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Confessions of a Reluctant Recessionista
Cassie Cavanagh has a great job, a great boyfriend and earns enough money to keep her in shiny new shoes and fabulous clothes. What Cassie doesn’t reckon on is being sacked from her job due to the recession. Not only that but her boyfriend dumps her for an older woman. Cassie also seems to be spiralling into debt and is forced to listen to flatmate Jude’s advice on money. Can Cassie claw her way out of the recession and stop spending money?
327 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
14 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
Amy Silver
8 books84 followersAmy Silver is the pen name of Paula Hawkins, a writer and freelance journalist who has written on everything from the diamond trade to DIY dog grooming. She lives in London and has a penchant for vintage clothes and champagne cocktails, but she always pays her credit card bills on time.
Paula Hawkins has just published the new suspense sensation "The Girl on the Train" under her own name.
Paula Hawkins has just published the new suspense sensation "The Girl on the Train" under her own name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
January 2, 2016
A surprisingly easy to read book although the end disappoints slightly.
July 16, 2018
Loved this
I loved Cassie, she was so funny and normal even if she did spend masses of money on stuff she didn't really need. I loved reading about her latest trials and tribulations.
I loved Cassie, she was so funny and normal even if she did spend masses of money on stuff she didn't really need. I loved reading about her latest trials and tribulations.
July 11, 2017
Devo dire che questo libro non mi è piaciuto quasi per nulla.
Il suo unico pregio è quello di essere una lettura molto veloce e scorrevole, di quelle che vanno via in poche ore la sera quando non hai altro da fare, perchè per il resto fa acqua da tutte le parti.
Il problema principale è la trama, che il libro proprio non ha mai visto: in questo romanzo non succede nulla. Cassie perde il lavoro, il fidanzato e allora “capisce” (cioè le fanno capire) che deve cambiare vita. E inizia a provarci ben oltre la metà del libro, senza alla fine cavarne quasi nulla. Ad un certo punto, dopo aver trovato un lavoro simile a quello che aveva all’inizio, si rende persino conto che preferiva il lavoretto, seppur degradante, che aveva trovato nel frattempo, ma decide di continuare sulla strada intrapresa.
Il personaggio di Cassie proprio non mi è piaciuto, e non solo perchè è un personaggio che non si evolve per nulla, ma anche perché ha un carattere osceno: è superficiale, egoista ed egocentrica, si mette nei casini e spera che siano gli altri a tirarla fuori e da sola non è in grado di fare praticamente niente.
Per quel che riguarda gli altri personaggi, invece, non è che ci sia molto da dire: praticamente sono tutti delle comparse che si fanno vedere ogni tanto nella vita di Cassie. E ad ognuno frega più di se stesso che di chiunque lo circondi. Tra i peggiori, oltre a Cassie, ovviamente, figurano la sorella, sempre pronta a lamentarsi dei figli e a far pesare il fatto che lei ha tre bambini agli altri, e la migliore amica, Ali, egocentrica all’ennesima potenza.
Jake, quello che sembra essere l’interesse amoroso, compare all’improvviso, poi scompare a lungo, poi ricompare, poi riscompare, e poi ogni tanto viene nominato come “personaggio nella stanza”, per cui è impossibile farsi un’idea di lui (eccetto il fatto che dev’essere completamente pazzo per scegliersi una come Cassie…)
Nel complesso un libro che proprio non mi ha entusiasmata e che non consiglierei mai.
Il suo unico pregio è quello di essere una lettura molto veloce e scorrevole, di quelle che vanno via in poche ore la sera quando non hai altro da fare, perchè per il resto fa acqua da tutte le parti.
Il problema principale è la trama, che il libro proprio non ha mai visto: in questo romanzo non succede nulla. Cassie perde il lavoro, il fidanzato e allora “capisce” (cioè le fanno capire) che deve cambiare vita. E inizia a provarci ben oltre la metà del libro, senza alla fine cavarne quasi nulla. Ad un certo punto, dopo aver trovato un lavoro simile a quello che aveva all’inizio, si rende persino conto che preferiva il lavoretto, seppur degradante, che aveva trovato nel frattempo, ma decide di continuare sulla strada intrapresa.
Il personaggio di Cassie proprio non mi è piaciuto, e non solo perchè è un personaggio che non si evolve per nulla, ma anche perché ha un carattere osceno: è superficiale, egoista ed egocentrica, si mette nei casini e spera che siano gli altri a tirarla fuori e da sola non è in grado di fare praticamente niente.
Per quel che riguarda gli altri personaggi, invece, non è che ci sia molto da dire: praticamente sono tutti delle comparse che si fanno vedere ogni tanto nella vita di Cassie. E ad ognuno frega più di se stesso che di chiunque lo circondi. Tra i peggiori, oltre a Cassie, ovviamente, figurano la sorella, sempre pronta a lamentarsi dei figli e a far pesare il fatto che lei ha tre bambini agli altri, e la migliore amica, Ali, egocentrica all’ennesima potenza.
Jake, quello che sembra essere l’interesse amoroso, compare all’improvviso, poi scompare a lungo, poi ricompare, poi riscompare, e poi ogni tanto viene nominato come “personaggio nella stanza”, per cui è impossibile farsi un’idea di lui (eccetto il fatto che dev’essere completamente pazzo per scegliersi una come Cassie…)
Nel complesso un libro che proprio non mi ha entusiasmata e che non consiglierei mai.
November 16, 2009
Cassie Cavanagh has a great job, a great boyfriend and earns enough money to keep her in shiny new shoes and fabulous clothes. What Cassie doesn’t reckon on is being sacked from her job due to the recession. Not only that but her boyfriend dumps her for an older woman. Cassie also seems to be spiralling into debt and is forced to listen to flatmate Jude’s advice on money. Can Cassie claw her way out of the recession and stop spending money?
