Audiobook Review: Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

Twenties Girl
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Published: July 21, 2009
Genre: chick lit
Audiobook
Source: borrowed from the library


My Rating: 4 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads):  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? When the spirit of Lara’s great-aunt Sadie–a feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dance–mysteriously appears, she has one last request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadie’s 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 she’s just been dumped by the “perfect” man. Sadie, however, could care less. Lara and Sadie make a hilarious sparring duo, and at first it seems as though they have nothing in common. But as the mission to find Sadie’s necklace leads to intrigue and a new romance for Lara, these very different “twenties” girls learn some surprising truths from each other along the way. Written with all the irrepressible charm and humor that have made Sophie Kinsella’s books beloved by millions, Twenties Girl is also a deeply moving testament to the transcendent bonds of friendship and family.


My Thoughts: I listened to Confessions of a Shopaholic about a month ago and enjoyed it. I hadn't read anything by Sophie Kinsella before and was unsure if I wanted to read this series or not. So, I decided to try another of Kinsella's works, but not from the Shopaholic series. I was a bit skeptical as I was reading the description, but about five minutes into listening to this book, I was hooked! The plot is fantastic, the characters engaging and charming, and the growth in Lara is something that is rare to find in a chick lit novel.


I loved the relationship that Sadie and Lara had. It was just like a relationship between sisters, the way they would argue and bicker with one another and then be happy and content with one another the next. Even though Sadie is a ghost, you could see that each girl was learning from the other one. Sadie was teaching Lara how to let loose, not be so focused on work, to just have fun and not try to seek out the person she believes to be "the perfect man." Lara taught Sadie about modern women, about business and how important it is to make your way in the world. It was wonderful seeing these two characters grow with one another.


Another thing that I absolutely loved was the growth in Lara. In most chick lit novels, the girl ends up with the man. I won't give anything away here, but Lara realizes so much about herself that the relationships with men almost take a back seat in this novel. You are able to see Lara grow from an insecure, unsure young professional to a woman who is confident in herself and where she is headed in life. I loved that Kinsella gave Lara depth instead of just writing another bland main character that is so often found in chick lit.


After listening to this book, I plan on listening to all of Kinsella's books. They are engaging, the narrators have the perfect tone, and they make me want to sit in my car and listen to the story all day, instead of going into work (although I would probably sit in my car for anything to avoid going into work, haha). If you haven't read any of Kinsella's works or are looking for something fun to listen to, then you should definitely add Sophie Kinsella to your TBR list!