Sunday, June 23, 2024

Book Review: 'Confessions of a Shopaholic' by Sophie Kinsella

Rebecca Bloomwood loves shopping. To her, there is nothing quite like the atmosphere of a shop, inviting her to buy new things, especially clothes. Unfortunately for her, her lavish lifestyle is more than she can afford with her low-paying, dull job as a financial writer, which she is hopeless at. As a result, she must confront several intimidating letters from the bank. How better to deal with this stress than with some more retail therapy? To make ends meet, Rebecca attempts to cut back on costs, and even to make more money. After several failed attempts to manage her finances, the situation turns dire. However, Rebecca finally finds a story she is interested in. Could this change everything for her? 

The story is written in a light, flowing style which is easy to read. It is impossible not to laugh at Rebecca’s extreme lack of restraint while buying things, the descriptions of her massive shopping hauls and the sticky situations she lands up in as she tries to get additional jobs. She makes excuses to buy more and to justify her purchases. She also believes that shopping with discounts is equivalent to saving money, even if she does not actually need what she is buying.  

While this is comical, at the same time, Rebecca’s spendthrift behaviour and its repercussions can serve as a warning especially for younger readers (specifically teens), who are yet to start managing their own finances. When sent letters about her large overdrafts, Rebecca finds ways to dispose of the letters without opening them. Burying one’s head in the sand will eventually cause the situation to worsen. Moreover, even when she is trying to spend less money, she inadvertently makes many purchases without being aware of how much she is spending and ends up with large expenditures at the end of the day. 

The character development is commendable. Becky Bloomwood makes for a very convincing and endearing main character. While she does exhibit irresponsible behaviour and takes some people for granted, she realises her mistakes and tries to fix them. She genuinely cares for her roommate Suze, and when Suze is successful at something, for a second, Rebecca feels jealous, but immediately reprimands herself for that. As a result, readers find themselves rooting for her and desperately wanting her to succeed. It is not that she is bad at everything she does, but that she has not found something she is truly passionate about. But when she does, the transformation in her is delightful. 

The writer builds up the problem long enough before solving it to create a compelling story. Overall, it is a hilarious read that conveys a subtle message without being preachy and I would recommend it to any girl above the age of sixteen! 



Book Review: 'Digital Fortress' by Dan Brown

Susan Fletcher is a brilliant cryptographer at the NSA, a top American intelligence force. According to her, no code is unbreakable. But one day, the NSA’s supposedly infallible supercomputer, the TRANSLTR, is faced with a code it cannot crack. If truly indecipherable, it could bring the NSA and hence national security to its knees. As Susan races against time to trace one of the two existing copies of the passkey to the code, the man she loves, David, undergoes a perilous journey to find the other. 


The book is packed with action, and the author paints a perfect picture of urgency with his words, keeping readers biting their nails and turning pages rapidly. At the same time, descriptions are abundant in the book, however they do not drag; rather, they help eliminate ambiguity. Elements of cryptography are explained without overcomplicating, leaving the reader wanting to learn more. The plot is intricate and well planned. It is evident that the author has wholeheartedly done his research. Plot twists, when they happen, are completely unpredictable and yet reasonable.


Each character has a well-defined set of personal values, and the characters’ actions are congruent to their personalities. Through the characters, we are reminded that good and bad are not mutually exclusive. The characters are otherwise unremarkable and do not particularly stand out. It also appears that Dan Brown has a compulsive need to add a beautiful, intelligent woman to every single book of his. Nevertheless, this can be understood as an attempt to attract a wider range of readers and therefore forgiven. 


The writing style is intelligent yet easy to read. A few writing tics or repetitive phrases can be observed, such as “Susan was lost” or “muted scream.” 


The suspense always keeps readers guessing, however the end does drag a little. The final clue had some very obvious hints which the characters took needlessly long to decipher. A reader who has some knowledge of themes related to the final clue may be able to solve it before the characters do. This was the case for me, and it was infuriating to watch the characters take forever to reach the conclusion. 


That having been said, Digital Fortress is very fast paced and the epitome of a thriller. I was tempted to read it in a single sitting and would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a good page-turner! 






Book Review: 'The Mirror Man' by Lars Kepler

Jenny Lind, a high schooler, is kidnapped when she is walking home from school. Initially, the public is very helpful with tips to help find...