When I first heart about Confessions Of A Reluctant Recessionista I couldn’t wait to read it. I thought it sounded fab. So when I finally got around to picking it up I was incredibly pleased. I was sucked right into Cassie’s world and I enjoyed the book immensely.
As the world is currently going through a recession there’s bound to be a bunch of chick lit books tackling that angle. We’ve had the Shopaholic side from Sophie Kinsella and now we have Amy Silver writing about being a shopaholic in a recession-affected world. This is the first book I’ve read that’s dealt with the recession and time will tell if they’re all the same. For what it’s worth I thought Confessions of a Reluctant Recessionista was fabulous. Of course, you might be thinking, “Why on Earth do I want to read about something that’s currently happening, something that’s always in the news; I want a light-hearted read” but believe me, this is light-hearted. I loved the fact it was set in the world we’re in now. Truth is, wouldn’t a book be less believable if we’re reading of a total shopaholic when we’re all struggling at the moment?
As I mentioned I was easily sucked into Cassie’s world and it’s easy to see why she spends so much money. Truth is, Cassie doesn’t know any other way. She’s always had her well-paid job as a PA to fund all of her spending habits so it comes as a complete surprise once she’s out of a job and thus broke. Cassie tries a number of ways to make money. Most notably by walking dogs. Cassie being a dog walker had me laughing out loud. I have two dogs and struggle sometimes to control them so I could imagine what it would be like to have 5 or so to walk at the same time. I like that after Cassie got over the shock of being out of a job and out of a boyfriend she eventually pulled herself together to try and find herself new employment. I also loved how Cassie’s flatmate Jude helped her to try and cut down on her spending; it wasn’t always completely logical but Jude had her heart in the right place. I loved both Cassie and Jude and found them incredibly likeable. They seemed polar opposites to each other; Cassie being a spendaholic and Jude being a bit hippy-like yet I found their friendship totally believable.
There are other characters in the novel. A favourite of mine being Ali, Cassie’s best friend. She seemed a bit mysterious and offish with Cassie for a while but all was revealed eventually. I can’t say that I saw Ali’s surprise coming. I also quite liked Cassie’s family, they too had her best interests at heart. I thought Jake, Jude and Cassie’s friend, was quite sweet and a world away from Dan, Cassie’s ex. It surprised me that Dan didn’t make a reappearance near the end of the book; that’s generally a staple of a chick-lit novel, the ex coming back for a re-appearance! Huge kudos to Amy for not going down that route. I was pleased to see the back of Dan I have to say.
The book is very in the “now” not only with the recession but with Cassie and Jude having Sky Plus, each chapter starting with a Facebook update (Cassie Cavanagh loves her louboutins, for example) and it seemed very modern which I enjoyed. It’s nice when authors can weave things like that into a book to make it more up to date. The book is told entirely in the first person, which was absolutely right for this novel. We didn’t need anybody else’s perspectives; Cassie was more than enough! Amy Silver wrote quite a bit about what it’s like to work in the City (as a PA in Cassie’s case and as a dealer in Ali’s case) but it was easy enough to understand and even I enjoyed learning about it.
I have to admit that the ending was pretty open. I sincerly hope that means Amy Silver is working on a sequel. Cassie Cavanagh could become the anti-Becky Bloomwood and I’d happily read more of Cassie’s adventures. She’s just so incredibly likeable and it’s difficult to dislike her even when she was ignoring Jude’s advice. Confessions of a Reluctant Recessionista truly is a great read and I wholly recommend it, it’s definitely one of the best debuts around.
When I first heart about Confessions Of A Reluctant Recessionista I couldn’t wait to read it. I thought it sounded fab. So when I finally got around to picking it up I was incredibly pleased. I was sucked right into Cassie’s world and I enjoyed the book immensely.
As the world is currently going through a recession there’s bound to be a bunch of chick lit books tackling that angle. We’ve had the Shopaholic side from Sophie Kinsella and now we have Amy Silver writing about being a shopaholic in a recession-affected world. This is the first book I’ve read that’s dealt with the recession and time will tell if they’re all the same. For what it’s worth I thought Confessions of a Reluctant Recessionista was fabulous. Of course, you might be thinking, “Why on Earth do I want to read about something that’s currently happening, something that’s always in the news; I want a light-hearted read” but believe me, this is light-hearted. I loved the fact it was set in the world we’re in now. Truth is, wouldn’t a book be less believable if we’re reading of a total shopaholic when we’re all struggling at the moment?
As I mentioned I was easily sucked into Cassie’s world and it’s easy to see why she spends so much money. Truth is, Cassie doesn’t know any other way. She’s always had her well-paid job as a PA to fund all of her spending habits so it comes as a complete surprise once she’s out of a job and thus broke. Cassie tries a number of ways to make money. Most notably by walking dogs. Cassie being a dog walker had me laughing out loud. I have two dogs and struggle sometimes to control them so I could imagine what it would be like to have 5 or so to walk at the same time. I like that after Cassie got over the shock of being out of a job and out of a boyfriend she eventually pulled herself together to try and find herself new employment. I also loved how Cassie’s flatmate Jude helped her to try and cut down on her spending; it wasn’t always completely logical but Jude had her heart in the right place. I loved both Cassie and Jude and found them incredibly likeable. They seemed polar opposites to each other; Cassie being a spendaholic and Jude being a bit hippy-like yet I found their friendship totally believable.
There are other characters in the novel. A favourite of mine being Ali, Cassie’s best friend. She seemed a bit mysterious and offish with Cassie for a while but all was revealed eventually. I can’t say that I saw Ali’s surprise coming. I also quite liked Cassie’s family, they too had her best interests at heart. I thought Jake, Jude and Cassie’s friend, was quite sweet and a world away from Dan, Cassie’s ex. It surprised me that Dan didn’t make a reappearance near the end of the book; that’s generally a staple of a chick-lit novel, the ex coming back for a re-appearance! Huge kudos to Amy for not going down that route. I was pleased to see the back of Dan I have to say.
