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!
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