Review: Twenties Girl

Title: Twenties Girl

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Genres: Chick Lit, Contemporary, Romance, Humor

Publication Date: July 16, 2009

Publisher: Bantam Press

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Lara Lington has always had an overactive imagination, but suddenly that imagination seems to be in overdrive. Normal professional twenty-something young women don't get visited by ghosts. Or do they?

When the spirit of Lara's great-aunt Sadie-a feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dance-mysteriously appears, she has one request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadie's possession for more than seventy-five years, because Sadie cannot rest without it.

Lara and Sadie make a hilarious sparring duo, and at first it seems as though they have nothing in common. But as the mission to find Sadie's necklace leads to intrigue and a new romance for Lara, these very different "twenties" girls learn some surprising truths from and about each other. Written with all the irrepressible charm and humor that have made Sophie Kinsella's books beloved by millions, Twenties Girl is also a deeply moving testament to the transcendent bonds of friendship and family.

I really had a hard time rating this one, since I'm not sure if I'll give it a three or a two. I guess I'll give it a 2.5?

Picking up Twenties Girl, it looked promising and the plot seems interesting. After all, while Sophie Kinsella books aren't exactly at the top of my list, I've loved every Sophie Kinsella book I've read. It started off as okay - Lara has to attend the funeral of Sadie, her great-aunt. It turns out that Lara is able to see Sadie's ghost and actually interact with her, and Sadie wants her to look for a necklace.

Sadie is nothing but demanding, feisty, whiny and gave off a different feel from the usual characters that I encounter, which was nice. However, it all went downhill from there. By less than half of the book, I found myself skipping pages and skimming through paragraphs. It was a horrible experience for me, with Lara being unable to stand up for herself and has her own stalker-ish tendencies, and Sadie being very demanding and obnoxious. While it was supposed to be a humorous read, I didn't find myself laughing or smiling at al.. It was a tiring read, and I didn't exactly like the romance either, since it felt forced. I couldn't connect with the characters at all, and I just wanted to stop reading.

I'm glad I decided to finish it, though. The ending at least, made it a lot better. While it was predictable, I enjoyed the latter half more when Sadie toned down her personality. Additionally, it was great to see Lara actually realizing the things she has been doing and subjecting herself to. It was nice to finally see her grow and make good decisions. By the end, the relationship and interactions between Lara and Sadie was great, and it was nice to see things end in a good note.

With the ending, I thought I'd bump my rating a star up, making it a three. But then, I thought of that horrible experience and feelings I had when I was reading the first half, and I just couldn't. So yes, I'm giving it a 2.5 instead. If you're okay with stories that slowly and eventually progress into a better ending, then maybe you'll enjoy Twenties Girl more than I did.

      

Madeleine Wickham (born 12 December 1969) is a bestselling British author under her pseudonym, Sophie Kinsella. Educated at New College, Oxford, she worked as a financial journalist before turning to fiction. She is best known for writing a popular series of chick-lit novels. The Shopaholic novels series focuses on the misadventures of Becky Bloomwood, a financial journalist who cannot manage her own finances. The books follows her life from when her credit card debt first become overwhelming ("The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic") to the latest book on being married and having a child ("Shopaholic & Baby"). Throughout the entire series, her obsession with shopping and the complications that imparts on her life are central themes.