The book is very in the “now” not only with the recession but with Cassie and Jude having Sky Plus, each chapter starting with a Facebook update (Cassie Cavanagh loves her louboutins, for example) and it seemed very modern which I enjoyed. It’s nice when authors can weave things like that into a book to make it more up to date. The book is told entirely in the first person, which was absolutely right for this novel. We didn’t need anybody else’s perspectives; Cassie was more than enough! Amy Silver wrote quite a bit about what it’s like to work in the City (as a PA in Cassie’s case and as a dealer in Ali’s case) but it was easy enough to understand and even I enjoyed learning about it.
I have to admit that the ending was pretty open. I sincerly hope that means Amy Silver is working on a sequel. Cassie Cavanagh could become the anti-Becky Bloomwood and I’d happily read more of Cassie’s adventures. She’s just so incredibly likeable and it’s difficult to dislike her even when she was ignoring Jude’s advice. Confessions of a Reluctant Recessionista truly is a great read and I wholly recommend it, it’s definitely one of the best debuts around.
January 17, 2010
Cassie Cavanagh is pretty happy. She’s got a good job as a PA that keeps her in designer shoes and a nice flat, a great boyfriend and great friends too. But Cassie soon finds herself made redundant from the job with a huge credit card debt… oh and her boyfriend has dumped her as well.
Together with her flatmate xx, Cassie has to learn to live on a budget for the first time in her life, and stick to it. But Cassie isn’t used to not picking out what she wants in a shop, or buying a new outfit just because she wants to.
The recession is coming to bite her on the bum, and Cassie needs to really become thrifty… can this recessionista cut her debt, and get her life back on track?
In the current uncertain economic climate, this book is certainly one that will strike a chord with people all over the country. It looks to introduce us to a girl who has it all – the job, the friends, the guy – and then its going to be taken away from her leaving her with a scary debt and having to control her spendaholic ways. It does sound familiar, we’ve had a book about a Shopaholic before of course by the brilliant Sophie Kinsella, so I was intrigued to see how Amy Silver would tackle this subject from a slightly different angle and bring something new to the “spendaholic” genre.
This is author Amy Silver’s debut novel, and I was immediately drawn in by the catchy title and fresh looking cover too. The lead character of Cassie is very likeable and one that I was immediately drawn to. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have anything in common with her, she was just normal and funny, and you wanted to carry on reading to find out how it was going to progress for poor old Cassie. I loved how naive she was about money, thinking that her small redundancy wage was going to last forever but then had to come back down to earth with a bump. I felt so sorry for her but also wanted to shake her because she was a bit too daft at times, but it works for the book! It’s written in the first person from Cassie’s perspective, and this is why the reader can grow to love her so much – we’re in her head and what comes out is totally uncensored and often hilarious and cringy, but it makes for a fab reading!
There are quite a few other characters in the book but they aren’t as big a part as Cassie plays. Her flatmate Jude was a very down to earth character who was the thorn in Cassie’s side because she kept harping on about money in a realistic way. I liked her as she had a good side story as well with a sweet romance, and I enjoyed the development of this plot. Cassie’s best friend Ali wasn’t around much but had a bit of a “mystery” plot which I did guess quite early on but added a more grown up storyline to the book which I enjoyed. Cassie’s boyfriend Dan was the “Mr Nasty” of the book, and Silver has really written such a wally, you have to wonder if he’s based on a real person!
The author has clearly done her research about the topics in this book. She puts in a fair bit about banking, a subject which doesn’t interest me at all and makes it interesting, and then throws the book in a totally different direction towards the end which I loved and was clearly well researched too! What I really loved about this book was the amount of things going on, and how frequently the direction of the book changed. It often moved around following the different characters but kept Cassie at the heart of it and the reader wanting to know about the lives of these people. As the book goes on, more characters are introduced but it’s easy to keep track of them because of the great writing style and development of the book.
It is a book that it very applicable in this day and age but I can see its one that can be enjoyed at any time as well. It’s incredibly well written, very enjoyable and one of those books you would struggle to put down once you begin it! If I have one complaint about the book, its that it is only just over 300 pages long… I could have read double that amount about Cassie! I loved the feel of the book, its uplifting and funny at the same time and a great escapist book. For a debut novel, I was incredibly impressed and I hope Amy Silver is going to continue with writing as I think she is going to have a good career ahead of her! Brilliant, and highly recommended – I think this will be a hit!
Together with her flatmate xx, Cassie has to learn to live on a budget for the first time in her life, and stick to it. But Cassie isn’t used to not picking out what she wants in a shop, or buying a new outfit just because she wants to.
The recession is coming to bite her on the bum, and Cassie needs to really become thrifty… can this recessionista cut her debt, and get her life back on track?
In the current uncertain economic climate, this book is certainly one that will strike a chord with people all over the country. It looks to introduce us to a girl who has it all – the job, the friends, the guy – and then its going to be taken away from her leaving her with a scary debt and having to control her spendaholic ways. It does sound familiar, we’ve had a book about a Shopaholic before of course by the brilliant Sophie Kinsella, so I was intrigued to see how Amy Silver would tackle this subject from a slightly different angle and bring something new to the “spendaholic” genre.
This is author Amy Silver’s debut novel, and I was immediately drawn in by the catchy title and fresh looking cover too. The lead character of Cassie is very likeable and one that I was immediately drawn to. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have anything in common with her, she was just normal and funny, and you wanted to carry on reading to find out how it was going to progress for poor old Cassie. I loved how naive she was about money, thinking that her small redundancy wage was going to last forever but then had to come back down to earth with a bump. I felt so sorry for her but also wanted to shake her because she was a bit too daft at times, but it works for the book! It’s written in the first person from Cassie’s perspective, and this is why the reader can grow to love her so much – we’re in her head and what comes out is totally uncensored and often hilarious and cringy, but it makes for a fab reading!
