Helpful Score: 8
I have read all of Sophie Kinsella's books and this was my favorite! The story is very original. There are several interesting things happening at once during the book, which made it hold my attention. I read the entire second half of the book in one sitting!
Helpful Score: 7
I could not put down this book and devoured it in under 24 hours, even with a full nights sleep. This is my first read by Sophie Kinsella, and I can't wait to discover more of her books. I constantly burst out laughing at these precious characters, and even though I had nothing in common with them, I could easily relate to their awkwardness. In fact, their kookiness is a great part of their charm. The ones in this book who appear to have it all together are NOT the hero and heroine, which I loved. In fact, there are two wonderful heroines in this book (one's a ghost), and I cannot decide which one I liked better. This book left me extremely satisfied!
Helpful Score: 7
This is the best book written by Sophie Kinsella. I didn't want the book to end. I recommend reading this. Awesome!!!!
Helpful Score: 4
I love Sophie Kinsellaand have read all of her books. I find they all start out a bit slow, just as this one did but once you're a quarter of the way through it, you can't put it down. This was a great read!
Helpful Score: 3
Reviewed for www.chicklitclub.com - If you love Chick Lit, join the club!
This follows the life of Lara Lington who is suddenly "haunted" by her great aunt Sadie. Sceptical at first, Lara eventually feels that Sadie is her guardian angel and helps Sadie find the one thing that she needs to rest in peace - her beautiful dragonfly necklace. In the process, Lara believes her great aunt was murdered, asks a handsome stranger on a date, and talks to Sadie (who no one else can see) so much that people start to think she has lost her mind - which is easy to believe as she hasn't been acting right since her break-up with her true love, Josh. Eventually, Lara discovers that someone in her family has been harbouring a secret that will ruin them and Lara, with the help of Sadie, decides to expose them and finally set things right. It is fun, feisty and an absolutely brilliant read.
This follows the life of Lara Lington who is suddenly "haunted" by her great aunt Sadie. Sceptical at first, Lara eventually feels that Sadie is her guardian angel and helps Sadie find the one thing that she needs to rest in peace - her beautiful dragonfly necklace. In the process, Lara believes her great aunt was murdered, asks a handsome stranger on a date, and talks to Sadie (who no one else can see) so much that people start to think she has lost her mind - which is easy to believe as she hasn't been acting right since her break-up with her true love, Josh. Eventually, Lara discovers that someone in her family has been harbouring a secret that will ruin them and Lara, with the help of Sadie, decides to expose them and finally set things right. It is fun, feisty and an absolutely brilliant read.
Helpful Score: 3
I love Sophie Kinsella's writings, so I decided to give this book a shot even though I am not into ghosts or anything paranormal. I was able to get over that very quickly. The book read fast! As with her Shopaholic series, the book was well written, and great descriptions given throughout. Another great one by this artist. Awesome beach read!
Helpful Score: 3
This was a really fun book to read. The story line was really a breath of fresh air - I enjoyed the concept. It's light and fun. I didn't think it was quite as funny as the reviews on the back, BUT I enjoyed reading it. It's light but also gives food for thought - do we feel young inside no matter how old we get? I think; probably so.... Read it - you'll enjoy it!!!
Helpful Score: 2
great story i was laughing at so many parts
Helpful Score: 2
I am one of the seeming few people on Earth who is not a fan of the Shopaholic series, so I almost skipped over this book. I'm glad I didn't! This is one of the best books I've read in 2009. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a fun read.
Helpful Score: 2
This is amazing fun, yet light read that makes you feel as you have lost a friend when you finish it because you are engrossed in it as you read it. Every bit as good as the Shopoholic series and I hope she writes another book with the same characters. I laughed out loud and was touched. I love this book.
Helpful Score: 1
Loved this book. Could not put it down. Sadie's character was so alive (for a ghost)just what Lara needed.
Helpful Score: 1
Yet ANOTHER great read by this author. The chemistry between the main character and her great aunt was chocked full of laugh out loud moments as well as heart-felt sorrow. Loved it!
