A Personal Review of Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Book Review

Chi-Chien Huang June 12th 2021

From Sophie Kinsella’s worldwide bestselling series, Becky Brandon, the famous shopaholic, has returned— and this time, it’s the festive season!

• Publisher: Penguin Random House

• Edition: Black Swan

• Publication date: 2020

• Format: Paperback

• Pages: 445

• ISBN (A format): 9781784165277

• ISBN (B format): 9781784164874

• Genre: Contemporary Fiction

• Series: Shopaholic Series, #9

Christmas Shopaholic, the ninth sequel of the highly appreciated Shopaholic series, is undoubtedly the best holiday present a Christmas lover could ask for. Sophie Kinsella, the number one New York Times best-selling author, granted the readers a laugh-out-loud experience with her witty, lively narration. For anyone who is looking for a lighthearted, funny and heartwarming festive read, this contemporary fiction will definitely lift your spirits.

The book welcomes back the anchor of the Shopaholic series—Becky Brandon, who sees shopping at bargain prices as her mission and expertise. Becky is looking forward to the upcoming Christmas. It’s always the same—her parents hosting, “Carols playing and Mum pretending she made the Christmas pudding”, and their neighbors showing up in terrible jumpers. Except for this year—Becky’s parents are moving to Shoreditch to experience the lifestyle of hipsters, leaving Becky no choice but to take over Christmas hosting duties for the first time. Obviously, the idea of shopping for the whole family sounds temping. But things soon become thorny when she is met with various odd requests from her family. For example, her environmentally conscious sister wants a vegan turkey and a broom tree instead of a Christmas tree to reflect her “non-consumerist, sustainable values”. The unexpected appearing of Becky’s ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend brings more chaos to the table. As always, Becky manages to shop her way out, and make sure everyone gets a joyful holiday experience.

I encounter Christmas shopaholic in a bookstore during a New Year sale, and the only thing I regret about purchasing it was that I didn’t bought it early. It would’ve been wonderful to get into the Christmas spirit alongside Becky, if I got to read the novel during the holiday season. For longtime fans of the shopaholic series, you will not be disappointed of Becky’s return; for new readers like me, who hasn’t read the previous series before, it is completely fine to enjoy it as a standalone book since Becky is a character that everyone can easily relate to.

Becky is a capable wife, a mother, and a generous friend. She strives to spread joy for everyone, even though she messes things up sometimes, and often gets herself caught up in ridiculous scenarios—from having 30 pounds of smoked salmon on her front lawn under a duvet, to being stuck in a pet shop on Christmas Eve. At the end of the day, she is, just like the rest of us, doesn’t always get it right but willing to try.

The charms of Christmas shopaholic lie in not only the vivacious Becky but also the writer’s creative approaches in storytelling. Kinsella inserts different sources to support the main narrative, including emails, text messages, purchase receipts and such. These attachments deliver an insight into the storyline and heighten the comical essence of the tale.

Overall, Christmas shopaholic is a book that will fill you with plenty of laughter. It will warm your heart, and light up your day. So pack up, grab your vegan turkey and get ready for a sleigh ride with Becky Brandon and her folks. I’m sure it will be a crazy, wild, and fabulous ride.