There are quite a few other characters in the book but they aren’t as big a part as Cassie plays. Her flatmate Jude was a very down to earth character who was the thorn in Cassie’s side because she kept harping on about money in a realistic way. I liked her as she had a good side story as well with a sweet romance, and I enjoyed the development of this plot. Cassie’s best friend Ali wasn’t around much but had a bit of a “mystery” plot which I did guess quite early on but added a more grown up storyline to the book which I enjoyed. Cassie’s boyfriend Dan was the “Mr Nasty” of the book, and Silver has really written such a wally, you have to wonder if he’s based on a real person!
The author has clearly done her research about the topics in this book. She puts in a fair bit about banking, a subject which doesn’t interest me at all and makes it interesting, and then throws the book in a totally different direction towards the end which I loved and was clearly well researched too! What I really loved about this book was the amount of things going on, and how frequently the direction of the book changed. It often moved around following the different characters but kept Cassie at the heart of it and the reader wanting to know about the lives of these people. As the book goes on, more characters are introduced but it’s easy to keep track of them because of the great writing style and development of the book.
It is a book that it very applicable in this day and age but I can see its one that can be enjoyed at any time as well. It’s incredibly well written, very enjoyable and one of those books you would struggle to put down once you begin it! If I have one complaint about the book, its that it is only just over 300 pages long… I could have read double that amount about Cassie! I loved the feel of the book, its uplifting and funny at the same time and a great escapist book. For a debut novel, I was incredibly impressed and I hope Amy Silver is going to continue with writing as I think she is going to have a good career ahead of her! Brilliant, and highly recommended – I think this will be a hit!
September 6, 2015
Review - This book had the potential to be brilliant, but I did feel a little let down, particularly at the end. It ended so suddenly and without any warning - it didn't feel like the end, but the beginning of another chapter. I turned the last page and wondered if someone had ripped the last chapter out. Aside from that, it wasn't bad, but it did need some more action, rather than repetition of the same things. The characters could have used a little more padding out, because at times it seemed like I was watching them from a distance, rather than being really involved in their lives.
Genre? - Chic Lit / Romance / Drama
Characters? - Cassie Cavanagh
Setting? - England
Series? - N/A
Recommend? - Maybe
Rating - 14/20
Genre? - Chic Lit / Romance / Drama
Characters? - Cassie Cavanagh
Setting? - England
Series? - N/A
Recommend? - Maybe
Rating - 14/20
August 29, 2018
Whether it's because I have been through the redundancy thing I don't know but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Cassie's life is a world away from mine but that didn't stop me cheering her on from the sidelines. Being sidelined by work and then your boyfriend is no fun but when they both happen within days of each other Cassie does the only thing she knows how - she spends, and spends and shops some more until her flatmate and her best friend stage an intervention.
There were some genuinely funny moments in the book and Cassie herself is completely relatable. Okay, not completely, but there is enough normality to her for you to feel complete empathy towards her and to be on her side even when she is being rather deluded and selfish. The only thing that really spoilt the book for me was the tales of her new job at the Wine Start Up company, from singlehandedly remodelling the office to a mad dash across France to save a business deal it was a little forced and unbelievable. Fortunately, the characters save the book and you can forgive the more fantastical aspects.
I am happy to admit that I bought this book because it was on sale and it reminded me of the Sophie Kinsella Shop-a-holic series. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the writing within it's covers as I think I was mentally expecting some sort of cash-in homage to that series but it really isn't that. Instead you have a very relatable central character with a strong narrator's voice in Cassie and a cast of secondary characters that provide a great foil for our erstwhile heroine. I particularly liked her flatmate Jude and am really crossing my fingers for a spin off about her.
This is a fun read that I did find hard to put down between chapters and as yfirst experience of the author I am looking forward to trying some of her other books.
There were some genuinely funny moments in the book and Cassie herself is completely relatable. Okay, not completely, but there is enough normality to her for you to feel complete empathy towards her and to be on her side even when she is being rather deluded and selfish. The only thing that really spoilt the book for me was the tales of her new job at the Wine Start Up company, from singlehandedly remodelling the office to a mad dash across France to save a business deal it was a little forced and unbelievable. Fortunately, the characters save the book and you can forgive the more fantastical aspects.
I am happy to admit that I bought this book because it was on sale and it reminded me of the Sophie Kinsella Shop-a-holic series. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the writing within it's covers as I think I was mentally expecting some sort of cash-in homage to that series but it really isn't that. Instead you have a very relatable central character with a strong narrator's voice in Cassie and a cast of secondary characters that provide a great foil for our erstwhile heroine. I particularly liked her flatmate Jude and am really crossing my fingers for a spin off about her.
This is a fun read that I did find hard to put down between chapters and as yfirst experience of the author I am looking forward to trying some of her other books.
October 28, 2019
Come al solito, ho preso l'abitudine - ben studiata e ormai di grande successo - di dare il via alle mie letture del mese con qualcosa di fresco, leggero e di poche pretese. Ho notato che, com'è giusto e normale che sia, riesco a digerire libri di questo tipo con pochissimi sforzi e ciò m'invoglia inoltre a dedicarmi per il resto del tempo in cose anche solo un minimo più impegnative. Il che mi rende sempre immensamente felice.
Tutta colpa del tacco 12 non si è dimostrato da meno, riuscendo a prendermi così tanto che l'ho divorato nel giro di pochissimi giorni e adesso sono già ben avviata con una lettura un po' più pesantuccia. Ma non siamo qui per parlare di questo, bensì dello scritto di Amy Silver, che indubbiamente ricorda lo stile e i temi della Kinsella pur restando a sé stante e interessante di suo.
Sebbene il finale mi abbia lasciato un bel po' l'amaro in bocca - e non nascondo che mi piacerebbe molto l'idea di un sequel... - ho apprezzato molto l'integrità della storia, con tutti i suoi risvolti alle volte inaspettati.