Helpful Score: 1
What a fun read! It took a couple chapters to really get going, but it definitely had laugh out loud parts. I liked it a lot more than I expected to.
Helpful Score: 1
Great book! Fun and fast! Good feel good book. Her best book to date!
Helpful Score: 1
This book is hilarious. I have laughed out loud several times (which I NEVER do for books!). You can imagine this book as a movie while reading it and the situations are hysterical. A good pickmeup.
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book, it was so sweet. I know that sounds sappy but it was funny and warm. It was a great story about looking for something and finding yourself in the process. It was such a great book!
Helpful Score: 1
A very surprising and engaging story! Ms. Kinsella makes you love her characters even when, at first glance, you wonder if you'll be able to do so. Give it a few pages; you'll be hooked! Very unique and well done and touching story about an unusual connection between the very young and the very old.
Helpful Score: 1
I like a good, fluffy, cute Sophie Kinsella book, so I was looking forward to this one. However, I didn't have a lot of sympathy for either of the main characters. Both had some fairly annoying personality traits and I almost put it down a couple of times because I was so irritated by their selfishness and/or inability to deal with the things that happen in life. I did plow through, though...
Not one of her best, IMO, but there's much worse out there.
Not one of her best, IMO, but there's much worse out there.
Helpful Score: 1
I really liked this book. Totally different from her other books & not the same lol as the others. But, good & moving.. Well written & well done. I loved the characters & just didn't want the book to end..
Helpful Score: 1
Back in 2009, after reading a favorable review of Twenties Girl, I put it on my "to read" list and until recently didn't make it a priority. I'm so glad I finally read it! What a tremendous effort on Kinsella's part! I thoroughly enjoyed the humor conveyed by main character "Sadie". And when I say "character" I say it in all sences of the word. A comedic novel with added learning lessons about family devotion and respect. I recommend this read to anyone who wants to laugh, tear up and eager for a sequel.
Sophie Kinsella is such a great author! One of the only people who can really make me laugh out loud when reading her stories. Her descriptions of things are just so detailed, it really makes the reader feel as if they are in the book.
This story is a ghost story, a mystery, a love story and a comedy all wrapped into one great book! You will not be disappointed with this read.
This story is a ghost story, a mystery, a love story and a comedy all wrapped into one great book! You will not be disappointed with this read.
Really fun book! Easy to read; hard to put down!
This wasn't the first Sophie Kinsella book I'd read, but it was the one that I enjoyed the most. It's a little predictable, but fun just the same. It also has a surprisingly touching wrap up.
I did like that the romance aspect was sort of secondary to the main connection between the main character and the ghost of her deceased aunt -- meaning that it didn't seem as if the whole rest of the plot of the book was set up just to move the romance along.
I did like that the romance aspect was sort of secondary to the main connection between the main character and the ghost of her deceased aunt -- meaning that it didn't seem as if the whole rest of the plot of the book was set up just to move the romance along.
A fun read!
I loved this book! It was funny and uplifting to read. I totally recommend it.
Sophie is one of my favorite authors.But, the first half of twenties girl fell flat. I refused to give up on it and; like always an amazing second half was delivered. It Will proudly stand up on the shelf with he rest of her books.
Hysterical!!!
Read it quickly. Sadie is a riot!
Read it quickly. Sadie is a riot!
This is a very fun story!
This was not my favorite Kinsella novel,but I still enjoyed it. It has the same humor you expect from Sophie Kinsella. The only reason I did not give this book more stars is because the two main characters Sadie and Lara were very annoying in my opinion. I know that the characters weird quarks are what supposed to make this book funny but their quarks went way beyond cute and funny. However, they became less annoying as the story went along and everything worked itself out. I will still recommend this book especially if you liked Kinella's Shopaholic series.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was tons of fun.
I loved all of her books, and it started out really funny, but then it was not as funny as the rest of her books. Her best books are the Shopaholic ones. They are rare gems.
Fabulous! I thought that the premise was a little far-out, but it was a quick read, and very enjoyable.
