Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Random House Audio (Nov 2009)
Audiobook: 14h & 32m
Paranormal Romance
I’m not really a huge fan of the ‘chick-lit’ genre. Having fallen out of love with the ‘my life is a disaster, I wear giant pants and have an awful love-life’ theme. I did however, used to really love them. And while I no longer read them, Sophie Kinsella has always been an exception to this rule. Because her books are just so immensely funny. Twenties Girl has an added bonus for me, in that it also has a supernatural twist.
The book itself didn’t get off to a great start. It was slow going and took me a while to get into it. Lara, our heroine also looked to have all the facets that I find irritating. She’s lying, she’s crying over her ex, her job is a disaster, and then when the lying extends to a ridiculous situation with the police I started to cringe.
But, I hadn’t yet prepared myself for the effect of Lara’s 105 year old, great aunt Sadie. We first meet Sadie at her funeral. She returns in ghost form on the hunt for a beloved, missing necklace. Much to Lara’s dismay, who seems to be the only one that can see her. But she doesn’t return as a wrinkled, 105 year old woman. Oh no, she returns as a 23 year old, in all her twenties, flapper girl finest. And this is where the book takes off.
The banter between Lara and Sadie is absolutely hilarious. Quite frankly, Sadie is outrageous, from her ability to force people to do anything she wants them to, to her wild demands and whirlwind impact on Lara’s life. One scene where she gets Lara to go on a date wearing exactly what she wants, in full twenties costume, and repeating everything she says, is so funny I descended into full on, loud, belly-laughs.
I did struggle with Lara at times, but she had very much grown on me by the end of the novel. The plot with her ex-boyfriend however, was very irritating and needed wrapping up much more quickly than it did, and elicited more than a few sighs of frustration from me. But the eventual love story was delicious and well worth the wait.
I think that listening to this book as an audiobook enhanced my enjoyment of the story. The narrator really ‘got’ Sadie and the accent and intonation she created for her seemed to make things so much funnier.
The end of the book also delivers are rather lovely and unexpected mystery, which I really enjoyed. I knew the missing necklace would have some greater importance, but I would have no way guessed what. The setting was in London, which is always nice for me to sink into, as a woman who reads genres that are written by mainly American writers, I do love a fabulous British backdrop. The ending was just lovely… funny, romantic and heart warming all at once.
VERDICT:
While Twenties Girl does have a bit of a poor beginning, I would urge you to bear with it, it’s a hugely entertaining, laugh-out-loud, romantic comedy with a ghostly sidekick. Or perhaps a ghostly heroine, depending on how you want to look at it. Kinsella knows how to write comedy, and write it really well. The only books of hers I haven’t picked up are her Shopaholic books, and I’m thinking I really must as I love all of her other novels. This is a great, light, funny read I would definitely recommend.
RATING: 
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17 Comments
I loved Sadie in this book. She was a real hoot. I agree the bit with the date was so funny. I have to admit that I did fall out of love with her shopaholic series. I much prefer her one shot books.
If you haven’t caught it yet, I have to recommend “Remember Me?” Loved that one too
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Oh yes, I’ve read REMEMBER ME that one was funny too! I’ve read all of her stand-alones now except her new one. She’s a very good writer
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Well now there’s an aspect I hadn’t heard mention of before. Supernatural twist? Curious. May have to check it out….thanks for sharing!
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You’re welcome. I hope you like it.
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I read Twenties Girl a long while back, and have an even different cover than those two.
Here is my review if you care to visit; http://fredasvoice.blogspot.ca.....sella.html
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It loos like you enjoyed the relationship between Sadie and Lara as much as I did. It’s a great books isn’t it
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I loved this book!
I agree with you on chick lit and I’m actually in the same boat: there’s a few authors who are an exception to this rule.
Great review!
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Thank you Vicky
Yes, not sure why I’ve just fallen out of love with chick-lit, but Kinsella is most definitely an exception to this rule.
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I love Sophie Kinsella! I have this one and her latest, I’ve Got Your Number, to read. This does sound just like my kind of read, especially as it has a paranormal element. Will have to read it soon.
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I still have to read “I’ve got Your Number” too! These books are nice breaks from the PNR/UF/F books I usually read.
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You will love it Carolyn, I know you will!
I’ve just added I’VE GOT YOUR NUMBER TO MY WISHLIST
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This was actually the first Sophie Kinsella book I’ve ever read. And I thought it was great! You’re right in that it has a slow beginning, but oh my, I laughed and laughed the rest of the way through it. I couldn’t believe what all Lara does for Sadie. I liked it so well, I had to get my own copy after renewing at the library too many times.
Great review!
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The first Kinsella I read was CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET which is absolutely hilarious too! I laughed so many times in this book, Sadie really is outrageous. And why Lara went along with some of it, particularly the way she asked Ed out on a date? But it makes for a cracking read.
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I am so glad to see this book reviewed! I absolutely enjoyed it, when I read it!
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It’s a great book isn’t it
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I loved Twenties Girl! It’s hilarious and sweet and a little sad, I admit crying at the end. I think it’s the best of Sophie’s books to date, and I’ve read all of her stand alone novels and some of the Shopaholic books. My favorites besides this one are Domestic Goddess and Remember Me?
And I didn’t really like the Shopaholic series because I can’t stand the main character who is just a shallow and stupid person. She’s just so unlike me, that the books had me groaning and rolling my eyes all the time:) Still the books are fun, so if you’ve already read everything else by Sophie Kinsella, you might try them.
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Oh yes the ending is sad isn’t it, but done so nicely. REMEMBER ME is good and DOMESTIC GODDES too, but I completely love CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET, so funny. It sounds like I may not like the main character of the Shopaholic series too, I wasn’t keen on the film, but that often is not a good judge! I may try the first and see
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