Twenties Girl: A Novel (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Exclusive: Sophie Kinsella on Twenties Girl

Sophie Kinsella is a former financial journalist and the author of the best-selling novels Confessions of a Shopaholic, Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, Shopaholic Ties the Knot, Shopaholic & Sister, Shopaholic & Baby, Can You Keep a Secret?, The Undomestic Goddess, and Remember Me?. She lives in England, where she is at work on her next book.

Writing Twenties Girl was like going on my own magical mystery tour. My U.S. editor Susan Kamil had once said casually, "You should write a ghost story one day." This comment stayed with me for years. I loved the idea, but didn't know who my ghost could be. I've always loved the glamour and spirit of the 1920s, and the idea came to me of a flapper ghost. A feisty, fun, glamorous girl who adored to dance and drink cocktails and get her own way. I wanted her to be a determined character who would blast into the life of someone with no warning and cause havoc. I then decided she should haunt a thoroughly modern girl, with all the culture clashes and comedy that would bring.

Having come up with this idea I loved it, so it then remained to plunge myself into 1920s research, which was no hardship at all, as I find the era fascinating. I researched vintage make-up, vintage dresses, read fiction from the period, investigated 1920s slang, and tried to channel as much I could of those feisty flappers who cut their hair short (shock!), smoked cigarettes in public (shock!), had sex (shock!) and generally rebelled in all the outrageous ways they could.

The book isn't a period piece though. It's a modern story about two girls and their sparky friendship, right here in the 21st century. One of them just happens to be a ghost from the 1920s. It's a quest, a romance, and a coming of age... and above all a comedy. It's no exaggeration to say that writing the character of Sadie made me look at life differently, and I hope some readers feel the same way. —Sophie Kinsella

From Publishers Weekly

Think Topper, that impossibly sophisticated and goofy 1937 ghost tale of blithe spirits bugging the only living soul who can hear them. Kinsella creates an equally vexing and endearing shade, Sadie, a wild-at-heart flapper with unfinished earthly business who badgers 27-year-old great-niece Lara into doing her bidding. Predictable mayhem and the most delicious and delightful romp a ghost and girl-at-loose-ends could ever have in 21st century London ensue. Sadie discovers just how loved she really is, and Lara channels her inner '20s girl to discover the difference between wanting to be in love and finding love. Kinsella, a master of comic pacing and feminine wit (see: the wildly successful Shopaholic series), casts a bigger net with this piece of fun and fluff, weaving family dynamics and an old-fashioned mystery into the familiar chick lit romance. And there's a sweet nod to old folks (All that white hair and wrinkled skin is just cladding.... They were all young, with love affairs and friends and parties and an endless life ahead of them). It's a breath of crackling fresh air that may well keep readers warm right through winter. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: The Dial Press; First Edition first Printing edition (July 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385342020
• ISBN-13: 978-0385342025
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (118 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,452 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #2 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > British > Contemporary
  #71 in	Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun, light breeze, September 22, 2009

By	Allyson Yagi - See all my reviews

Sophie Kinsella is well-known for her easy-to-read-breezes and hilarity throughout the novel -- this exactly what is brought to the table in her new novel Twenties Girl. Lara plays a very familiar role for those familiar with -- Sophie Kinsella novels -- Lara is sincere, resourceful, and a bit naive. The plot is rather far-fetched and a atd silly at times, but we've come to expect that from Ms. Kinsella...and that is what we're fans of - a light-hearted, smooth flowing story, that is fun to read.

Lara and Sadie (the ghost of her aunt) make a great odd couple and compliment each other well. When Lara comes across a hurdle, Sadie is there to add to her difficulties. While this set-up is a perfect setting for humor, they story is more about values, family, friends, honesty, and trust. But what Sophie Kinsella novel would be complete without romance? Well, Ed, fills that role...and with his kind and caring nature, the romance adds to the pleasantry of the novel. In short, Twenties Girl is a fun, light breeze, that all fans Sophie Kinsella will absolutely love. And for those new to the author, I would compare it to JoAnna Wylde's novel: Price of Freedom (highly recommend) if you haven't read it yet.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Could Have Been Better, August 25, 2009

By	A Reader (USA) - See all my reviews

I was rather disappointed in this book. The story had possibilities--a young woman from Roaring 20s, who ultimately lived to be 105, comes back as a ghost at her funeral looking for her favorite necklace. However, I don't think the author quite pulls it off. Parts of the story are downright silly and had me rolling my eyes: Sadie screaming in people's ears, Lara walking all over London looking like she's talking/yelling at herself, etc. Nonetheless, I'm giving "Twenties Girl" 3 stars because I really liked Sadie, the ghost. She's the most richly drawn character. Sadie wasn't a saint--far from it!--but she changes Lara's life and helps her become a better person. As someone who has spent time volunteering with the elderly, I know that we all tend to forget that old people were once young too. So I loved the overall message of the book--that inside, despite what the mirror may tell us, we all feel like we're still in our 20s. And that Sadie, who thought she had wasted her long life and died a forgotten old lady, really had made a difference in this world. I also thought that Lara's send-off to Sadie at the end was quite moving... I don't know if she was watching, but I think Sadie would have approved.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars OK Read, August 26, 2009

By	Cat (Upstate NY) - See all my reviews

"Twenties Girl"premise was interesting, creating a ghost as a second main character is a different idea. However, I felt the story dragged and there were moments where there was no clear direction as to where the story was going. I also felt the ending was anti-climatic. Not one of my favorite Kinsella books.