I love all of Sophie Kinsella's books. I especially like her non-shopaholic series books (but the Shopaholic series is good too).
Lara Lington is the niece of a man who started a famous branch of coffee shops. Her last name is very recognizable. The book opens with her family gathered for the funeral of her great aunt Sadie. The funeral is really sad. The only people there are Lara, her parents and sister, her famous uncle and his wife and their daughter. That's it. And none of them even knew Sadie at all. And none of them want to be there. There are no flowers. Sadie suddenly appears to Lara and insists she can not be buried without her necklace. This sets off a hilarious chain or events as they try to find the necklace so Sadie can rest in peace.
Through this process Lara really gets to know the 23 year old version of her great aunt Sadie. They become great friends, have some really fun adventures together and Sadie even inadvertently helps Lara find love.
I loved it! I loved the characters. I loved the adventures. It was all great!
And now I will put in my last will and testament that I want everyone to be served a cocktail or glass of champagne upon entrance to my funeral! :)
I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
Lara Lington is the niece of a man who started a famous branch of coffee shops. Her last name is very recognizable. The book opens with her family gathered for the funeral of her great aunt Sadie. The funeral is really sad. The only people there are Lara, her parents and sister, her famous uncle and his wife and their daughter. That's it. And none of them even knew Sadie at all. And none of them want to be there. There are no flowers. Sadie suddenly appears to Lara and insists she can not be buried without her necklace. This sets off a hilarious chain or events as they try to find the necklace so Sadie can rest in peace.
Through this process Lara really gets to know the 23 year old version of her great aunt Sadie. They become great friends, have some really fun adventures together and Sadie even inadvertently helps Lara find love.
I loved it! I loved the characters. I loved the adventures. It was all great!
And now I will put in my last will and testament that I want everyone to be served a cocktail or glass of champagne upon entrance to my funeral! :)
I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
I agree that it's an interesting and entertaining book. I don't feel, however, that the 1920s mindset of the ghost character was captured accurately - unless maybe for England that was accurate and things were different in the US. Something that did irritate me is that the entire book is written in present tense, which I don't care for; it seems very affected.
I could not put down this book and devoured it in under 24 hours, even with a full nights sleep. This is my first read by Sophie Kinsella, and I can't wait to discover more of her books. I constantly burst out laughing at these precious characters, and even though I had nothing in common with them, I could easily relate to their awkwardness. In fact, their kookiness is a great part of their charm. The ones in this book who appear to have it all together are NOT the hero and heroine, which I loved. In fact, there are two wonderful heroines in this book (one's a ghost), and I cannot decide which one I liked better. This book left me extremely satisfied!
I loved this! It's easily my favorite book that Sophie Kinsella has written. The writing was funny and charming, as in all of Kinsella's books, and it was just fun to read. I was skeptical when I read the description before I started the book, but I was quickly engrossed. I thought that the story was unique and touching, and I was even tearing up by the end. Definitely recommended!
This story ended great but it isn't until the last 100 pages or so that it starts to make sense and it's all pulled together into a satisfying conclusion. It starts as a typical Sophie Kinsella novel: twenty-something woman who lies about her entire life to her parents, has a loser boyfriend, and a crappy job.
Laura's great aunt Sadie (whom no one even visited while she was in a nursing home for 20+ years) dies and her ghost starts haunting Laura. In her heart Sadie believes she is still a 23 year old lady and of course, she is stuck in her heyday of the 1920's. I found her to be bossy, irritating and unrelenting. Laura spends most of the book pining for her ex-boyfriend Josh, boy was he a loser! When Sadie nags her to death about asking some stranger out on a date, Laura finally give in and asks Ed Harrison out. However, this is Sadie's date not Laura's so it's rather interesting since no one can see her except Laura. Though people are able to hear her as she spends most of the time screaming shrilly in their ears trying to get them to do what she wants. I found most of what Sadie did to be immoral and just plain wrong.
