The It Girl is a spin-off of the Gossip Girl novels created by Cecily von Ziegesar, revolving around the life of 15-year-old Gossip Girl character Jenny Humphrey as she begins her sophomore year at the boarding school Waverly Academy after being expelled from Constance Billiard's School for Girls. At Waverly, Jenny is determined to reinvent herself as a popular It girl and quickly becomes part of the Waverly elite when she is assigned to room with popular girls Callie Vernon, Brett Messerschmidt, and later, Tinsley Carmichael.
Throughout the school year, the characters hook up, break up, and make up amidst exams, parties, and various bouts of drama.
The series consists of ten books, spanning from the beginning of the school year and ending on Valentine Day's of the subsequent semester.
This series contains examples of:
- Alpha Bitch: Tinsley Carmichael is considered to be the most popular girl at Waverly and is known to be bitchy and mean, especially to those she considers beneath her.
- Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: Brett's secret in the first books is that her parents are not respectable New Jersey upper crust but rather tacky nouveau riche, with her father being a plastic surgeon who loves to brag about his clients and her mother loving to decorate their home with tacky animal fabrics.
- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Callie as the (strawberry) blonde, Tinsley (and later, Jenny) as the brunette, and Brett as the redhead.
- Boarding School: The series takes place at Waverly Academy, an elite boarding school in upstate New York.
- Camp Straight: Brandon Buchanan is frequently teased throughout the series for being sensitive, extremely well-groomed, and well-versed in designer clothing.
- D-Cup Distress: Jenny Humphrey is extremely insecure about her large breasts and tries to make them look as small as possible.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Tinsley tones down her deviousness after she falls for Julian Mc Caffrey and tries to become a kinder person for his sake.
- Extremely Short Timespan: The ten books only take place over a single semester and a half in the school year.
- Fiery Redhead: Brett Messerschmidt has a short temper and tends to be rather impulsive.
- Girl Posse: Tinsley, Callie, and Brett were one before Tinsley's temporary expulsion.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Multiple characters have deep-seated jealousy issues. Brandon still holds a grudge against Easy Walsh for stealing Callie Vernon away from him. Callie becomes insecure when Easy shows interest in Jenny and Tinsley is deeply jealous of anyone who shows interest in Julian.
- In Touch with His Feminine Side: Easy Walsh is a sensitive, talented artist and Brandon is a carefully coiffed WASP who is well-versed in fashion.
- Kavorka Man: Heath Ferro is known as a womanizer around the school. He's nicknamed "Pony" because "everyone's taken a ride".
- Karma Houdini: Tinsley Carmichael burns down a barn after seeing Julian and Jenny together, and she tries to put the blame on Jenny, who almost gets expelled. She never suffers any consequences for this.
- Manipulative Bitch: Tinsley loves scheming and is unafraid to use blackmail or manipulation to get what she wants. This gets most exemplified in Lucky where she tries to get Jenny expelled for the barn fire she started because she was jealous of Jenny taking her spot as the It Girl on campus. She later meets her match in new student Isla Dresden, who uses her position as the daughter of the dean to get her way.
- Nature Abhors a Virgin: Heath teases Tinsley with virgin-related gifts as her Secret Santa.
- Official Couple: Callie and Easy Walsh are on and off throughout the series but unarguably remain the primary couple.
- Odd Friendship: Brandon Buchanan and Heath Ferro couldn't be more opposite of each other and after Heath gets dumped by Kara, the two finally become friends.
- Rich Bitch: Many at Waverly Academy qualify, but namely Tinsley and Callie who are catty and dismissive especially to those they consider beneath them.
- Remember the New Guy?: Kara Whalen is introduced in Reckless as a Waverly student who took a leave of absence after being bullied.
- Their First Time: Callie and Easy have their first time together in a barn during an outdoor screening.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Sweet Brandon Buchanan and womanizer Heath Ferro are roommates and eventually good friends.
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Technology Marches On: At the series' publication, smartphones had yet to be released or popularized and characters use cellphone brands such as Nokia and Treo which are now discontinued. Additionally, students frequently use the school's instant-messaging platform instead of texting each other. - Teacher/Student Romance: Brett hooks up with Eric Dalton, a young teacher. When Tinsley hears of their affair, she steals Eric away from Brett.
- The Beautiful Elite: Everyone at Waverly Academy qualifies—students come from old money, famous parentages, or are nouveau riche.
- Unexpected Virgin: Everyone is shocked to find out Tinsley Carmichael is a virgin during a a game of Never Have I Ever game, as she frequently implies that she has had sex with her many hookups.
- Unrequited Love Lasts Forever: Brandon spends virtually the entire series being hopelessly in love with Callie Vernon and although he dates other girls throughout the series, he comes running back to Callie when she asks to take him back.
- Virgin-Shaming: Heath Ferro sends Tinsley Carmichael virgin-related gifts to tease her about her virginity as her Secret Santa.