Tutta colpa del tacco 12 non si è dimostrato da meno, riuscendo a prendermi così tanto che l'ho divorato nel giro di pochissimi giorni e adesso sono già ben avviata con una lettura un po' più pesantuccia. Ma non siamo qui per parlare di questo, bensì dello scritto di Amy Silver, che indubbiamente ricorda lo stile e i temi della Kinsella pur restando a sé stante e interessante di suo.
Sebbene il finale mi abbia lasciato un bel po' l'amaro in bocca - e non nascondo che mi piacerebbe molto l'idea di un sequel... - ho apprezzato molto l'integrità della storia, con tutti i suoi risvolti alle volte inaspettati.
September 23, 2018
I took a liking to Cassie and as a result I enjoyed the book. I really wanted her to succeed and show everybody who had turned out to be fair weather friend that she had moved on successfully. Must admit I was a little let down by the ending, I wanted more! But generally a good story and an enjoyable book.
February 1, 2018
Nice easy book to read. No hard storyline to follow and a bit predictable but on occasions, it's nice to read an uncomplicated book and this fits the bill perfectly. Similar in storyline and style to the Shopaholic series.
February 11, 2018
Deed me heel hard denken aan de boeken van Sophie Kinsella , chicklit om te ontspannen maar toch niet TE voorspelbaar zoals met velen helaas het geval is. Vlot boek.
March 10, 2021
Carino ma in alcuni punti noioso. La trama è molto lineare e finale un po' strano dal classico lieto fine
August 21, 2021
Loved it, so cute! Easy and fun read :)
May 30, 2011
Confessions of a Reluctant Recessionista by Amy Silver is her first novel and wow just she start with an explosion of a book. Amy has another novel released later in the year called Twelve days of Christmas which I cannot wait to come out I just hope she manages to keep to the great standard of this novel.
**Main Character**
The main character in this novel is Cassie Cavanagh. Cassie works as a PA, and loves shopping, and basically just spending money on anything as she feels that buzz! She is very happy in her life at the start of the book having more than enough money from her job to help her shopping habit, and she was constantly being showered with expensive gifts by the love of her life Dan. She is a very warm and believable character. In many ways I think everyone will relate to Cassie in some way as many of us has had the recession hit us like it hit Cassie and I am sure we all had to try to make cuts to our expenditures.
**Story Line**
Cassie Cavanagh is in a happy place with money, a job she is happy with, a brilliant relationship with hubby Dan and true friends around her. This is all until the recession hits and Cassie finds herself jobless and loveless in the space of a week. To cheer Cassie up she decides to go and treat herself on a shopping trip but the goodies she purchases only add up to the alarming credit card bill which drops through the door of her shared rented flat. With no income Cassie's friends Jude and Ali come to her aid and help to try and get Cassie to make changes to her outgoings and prepare her to start looking for a new job.
Cassie struggles to cut her expenditures and although she is applying for many jobs there are just no offers coming through. We then follow Cassie on her journey which shows her trying out new things to earn money, a new relationship blossoming and see if she can finally kick her spending habit.
**Bad points**
Ok I am going to get my opinion of the bad points out of the way first as I only found one. I was disappointed by the ending. If Amy has an idea to make a follow up to this book then I will eat my hat and take this part of my review away! I felt the ending of the book just suddenly came to an end I was waiting for the tragic Eastenders music to kick in once I had finished the last page! I was so wrapped up in the story and then suddenly with no warning the book was finished. Without trying to give the ending away all I can say is that we don't know what finally happens to all the characters!
**My opinion**
I LOVED IT!!! I have tried many new authors recently many have been good reads but this was a completely different kind of book and I feel it was because it was a good topic to bring out in a book with the current climate as we have all been hit by the recession. I found I could relate to Cassie as I (like many people) have had to make many cut backs due to the recession, ok not as big of a cut back as Cassie had to make as I personally am not used to going out and just willy-nilly spending thousands of pounds on my credit card!
The book had a good mixture of content to it and in many places I found myself laughing aloud and things Cassie done one of which was when she decides to save money by doing her own waxing oooppps not a good idea!! I found it was a very light hearted read and if you're feeling down about the recession then it is a book which will help to uplift your mood. I found myself at points wanting to shout "don't do it" !! when Cassie went to buy something so thing I may have got a bit to envolved in the book!!
**Recommend**
I would 100% recommend this book. If anyone out there loved Sophie Kinsella's Shopoholic series then you will love this. It is a similar story line but is more believable and not too farfetched like Rebecca Bloomfield was. It was a warm witty light hearted chick lit book I just hope she does decide to write a carry on for this book so I can get my happy ending!!
**Main Character**
The main character in this novel is Cassie Cavanagh. Cassie works as a PA, and loves shopping, and basically just spending money on anything as she feels that buzz! She is very happy in her life at the start of the book having more than enough money from her job to help her shopping habit, and she was constantly being showered with expensive gifts by the love of her life Dan. She is a very warm and believable character. In many ways I think everyone will relate to Cassie in some way as many of us has had the recession hit us like it hit Cassie and I am sure we all had to try to make cuts to our expenditures.
**Story Line**
Cassie Cavanagh is in a happy place with money, a job she is happy with, a brilliant relationship with hubby Dan and true friends around her. This is all until the recession hits and Cassie finds herself jobless and loveless in the space of a week. To cheer Cassie up she decides to go and treat herself on a shopping trip but the goodies she purchases only add up to the alarming credit card bill which drops through the door of her shared rented flat. With no income Cassie's friends Jude and Ali come to her aid and help to try and get Cassie to make changes to her outgoings and prepare her to start looking for a new job.
Cassie struggles to cut her expenditures and although she is applying for many jobs there are just no offers coming through. We then follow Cassie on her journey which shows her trying out new things to earn money, a new relationship blossoming and see if she can finally kick her spending habit.
