Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella - Review

Mini Shopaholic
Sophie Kinsella
Bantam Press/Random House UK
September 2010

Mini Shopaholic opens with letters from Minnie's playgroup, including one telling Rebecca that there won't be any dress up clothes for adults.  We then move into our very first Minnie vs. Rebecca showdown where she's trying to convince herself that Minnie is NOT difficult and can't have everything she wants.  Rebecca institutes "pocket money" for two-year old Minnie and precedes to give Minnie "advances" so she can learn the value of budgeting.  HA!  Minnie's behavior is so out of control that she gets ousted from her fourth Santa's wonderland type place and they decide to call in "Nanny Sue" the equivalent to our Super Nanny.

In the meantime, The Bank of London crashes and everyone has to cut back. Rebecca has agreed to wear everything in her closet THREE times before she can buy anything new.  And she can't believe some of the things she's bought.  Rebecca also wants to throw Luke a surprise birthday party since he never celebrates but she has to do so on a budget.  She starts planning by going to the pound shop (dollar store here) and getting party invites. Too bad they already have a  name written on them and it's not Luke!

All the while, Becky and Luke are trying to find a house and each one they love falls through for some reason, including having "stolen" bedrooms.  They live with Rebecca's parents, who look forward to the day they move out.  It's gets so out of hand, Becky pretends they find a house and decides they should move out.

It's really difficult to relay the fun, witty tone that runs throughout Shopaholic.   I mean, Becky comes up with this Shop in Private plan that allows women to shop and have their purchases sent home in a computer paper box or delivered to the house at a "suitable specified time (i.e. when no one else is in.)"
or
"Is this how he thinks a marriage works? With one person knowing a movie star and not telling the other one?"

There are also letters throughout the text that are replies to Becky from a variety of places including the Central Departmental Unit for Money Policy since she keeps trying to give them tips on how to run the country.  I wish I had read the other ones in the series because I really enjoyed this one.  I will look for Kinsella's Undomestic Goddess because that sounds like a lot of fun, too. I recommend this to anyone looking for a good time, with a book.

Thank you to Random House UK for this ARC.