Saturday, January 17, 2009

Secrets Don't Make Friends!




Can You Keep a Secret? By: Sophie Kinsella


That is a good question. Emma Corrigan is just an average girl, petty, smart, funny, but average. She has an average life, a good boyfriend, a good job, a good flat, but nothing spectacular. Until one day she gets on a plane, after having a little too much to drink, hits a little turbulence and here comes every secret of her life. Of course sitting next to her is a silent, handsome stranger that she thinks she will never see again. Boy is she wrong. The fantastic plane ride is on Friday, well on Monday the owner of the huge company that Emma works for comes for a visit to the London office. Jack Harper. Stranger no more. As she tries to keep her distance he is always there, it’s like he’s drawn to her. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens. I’m not spilling the beans.


When I think about my life and whether I can keep a secret, I rather think I’m a good secret keeper. I think my one problem is that I trust too many people. I tell things about myself and trust that they aren’t a big mouth. I am an open book, you ask me a question about myself, I’m going to tell you. I don’t see the point in secrets. I really don’t have any. Now keeping secrets about other people, it’s a vault, lock down. Most of the time…


So, back to the book, I liked it. It was a cute book about a fun character. Sophie Kinsella’s writing style is a lot like Meg Cabot or vice versa(author of the Queen of Babble series), fun, quick wit, charming. Although, when I started the book, I had to look at the cover and make sure I hadn’t picked up Bridget Jones’ Diary again. The main character’s inner monologue was exactly like Bridget’s. Then when the gut spilling episode happened I thought, OMG, this is just like Queen of Babble. Now, I didn’t do any research, but I’m going to guess that someone is copying each other. One instance is on a train and the other is on a plane, but still it is the almost exact scenario. Also, Kinsella has the “Shopaholic” series and the first three in the series are Confessions of a Shopaholic, Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, and Shopaholic ties the knot, while the Queen of Babble series is Queen of Babble, Queen of Babble in the Big City and Queen of Babble gets Hitched…. Um, Really?!?!? Someone is copying.


One other complaint I have is, wow… the F-bomb. I have never read a book with the F-word in it so much in my life. I really am ok with profanity in books if it matches the character, for instance, if there is a man that is a drug addict, beats his girlfriend, and is unemployed, when he stubs his toe, he better not say, “oh darn it” that would just be out of character. But over use gets annoying. I guess let that be a warning to a younger audience, F-Bomb will be blowing up!


Ok, so I do have one more complaint about the book. I know I am an over excited person. When I’m writing I exclaim a lot, but the over use of the exclamation mark in this book was insane. I can understand some use of it in a book, but really? Is everything being screamed in this book? I finally just ignored it, but it did get on my nerves. Settle down, breathe in, breath out.


I know it seems like I’ve only complained about the book, but it was quite cute. British humor is my kind of book. The things I really enjoyed about the book would ruin it for the audience, so please pick it up and let me know what you thought about it.


This book was loaned to me by a dear friend that reads, so if you have any suggestions, leave me a comment and let me know what should be on my list!

1 comment:

Melissa said...

i'm in a bookclub, so i'm always reading something. i have to say one of my favorites is Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. it was great! that is my suggestion.