**Bad points**
Ok I am going to get my opinion of the bad points out of the way first as I only found one. I was disappointed by the ending. If Amy has an idea to make a follow up to this book then I will eat my hat and take this part of my review away! I felt the ending of the book just suddenly came to an end I was waiting for the tragic Eastenders music to kick in once I had finished the last page! I was so wrapped up in the story and then suddenly with no warning the book was finished. Without trying to give the ending away all I can say is that we don't know what finally happens to all the characters!
**My opinion**
I LOVED IT!!! I have tried many new authors recently many have been good reads but this was a completely different kind of book and I feel it was because it was a good topic to bring out in a book with the current climate as we have all been hit by the recession. I found I could relate to Cassie as I (like many people) have had to make many cut backs due to the recession, ok not as big of a cut back as Cassie had to make as I personally am not used to going out and just willy-nilly spending thousands of pounds on my credit card!
The book had a good mixture of content to it and in many places I found myself laughing aloud and things Cassie done one of which was when she decides to save money by doing her own waxing oooppps not a good idea!! I found it was a very light hearted read and if you're feeling down about the recession then it is a book which will help to uplift your mood. I found myself at points wanting to shout "don't do it" !! when Cassie went to buy something so thing I may have got a bit to envolved in the book!!
**Recommend**
I would 100% recommend this book. If anyone out there loved Sophie Kinsella's Shopoholic series then you will love this. It is a similar story line but is more believable and not too farfetched like Rebecca Bloomfield was. It was a warm witty light hearted chick lit book I just hope she does decide to write a carry on for this book so I can get my happy ending!!
July 20, 2015
I have never read a book by Amy Silver before so had no expectations. The cover of the book looks very light hearted and the synopsis of the book seemed fitting with the state of our current economic climate. Cassie Cavanagh is introduced to us and immediately you like her. She has the air of being a typical girl about town throwing her credit card at anything that moves with no thought of the consequences.
You soon get introduced to her trader boyfriend Dan (a total rat) and her flatmate Jude who is everything Cassie is not. When Cassie goes into work one morning her world literally collapses around her. She is made redundant and at the same time her boyfriend dumps her for a much richer and older woman.
We also meet Cassie's friend Ali who has a high flying job within the same company Cassie worked for. The thing I loved about this book is how easy it was to get to know all the different people involved in Cassie's life. Ali was riot of a character with a very feisty attitude and as the book progresses Ali's problems become Cassie's problems too as Cassie struggles to help her friend. Jude who is incredibly straight laced is embroiled in some particularly funny incidents with Cassie. It seems that Cassie Cavanagh is a walking disaster!
There is a certain element of the familiar and a lot of people have likened this book to the `Shopaholic' series of books by Sophie Kinsella. I have to be honest and say that I actually preferred Cassie to the lead character Becky Bloomwood. She is ditzy and terribly bad with money, but underneath it all is a bright and hardworking girl.
The book is really current and especially makes for a great read as women are feeling the pinch themselves currently. The story itself is totally up there on believability, as I am sure the thousands that have been made redundant in the last year or so can agree with. Of course with this being Chick Lit it is very light hearted, which is just what readers want; after all there is enough depressing material to choose from out there!!!
I loved the characters, and the story was so easy to read. You find yourself rooting for Cassie to get through it. As ever there is a love story embroiled amongst everything else and this was (although predictable) another great element of the book. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Amy Silver and will certainly be looking out for others.
You soon get introduced to her trader boyfriend Dan (a total rat) and her flatmate Jude who is everything Cassie is not. When Cassie goes into work one morning her world literally collapses around her. She is made redundant and at the same time her boyfriend dumps her for a much richer and older woman.
We also meet Cassie's friend Ali who has a high flying job within the same company Cassie worked for. The thing I loved about this book is how easy it was to get to know all the different people involved in Cassie's life. Ali was riot of a character with a very feisty attitude and as the book progresses Ali's problems become Cassie's problems too as Cassie struggles to help her friend. Jude who is incredibly straight laced is embroiled in some particularly funny incidents with Cassie. It seems that Cassie Cavanagh is a walking disaster!
There is a certain element of the familiar and a lot of people have likened this book to the `Shopaholic' series of books by Sophie Kinsella. I have to be honest and say that I actually preferred Cassie to the lead character Becky Bloomwood. She is ditzy and terribly bad with money, but underneath it all is a bright and hardworking girl.
The book is really current and especially makes for a great read as women are feeling the pinch themselves currently. The story itself is totally up there on believability, as I am sure the thousands that have been made redundant in the last year or so can agree with. Of course with this being Chick Lit it is very light hearted, which is just what readers want; after all there is enough depressing material to choose from out there!!!
I loved the characters, and the story was so easy to read. You find yourself rooting for Cassie to get through it. As ever there is a love story embroiled amongst everything else and this was (although predictable) another great element of the book. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Amy Silver and will certainly be looking out for others.
December 14, 2010
The first line of the blurb is "Cassie Cavanagh has never minded being 'just a PA'." and as that is what I want to be when I finish university, I thought I'd find this book relatable, even if she does get made redundant. Reading the about the author at the beginning of the book, I jumped on the fact Amy's from London, again something I can relate to.. I promise not to just review London authors; two is a coincidence not a pattern just yet! This is Amy's debut novel; she's a writer and freelance journalist writing about all sorts.
The first thing I thought of when beginning this book is how the first line made me think of Lindsey Kelk's 'I Heart Hollywood', as Angela does love her Louboutins! Anything about these fabulous shoes is bound to get me interested right from the start.
The book focuses on the life of Cassie, who has just been made redundant from her job in the city, and dumped by her city boyfriend. Cassie is surrounded by her two best friends; Ali and Jude, although neither of the two gets on well. Ali is a city banker, whereas Jude is Cassie’s flatmate and is still at university. I love how Jude seems so much more mature than the other two, even though she is at university. She’s very thrifty, which comes in useful when Cassie doesn’t get a payslip anymore.
