I had known about the title of this novel since I was in the third semester, for about one and a half years ago when my lecturer asked me to read my favourite book. I choose this novel because when I read this novel, I can feel enjoy, and this novel is funny and exciting.

Opening line: "Ok. Don't panic. It's only a Visa bill. It's a piece of paper, a few numbers. I mean, just how scary can a few numbers be?" The very first novel of the series ‘The Secret Dreamworld Of A Shopaholic’ was published in 2000. It is also known as ‘Confessions Of A Shopaholic’ and with this name it was released in 2001. It was followed by the second novel in the series ‘Shopaholic Abroad’ published in 2001 and this part was also released with the name ‘Shopaholic Takes Manhattan’ in 2002. The Secret Dreamworld of A Shopaholic Half way into the book I felt really sad because I know that there is so many people who this is their reality. This shallow mindset or consumption of caffeine, sugar, shopping, "fashion"..... the constant carve of distraction and never learning to deal. It just seemed to glorify being shallow and reinforce that if and when you are you should keep on being so because:Five solid stars for one of my favorite novels by a favorite author, Sophie Kinsella. I read this around the time of original publication; sometime in 2000, and that started my auto-buy of the subsequent books that continue this series.

The main charter was English so I didn't relate the stores that she was bragging about shopping at and it didn't have the SAME"sex in the city" LUSTFUL MATERIALISTIC effect on me . So, her prideful continuous description of these clothes she "owned" and was in debt for became ridiculous. And her constant shopping while in debt, actually started to physically stress me out. When I discovered that there was no Aha! moment for her, and no growth or anything in her character, and that somewhere down the line she marries The Guy, I decided to stop reading for good. The Guy seems intelligent and rational, so why he would hitch himself to a financial disaster in Prada heels is beyond me. This book was a waste of my time. And I spent far too much time on this book that I really didn't like. Don’t panic! I yell internally. The key is not to panic. Just read each entry slowly, one by one. I take a deep breath and force myself to focus calmly, starting at the top.

I must confess that I was expecting more similarities, the book took a different direction, many situations changed.

It has to be said and there’s no nice way to say it: Rebecca, the protagonist of this book, is shallow and a fluff-head (as her head is always full of recently bought clothes, it couldn’t be otherwise).This is my third Kinsella book, and so far the women are always complete idiotic dip-shits that only barely manage to bumble through their careers while managing to make an ass of themselves at every turn. I find it's quite painful to read and not at all amusing. And if that's not unbearable enough, in this one Rebecca Bloomwood personifies materialism---AND THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS THAT IT'S OKAY! There will always be a sexy, successful, intelligent, no-bullshit kind of guy who will find your stupidity and poor impulse control endearing. You can rely on the fate and good-fortune of womanly endowments to make all the trivial problems in your little, frivolous bubble of world disappear.

I reach gaily into the envelope, but my fingers don’t quite pull out the bill. They remain clutched around it while my mind is seized – as it is every month – by my secret dream.No. This isn't Angela's Ashes, people. Anyone who believes that a maxed out credit-card is the definition of strife deserves this book. These are the superfluous qualms of the privileged. If I ever read another review of a book like this on how "sad it was beneath the surface" all I have to say is how sad you are beneath the surface.