There’s an essay by Naomi Wolf on YA Novels in the New York Times Book Review. She looks at series like Gossip Girl, A-List and the Clique. Of the series mentioned I think I’ve only read the first volume of Gossip Girl, and that was because the publisher was handing it out at an ALA conference with an inspired marketing campaign that included Gossip Girl lip gloss. It made me think that more advanced reader’s editions should have complementary makeup attached.
I thought Gossip Girl was entertaining, and I could understand why it would appeal to teens, but I’m not sure if the series are as damaging as Wolf thinks. I probably have a much higher tolerance for fluff than some readers.

Updated to add that I should have known that some of the kids lit bloggers would be commenting on the article. Hop on over to Chicken Spagetti for linky goodness with a round-up of blog posts.