I adore Cassie, I can so relate to her. I never had a career plan like my friends. I went to uni to do a degree just because I was expected to do a degree, so I chose English which has transferable skills. Unlucky for me, I can’t find a job, but Cassie is on the lookout for a new job asap.
I loved this book! Couldn't put it down, except when the pages began to curl up in the bathtub, slightly panicked also when I nearly dropped it in! I would not have been happy waiting for it to dry.
My only criticism is the ending, it felt a little rushed and I would have liked to see how certain things played out. But I still recommend this book to everyone, so much so I’ve given it my highest score (not hard though since this is only my second review). I can’t wait for Amy’s next book!
The first thing I thought of when beginning this book is how the first line made me think of Lindsey Kelk's 'I Heart Hollywood', as Angela does love her Louboutins! Anything about these fabulous shoes is bound to get me interested right from the start.
The book focuses on the life of Cassie, who has just been made redundant from her job in the city, and dumped by her city boyfriend. Cassie is surrounded by her two best friends; Ali and Jude, although neither of the two gets on well. Ali is a city banker, whereas Jude is Cassie’s flatmate and is still at university. I love how Jude seems so much more mature than the other two, even though she is at university. She’s very thrifty, which comes in useful when Cassie doesn’t get a payslip anymore.
I adore Cassie, I can so relate to her. I never had a career plan like my friends. I went to uni to do a degree just because I was expected to do a degree, so I chose English which has transferable skills. Unlucky for me, I can’t find a job, but Cassie is on the lookout for a new job asap.
I loved this book! Couldn't put it down, except when the pages began to curl up in the bathtub, slightly panicked also when I nearly dropped it in! I would not have been happy waiting for it to dry.
My only criticism is the ending, it felt a little rushed and I would have liked to see how certain things played out. But I still recommend this book to everyone, so much so I’ve given it my highest score (not hard though since this is only my second review). I can’t wait for Amy’s next book!
January 1, 2010
Yes, the cover looks like chick-lit, and yes, it is chick-lit - but I really enjoyed this read. The term 'chick-lit' is often dismissed as second-class writing which annoys me a bit to be honest, I dont think the book covers do any favours either. If you want an enjoyable read, with likeable characters, a bit of humour and some soul-searching, then 'Confessions' is just the ticket.
Cassie - the heroine of the book is a great character, likeable but daft, dizzy but loyal and although you'd like to strangle her for spending her last few pounds on £170 jeans, you cant fail to back her all the way. The other characters range from the hateful, city trader Dan to peace-loving, vegan, hippy Jude, and not forgetting Ali - Cassie's best friend who is so cool and glamorous it's hard to see just how come they are best mates.
Everything that can go wrong for Cassie does go wrong, from losing her well-paid job as a city PA, to being dumped by her boyfriend, to having to attend a society wedding in (shock horror!) a dress from the High Street no less. But Cassie is one of those characters that although really you should just hate her, the reader ends up backing her all the way - she puts a funny positive spin on everything. There are some real laugh out loud moments, the story-line is bang up-to-date with tales of failing banks, redundancies and recession - yet still it's a hopeful and happy read.
There are similarities to Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series - but Cassie is a much more likeable character than Becky Bloomwood. A really good debut novel.
Cassie - the heroine of the book is a great character, likeable but daft, dizzy but loyal and although you'd like to strangle her for spending her last few pounds on £170 jeans, you cant fail to back her all the way. The other characters range from the hateful, city trader Dan to peace-loving, vegan, hippy Jude, and not forgetting Ali - Cassie's best friend who is so cool and glamorous it's hard to see just how come they are best mates.
Everything that can go wrong for Cassie does go wrong, from losing her well-paid job as a city PA, to being dumped by her boyfriend, to having to attend a society wedding in (shock horror!) a dress from the High Street no less. But Cassie is one of those characters that although really you should just hate her, the reader ends up backing her all the way - she puts a funny positive spin on everything. There are some real laugh out loud moments, the story-line is bang up-to-date with tales of failing banks, redundancies and recession - yet still it's a hopeful and happy read.
There are similarities to Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series - but Cassie is a much more likeable character than Becky Bloomwood. A really good debut novel.
November 19, 2014
http://mysweet-book.blogspot.it/2014/...
La protagonista è Cassie, segretaria in una banca londinese con un fidanzato ricco che le fa mille regali. Ma Cassie ha una mania... quella di spendere soldi in vestiti quando le cose si complicano. E le cose si complicano alla grande, perde il lavoro e il fidanzato (brutto caprone), finisce con il portare a spasso i cani per arrotondare, ne combina di tutti i colori, come ustionarsi nel tentativo di una ceretta fatta in casa.
Deve combattere contro l'istinto di uccidere la sorella insoddisfatta dalla vita matrimoniale, strangolare Dan (il suo ex) e tutti gli snob con cui lavorava che diciamolo, sono degli autentici c.....i U.U
Ma poi tra mille peripezie, conti in rosso, cani diabolici, un amica incinta, un nuovo lavoro, riesce anche a trovare un pò d'amore grazie a Jake.
Insomma, un libro carino... molto leggero, che in sè però nasconde verità e pensieri che ormai sono all'ordine del giorno nella nostra società. Si legge in un giorno, dato che è molto scorrevole, ed è un buon modo per staccare la spina e tirare fuori il nostro lato romantico e pensieri positivi, in più costa poco. Non sarà il migliore del suo genere, ma raggiunge l'obiettivo ;)
August 17, 2012
Oh dear, I don't even know what to think. It wasn't horrible, but I was glad I was done with the book. Cassie is a girl I just cannot relate to at all. Neither could I feel sympathy for her. In the beginning of the book she had low selfrespect by letting her so called boyfriend toss her around, she got fired and all of a sudden everyone looked at her as if she was disgusting. Hard to believe in my eyes. She's hardly a recessionista, she keeps buying expensive stuff, while she's out of a job, I wouldn't even buy if I won the lottery. Her closet is full of designer clothes, yet she shows up in an H&M dress at "The wedding of the millennium." Why she isn't wearing any of the other dresses and pimp it with anything, is beyond me.
