books like this? Besides the supernatural books I was thinking of writing something like that but without the characters talking about Prada and YSL and constant hook-ups.
I don't know what the craze is, either. I mean... I love the books and movies of Twilight. I DON'T KNOW WHY. (Don't judge.) Now women come up and ask, "Hey. Did you read this book by so-and-so?" And I read the info and it's the exact same as Twilight. But with different characters and it's a cat instead of a vampire.
It isn't a new craze though, we seem to be back with 80s fashion and not sure how it is different to Woman of Substance, Dallas, Falcon Crest, Dynasty etc
And I'd venture to say that a lot of mass-market romance books (on the advice of a friend that reads them) also have the rich and fabulous setup for both their protagonists, too. ('She's a jet-setting photographer for a fashion magazine... he's a rich heir to a fashion magnate. Will they find love on the romantic Greek isles?') Not to mention Jackie Collins' stuff as well. As far as marketing it towards tweens/teens, I don't remember that much of a rich influence when I was a tween twenty years ago (besides the neverending Sweet Valley series--I think they're rich, but don't quote me; I never read it); I think it became more prevalent after Gossip Girls/One Tree Hill/etc. became standard teen fare five or so years ago, but that's just my outsider's take on the genre.
Sweet Valley high I did read some. They were higher middle class, if you get what I mean. I guess it was the time cause I hardly find YA books that are average even The Hills and The City glamorized life. I think Rich & Fab or Supernatural series like that would break me into the writing thing, then could I could write whatever. Its just getting on my nerves.
The people in Enid Blyton's books were hardly poor though the likes of St Clares and Malory Towers etc were centered around quite wealthy families. Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys whilst it isn't fabulous life are incredibly comfortable.
I think I read the first Gossip Girl book when I was a teen and was very turned-off by it. I never again read another of those books, or anything like it. I similarly avoided most YA books that dealt directly with vampires and werewolves. I like some supernatural YA (like the Mortal Instruments series), but it's generally not my thing. I read a lot of dystopian YA. I'd recommend reading that if you are turned off by the vamps, werewolves, and Prada. I have no interest in any of those subjects.
