Review: Twenties Girl (Audiobook)

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Genre: Chick-Lit, Ghosts, Paranormal
Length: 15 hours and 5 minutes
Source: eLibrary
Narrator: Rosalyn Landor
Author's website | Facebook
Buy it: Amazon | Kindle | Audiobook | B&N | Book Depo

Description:

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 request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadie’s possession for more than seventy-five years, because Sadie cannot rest without it. 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 and about each other. 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 Rating

My Review:

Oh my gosh where do I begin?!  Lara Linton has a lot going on in her life right now.  She's starting a brand new business with a friend who took an extended vacation before showing Lara the ropes.  Lara is coming out a break-up where she finds herself wondering what went wrong and tries to fake indifference at the same time.  On top of those very real and very stressful problems, her great-aunt Sadie has returned in her young fun-loving twenty-five year-old form wanting Lara to find a beloved necklace.  Of course, Lara is the only one who can see her.  So now Lara must keep her business together, try to get back together with her her ex-boyfriend, and entertain a fun-loving and sometimes annoying ghost all at the same time.  Sadie further complicates things by wanting to do live through Lara's life.  Surely anyone would go a little insane trying to balance it all.

On the story...

This story is so cute.  When I chose this audiobook, I had no idea what a fun story this would be.  Lara is a somewhat quirky character who finds herself in the most amazing scrapes.  I loved that she persevered despite being in the most embarrassing predicaments that I could ever imagine.  While she doesn't escape unscathed, I found her loyalty to Sadie to be endearing and heartwarming.  Like Lara, I found myself quite annoyed with Sadie and her antics but by the end, I was just as attached to the snooty little ghost.  This is a book where you just sit back and enjoy yourself.  You will laugh and cry and laugh again.  Everything is not wrapped in a pretty little bow at the end, but we get a pretty satisfying ending.  There is a little bit for everyone.  We have a mystery, paranormal elements, romance, and historical fun.  

On the narrator...

I loved Ms. Landor.  While this isn't my first audiobook by her, it was my most enjoyable.  There are so many characters in this novel but she manages to make them all distinct.  Her voice is easy to listen and sh handles the accents quite well.  After finishing this book, I went looking for more books narrated by her.  She does a remarkable job.

Overall, this is the best audiobook experience I have had to date.  I recommend this book in both book and audio form.  However, I think the audio form might be preferable.  Read this if you enjoy books about friendships (and train wrecks).

I really think this is my first Sophie Kinsella experience (don't laugh at me) and I really enjoyed it.  Have you read her before?  If so what are your thoughts?  Which books are your favorites?

This read also satisfies the eclectic reader challenge.