"OK. DON'T PANIC. Don't panic. It's only a VISA bill. It's a piece
of paper; a few numbers. I mean, just how scary can a few numbers
be?" I've been here before (in fact I've just found myself here
again), I'm sure you've been here before, perhaps all of the
western world has been in the shoes of Rebecca "Becky" Bloomwood,
except maybe your shoes were not Jimmy Choo's. This novel was
recommended to me by my friend aka "all I ever read is chick lit
material" and after I gave in with The Devil Wears Prada (which was
also her suggestion) I was hesitant to start this book which also
looked quite shallow, but instead what I found was a great read and
confidence in my friend's suggestions once again.
The novel starts off with a series of collection notices, which
introduces the main character; it's a smart way to introduce a
novel and to introduce us to the utterly charming Rebecca
Bloomwood. We know that she's flawed and in major debt and has a
serious shopping problem, without even meeting the main character.
Becky at the age of 25 has found herself in major debt with
overdrafts, credit cards and store credits all building up to
catastrophe. Ironically, Becky works full time as a financial
journalist. She lives in a swanky flat in London with her socialite
best-friend, Suze, and she's often late with the rent. Her spending
habits are outrageous; this is a girl who spends £1000 in shoes
alone. The main characters are all flawed in some way except for
the perfect, dashing, (predictable) Luke Brandon, owner of Brandon
Communications, whom Becky meets while trying to buy a scarf for
£125 and embarrassing herself when she finds out that all of her
credit cards are maxed and she has only £100 in cash thus borrowing
money from Luke. Throughout the novel we see her spiral into deeper
debt and battle with her addiction to shopping.
This novel strikes a cord in my heart for I feel at times I am
Becky Bloomwood myself. Spending dollars I don't have on pens and
pretty notepaper, books and hats and especially CLOTHES. The main
character is easy to relate to and you almost feel guilty for
enjoying her debt and the fact that she's not as perfect as she
seems. Her logic is lacking but her closet definitely isn't; I
often found myself envious of this fictional character and her
ability to hold her head up high while she asks for more money on
her overdraft while battling with Luke Brandon on TV, not to
mention her massive closet.
The novel is what it is and doesn't shy away from that or try to
discourage you from the fact that this is a novel about shopping.
You know what the plot line is about from the title alone. It's
realistic, witty and charming and just good fun. The narration is
okay, the tone light-hearted, the language: adequate, but Kinsella
never wished to win a Booker Prize for this novel, it's supposed to
be a fun read and fun it was indeed. So go ahead and pick up a copy
of this book and don't be afraid to "Charge it" after all that's
what Becky would do!
P.S.: there are like 5 books to this series… doesn't Kinsella get
tired of writing? She's the next Danielle Steel or Nora Roberts
(both of which I can't stand by the way).