spacecat108 's review for:

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

1.0

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Although "Shopaholic" was in some ways charming and funny, for the most part I found it formulaic and trite. The plot was full of cliches about a ditzy girl who makes good despite all her pitfalls, and Darcyish figures who turn out to be the real deal in the end. I felt like it was a rip-off of "Bridget Jones" in a big way; but where Helen Fielding's falling apart heroine makes me feel better, Becky makes me feel worse. Her problems are solved through the most boring deus-ex-machina possible, leaving those of us with spending problems and debt with an unrealistic MMM solution (Make More Money for those of you who haven't read the book). Like I'm supposed to suddenly land a job in TV? The letters concerning Becky's debt sprinkled through were admittedly cute, but it didn't erase the knot I felt throughout my entire reading. This book made me want to stop reading and take back that pair of shoes. I suppose that's a positive thing, but shouldn't I have wanted to finish the book before returning the shoes? I recommend this book to women with not much time on their hands, not much interest in literature, and a high tolerance for sympathetic discomfort. But for even slightly more serious readers I would not really suggest it.