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When I saw in the last Issue of Glamour that Sophie Kinsella had brought out a new novel, I just knew I had to get onto Amazon immediately. I’m always a little bit apprehensive when she brings out a new book that does not involve one of my favourite modern literary characters, Becky Bloomwood; however, so far with Kinsella’s non-Shopaholic novels, I’ve had positive experiences, and I can honestly say that this latest offering is no exception.
In brief, Twenties Girl is about a young woman called Lara who is, in effect, hopeless in love. One day, she is visited by the 25 year old ghost of her Great Aunt Sadie who haunts her continually and pretty much forces her into helping her search for a missing necklace, along with other challenges along the way, including a love interest.
Despite the fact that Lara has her own problems such as attempting to run a company she knows nothing about and trying to make her ex boyfriend fall in love with her again, Sadie haunts her mercilessly, and over the course of the book, she literally turns Lara’s life upside down. She gradually changes her from an unadventurous hopeless case, into a strong, confidennt woman, by making her carry out strange, sometimes utterly crazy tasks on her behalf; so crazy that you’ll be so torn between physically cringing in embarassment or laughing, you just end up doing both.
One thing that brings this book alive is the strength of the main characters: Lara is unrealistic and a pushover, while Sadie is cynical, forceful, selfish and at times, downright rude; yet Kinsella somehow makes both their characteristics endearing, and you find yourself wanting to unpeel their many layers, and willing them on throughout the book. Even though one minute you’ll want to slap them both, on the very next page you’ll want to be their best friend, and this reflects the complex, rollecoaster relationship between the two girls. As they start to develop a mutual understanding of each other, we the readers also start to understand them and even emphasise with them, even when Sadie is being “mean”!
This is no ordinary chick lit, nor is it just another ghost story, and that’s what makes it work so well. It’s a ghost story, love story and mystery novel and everything else in between; I would describe it as a modern day love story with such a huge twist, it’s practically a ride at Blackpool. Kinsella once again keeps us hooked on every single page by mixing the laugh-out-loud humour found in her other novels with a gripping story line that keeps you guessing on every page. The journey that you take with Lara and Sadie is so intriguing and unpredictable that it’s impossible to not finish this book in one sitting.
It’s not Shopaholic, or even Can You Keep a Secret but Twenties Girl has not disappointed; this novel just emphasises the beauty of Sophie Kinsella which is that every one of her stand alones is different and you just can’t wait to see what she’ll come up with next.
Andi
