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James's review

Shopaholic and Sister
by Sophie Kinsella

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9417.Shopaholic_and_Sister?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Shopaholic and Sister" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165966997m/9417.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9417.Shopaholic_and_Sister?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Shopaholic and Sister</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6160.Sophie_Kinsella">Sophie Kinsella</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4277752?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 2 of 5 stars I have a confession: I like chick lit. I like the kind that's sassy but empowering, and I like the kind that's trashy and playful.
 
 This, on the other hand, was pure awfulness. That trees died to produce this monstrosity, I think, is a shameful indictment of our species.*
 
 It wasn't sassy. It wasn't empowering. It wasn't playful. It was trashy, but not in a good way, and certainly not enough to redeem it. It was mostly annoying, with a shallow, whiny character who only managed to inspire disgust. Not disgust with her - the author couldn't even make me care that much - but with myself for bothering to finish the book.
 
 There was one brief exchange between characters that I found amusing:
 
 "Do you like... films?" [The main character:] ask[s:] at last.
 "Some," replies [the main character's long-lost half-sister:], frowning thoughtfully. "I like films that say something. That have some sort of message."
 "Me too," [the main character:] agree[s:] fervently. Every film should definitely have a message."
 Which is true. I mean... take the Lord of the Rings movies-they've got loads of messages. Like "Don't lose your ring."
 
 The plot is too tiresome for me to summarize it for you, but I'm sure you can find it on Amazon.
 
 *In the interest of full disclosure, I got a nasty sunburn while reading this book, which may have contributed to my bad feelings toward it.
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/140202?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

James's review
rating:
bookshelves: cantrecommend
recommended for: Lepers and troglodytes. Maybe.

I have a confession: I like chick lit. I like the kind that's sassy but empowering, and I like the kind that's trashy and playful.

This, on the other hand, was pure awfulness. That trees died to produce this monstrosity, I think, is a shameful indictment of our species.*

It wasn't sassy. It wasn't empowering. It wasn't playful. It was trashy, but not in a good way, and certainly not enough to redeem it. It was mostly annoying, with a shallow, whiny character who only managed to inspire disgust. Not disgust with her - the author couldn't even make me care that much - but with myself for bothering to finish the book.

There was one brief exchange between characters that I found amusing:

"Do you like... films?" [The main character:] ask[s:] at last.
"Some," replies [the main character's long-lost half-sister:], frowning thoughtfully. "I like films that say something. That have some sort of message."
"Me too," [the ...more

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message 1: by megan

08/10/2007 12:56PM

Why not give it one star? You're too nice, James. That's why you're going to be a crappy lawyer. That is, if you passed the bar.

I give this comment 5 stars.