All in all a pretty good story but it took a real long time to get to the point. The author used the word insouciant way too often. I may have to take a break from Ms. Kinsella as all her books have the same irritating TSTL heroine.
Laura's great aunt Sadie (whom no one even visited while she was in a nursing home for 20+ years) dies and her ghost starts haunting Laura. In her heart Sadie believes she is still a 23 year old lady and of course, she is stuck in her heyday of the 1920's. I found her to be bossy, irritating and unrelenting. Laura spends most of the book pining for her ex-boyfriend Josh, boy was he a loser! When Sadie nags her to death about asking some stranger out on a date, Laura finally give in and asks Ed Harrison out. However, this is Sadie's date not Laura's so it's rather interesting since no one can see her except Laura. Though people are able to hear her as she spends most of the time screaming shrilly in their ears trying to get them to do what she wants. I found most of what Sadie did to be immoral and just plain wrong.
All in all a pretty good story but it took a real long time to get to the point. The author used the word insouciant way too often. I may have to take a break from Ms. Kinsella as all her books have the same irritating TSTL heroine.
I loved it! It was delightfully different with wonderful characters and an interesting mystery that develops as the you read. The beginning was a teensy slow but please stick with it, I'm so glad I did!
Loved this as much as I do all the Sophie Kinsella novels. Good read!
I think this is one of the best books she's written. I've read about 5 or 6 so far and while The Undomestic Goddess is so far my favourite, this is certainly second.
There's a certain truthfulness to Sophie Kinsella's (Madeleine Wickham) characters. They act like real people. They have real people flaws, and quirks. I've often believed it's our flaws that make us interesting.
There's a certain truthfulness to Sophie Kinsella's (Madeleine Wickham) characters. They act like real people. They have real people flaws, and quirks. I've often believed it's our flaws that make us interesting.
This was a pretty good book. I will keep it because I did enjoy it that much. This is a humouous book that involves ghost, the great niece, a funeral and a necklace.
The only thing I did not like about this book is that there are some words and comments in the text I haven't ever herd of before. The story was based in London, and I am not from England so some terms makes me think hmmm. The way she says mum for mom drives me crazy, but outside of that it really was a fun, easy, lighthearted enjoyable book with a twist at the end.
The only thing I did not like about this book is that there are some words and comments in the text I haven't ever herd of before. The story was based in London, and I am not from England so some terms makes me think hmmm. The way she says mum for mom drives me crazy, but outside of that it really was a fun, easy, lighthearted enjoyable book with a twist at the end.
It took a little while for me to get into this book but once I did, I enjoyed it. It is a light read but very cute story.
Lara Lington has always had an overactive imagination, but suddenly that imagination seems to be in overdrive. Normal professional twenty-something young women dont get visited by ghosts. Or do they?
When the spirit of Laras great-aunt Sadiea feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dancemysteriously appears, she has one last request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadies possession for more than seventy-five years, and Sadie cannot rest without it. Lara, on the other hand, has a number of ongoing distractions. Her best friend and business partner has run off to Goa, her start-up company is floundering, and shes just been dumped by the perfect man.
Sadie, however, could care less.
When the spirit of Laras great-aunt Sadiea feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dancemysteriously appears, she has one last request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadies possession for more than seventy-five years, and Sadie cannot rest without it. Lara, on the other hand, has a number of ongoing distractions. Her best friend and business partner has run off to Goa, her start-up company is floundering, and shes just been dumped by the perfect man.
Sadie, however, could care less.
After seeing the high reviews for this author as well as this particular book, thought I'd give it a try. I was quite disappointed. I found the characters very annoying for 3/4 of the book and could retire if I had a nickel for every time the main character started a sentence with "Er...". Way overused and repetitive. This is not the author for me.
I listened to the unabridged version of the book and I loved it. The plot was interested and the voice of the narrator was great.
This was a great read. Crazy, laugh out loud at times and bring you to tears at others. The blurb doesn't really play up the book enough, focusing more on the fact that one of the leads is a ghost. But still, here's the jacket summary for you - "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?"
