Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Sophie Kinsella is renowned for her creation of Rebecca Bloomwood in the Shopaholic series, so seeing her newest novel, Twenties Girl, was a pleasant surprise for me. In brief it is about a twenty-something woman named Lara Lington who is forced to go to her great-aunt Sadie’s funeral, who she had never had the time or interest to meet. So it comes as a shock when during the ceremony, Lara comes face to face with Sadie, but not as the 105-year-old-who-should-be-dead Sadie, but the 23-year-old-feisty-spirited-ghost Sadie (who admittedly, should still be dead). Furthermore, Sadie is convinced Lara is the only person who can help her reclaim her precious dragonfly necklace, the single most treasured item from her life that she can’t rest without. And Lara’s reaction? She’s going mad. But soon a peculiar friendship sparks between them, and Lara sees that having a ghost around can have its up sides too, especially where her ex-boyfriend is concerned.
Personally, Twenties Girl isn’t as exciting as Kinsella’s previous novels, for I felt it became annoyingly predictable towards the last third of the book. Nevertheless, I can’t help but be amazed at the concepts drawn from the plot, and regardless of the ending, it’s still a story I would read again, just for the pleasure of it. Kinsella’s humour is weaved in effortlessly throughout, and the characters are easy to relate to. For those unfamiliar with Kinsella’s work, the book would probably be a delight, and I think as a standalone novel, it’s one to consider if you like romantic comedies. Imagine snuggling up in your duvet with a mug of hot chocolate and a good paperback- this would be it (unless, of course, you’re a boy, in which case, maybe a Stephen King or Michael Grant is more to your liking).