Maybe I just had the wrong expectations, but I thought Cassie would strike back and become a true Recessionista, instead of Becky Bloomwood (Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella) version 2.0.
Maybe I just had the wrong expectations, but I thought Cassie would strike back and become a true Recessionista, instead of Becky Bloomwood (Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella) version 2.0.
November 18, 2010
This is definitely a rainy-day read. It's light and fluffy and doesn't require very much thought at all.
Unfortunately, this is the extent of Recessionista's positives.
Cassie is personality-free, and the majority of the characters are insufferable. The title and the first few chapters lead a reader to believe that the story line is to do with the struggle to curb the urge to shop, but Silver seems to forget this detail about halfway through, and suddenly, Cassie goes from someone who shops compulsively to the someone who has no interest in spending. It's just really inconsistent and quite weak. It also ends so abruptly, I get the distinct feeling that Silver got bored of writing it and wrapped it up without much thought. No idea why it has any positive reviews at all, much less a 5-star rating on Amazon. What a waste of money.
Unfortunately, this is the extent of Recessionista's positives.
Cassie is personality-free, and the majority of the characters are insufferable. The title and the first few chapters lead a reader to believe that the story line is to do with the struggle to curb the urge to shop, but Silver seems to forget this detail about halfway through, and suddenly, Cassie goes from someone who shops compulsively to the someone who has no interest in spending. It's just really inconsistent and quite weak. It also ends so abruptly, I get the distinct feeling that Silver got bored of writing it and wrapped it up without much thought. No idea why it has any positive reviews at all, much less a 5-star rating on Amazon. What a waste of money.
May 26, 2011
Cassie Cavanaugh has the perfect life, a job as a PA in the city (which
she loves), a loving boyfriend (Dan) who buys her lots of gifts she
earns adequate money to keep her in the lifestyle she has become
accustomed to, she buys whatever she wants, and has never had to budget.
Cassie’s world falls apart she is made redundant, then she is dumped by
Dan (for someone older), with her debts rising she has to get a job,
and stop spending money to make herself feel better, she has to take
advice from her student flatmate, she has to change but can she do it?
I found this book much better than All I want For Christmas it was
funny, I loved it from the pretty cover to the end definitely recommend.
she loves), a loving boyfriend (Dan) who buys her lots of gifts she
earns adequate money to keep her in the lifestyle she has become
accustomed to, she buys whatever she wants, and has never had to budget.
Cassie’s world falls apart she is made redundant, then she is dumped by
Dan (for someone older), with her debts rising she has to get a job,
and stop spending money to make herself feel better, she has to take
advice from her student flatmate, she has to change but can she do it?
I found this book much better than All I want For Christmas it was
funny, I loved it from the pretty cover to the end definitely recommend.
December 1, 2013
Sarei potuta anche arrivare a quattro stelle perchè il libro mi è davvero piaciuto un sacco ma diciamo che non è proprio un libro di spessore quindi vada per tre stelle. Ad ogni modo è stata una lettura piacevole, l'autrice scrive piuttosto bene e la trama non è di quelle stucchevoli e melense. Il finale poi è azzeccatissimo ed il linea con il tenore dell'intera trama.
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I could also give four stars because I really liked this book but it isn't a thick book so i give only three stars. Anyway it was a pleasant read, the author writes quite well and the plot isn't trivial and silly. The final fits perfectly in line with the tenor of the entire plot.
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I could also give four stars because I really liked this book but it isn't a thick book so i give only three stars. Anyway it was a pleasant read, the author writes quite well and the plot isn't trivial and silly. The final fits perfectly in line with the tenor of the entire plot.
July 12, 2013
Quite entertaining, I think all fans of the Shopaholic series will like this one.
I'm a bit disappointed about the lost possibilities though. There were so many things the author should have taken further and wrote more about. Without it, the book feels somehow unfinished, with some loose ends here, some there... A pity - it could have been better.
I'm a bit disappointed about the lost possibilities though. There were so many things the author should have taken further and wrote more about. Without it, the book feels somehow unfinished, with some loose ends here, some there... A pity - it could have been better.
May 17, 2014
Really enjoyed this a lot more than what I thought I would as it was just the traditional 'boy-meets-girl' chick lit. Fans of 'Confessions of a Shopaholic' and 'The Devil wears Prada' would love this book. I liked the theme of redundancy, as this wasn't the typical subject normally in chick fiction.
July 29, 2012
Thought it would be about someone having to save money, but everything worked out too well for my liking. The book would have benefited from being slightly longer and the main character having to struggle a little more.
June 5, 2013
Scritto benino, la trama aveva delle buone potenzialità che potevano essere anche approfondite. Dopo un inizio che mi ha lasciata un po' scettica per la pochezza delle tematiche affrontate, devo ricredermi con l'evoluzione della storia.
Piacevole. Da leggere in un pomeriggio di ozio.
Piacevole. Da leggere in un pomeriggio di ozio.
January 19, 2015
It is a typical chick flick. You know the types when a girl has an awesome life and then some thing goes wrong, followed by some annoying drama and then she survives it all. I liked the ending though!
December 20, 2009
Good stuff! Knew from Leah Graham's review that I would enjoy this. Funny, entertaining and genuinely likeable characters. My favourite kind of book, with the page turning factor!
March 6, 2011
Found this book really boring
August 6, 2011
It was a good, girly read! Kind of ended when i wanted to read on and find out more! Overall though, a light girly read that i enjoyed :)
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