Rating: 
Summary: A must-read for Karyn fans
Review: I followed Karyn's site (still do) and think she is very funny and I love her stories. And, yes, I sent her a couple of bucks when she needed it, because the site was hilarious, so she earned it and then some. The book gives some background on some specifics of her "glory days" of insane shopping and spending and some of her rises and falls with her jobs. It was never clear to me from the webpage where she had worked, what she did, and the like. Some gaps on the webpage are answered in the book. The book is not War and Peace and it isn't life changing, but it's a book you will highly enjoy if you like(d) her website. If you think Karyn is irritating or think she's a rip-off artist, then don't read the book. This isn't a book that will make Karyn-haters like her, it is just like her webpage. If you have never seen her webpage, this is the true story of an upper middle class girl from Chicago who moved to NYC in her late 20's to sort of find herself and start a new life. New to Manhattan, she got totally carried away with crazy spending on clothes and lifestyle spending and ended up about $25K in the hole on credit cards. She details several purchases, a lot of the crazy stuff she blew dough on, and does it in a very funny way. Some of the rationalizations she used on herself to justify things like $300 sunglasses are pretty funny. There's nothing wrong with purchasing $300 sunglasses if you can afford them, but it's items like these. Anyway, at the height of her insane spending, she lost her job. So, broke Karyn puts up a webpage sort of as a joke, explaining her plight and asking people to send her money if they want to, being totally honest about what it is for. She does "Daily Buck" stuff where she tells a story of each day about how she saved money that day, and insights as to why cheaper shampoo, etc., works just as well as the expensive stuff. And you know what, folks, Karyn is right. You also get to know some of her friends, neighbors, her roommate, and her cat and dog. The webpage ends up being a real hit, Karyn becomes somewhat of a celebrity, and then eventually gets enough money from the webpage and selling her crazy items on e-bay and is now debt-free. It's a fun and interesting book if you're into this kind of story-line. I found it very, very funny. If this sounds dumb to you, you probably won't like the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Flat Writing, But Honest and Funny
Review: Although I did not donate any money, I have followed her site and enjoyed it. She gets high marks for being honest in her effort, but if you've read the basics on her site there is no reason to buy the book. Besides, all the anywhos and yeps started to really grate on my nerves. The first half of the book wastes time on making the reader see how completely fabulous she is. The books wraps up with her still showing no real sign of humility. She does give some vivid stories that are good for a couple of laughs, but I'd still recommend putting the money you'd spend on this book towards your own credit card debt. Unless she can pull some more talents out of her hat, her 15 minutes are almost up.
Rating: 
Summary: *WHY* are you enabling a panhandler?
Review: Karen is the worst kind of panhandler - she had the ability to at a minimum live at her means, or if she was truly inspired (which she is not), live below her means and do some saving, but instead she chose to be a materialistic snot and charge up $$k of crap. The website is a joke and so is she, but what is even more frightening is that people are actually inspired by her. She is vapid, specious, and fatuous. The book should have been called "How I got a bunch of stuff I didn't earn then whined to strangers to essentially buy it for me!"
Rating: 
Summary: Did Karyn Learn Anything?
Review: I liked this book in many ways. Karyn is an appealing person despite her shops-till-she-drops habit. And in many ways her single in the city tale is far more realistic and interesting than a lot of the chic lit out there. Her issues with work (too much of it), boys (inattentive, potentially gay, etc.) and over-spending (and HOW) ring true. However, it does ultimately have flaws in two areas. Firs, while Karyn created a web phenomenon and led an interesting life, she isn't much of a writer. Lots of "anywhos" and shifting between past and present within the same paragraph. Some stories (the rodent in her bathroom, her dating a guy named Brad) are funny; other seem self-indulgent. To some extent, this is mimics her website, so maybe this is okay. But she seems like a smarter person than this, so I kept wondering if this book would've been better with a ghost writer. Also, while she ingeniously pulled herself out of debt, Karyn doesn't seem to have analyzed what happened very much, or to have learned from it. I was expecting more insight into why she thought she over spent like that, and how her life was different now that she is out of debt. I don't begrudge Karyn asking strangers for money-it's a great idea in its way-but she seems more interested in having her story made into a movie than in figuring out how to move on and live life without charging $600 coats and hundreds of dollars worth of cosmetics. That story would've been more interesting, and I wish she had filled us in! How DO you change from a shopaholic to a frugal gal?
Rating:
Summary: Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain....
Review: Sean, is that YOU...behind the curtain??? This book is great! So funny. I can relate to Karyn in most everything, well, except for living in NYC, spending $1800 bucks on a couch and rationalizing buying one pair of Gucci Sunglasses for $240 which is JUST like buying two for $120 and since she didn't buy any new sunglasses last season...I laughed and I cried and I laughed and I stayed up half the night finishing a book even though I already knew the ending!!! If you are to broke to buy a paperback (hey, thank Karyn, she could have released it in hardcover) then go to your local library, but hurry 'cause there is going to be a line! Jessica
Rating:
Summary: What an awesome read!
Review: I have to say this was the best read since Bridget Jones' Diary!! I love it. It made me laugh, question, think, smile, and laugh!! I simply couldn't put it down. I even cried, well, my eyes did water! She tells it how it was and I will soon read it again. katrina.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastically real and fantastically funny
Review: I've been following Karyn since I heard her on a radio interview. Karyn doesn't pull any punches. She is truely an inspiration. The past year has been a lot of work for Karyn and it surely has paid off. Her funny antics can sure brighten your day when you are feeling pretty down about your own situation. I couldn't put this book down. I could identify with her every purchase. The book was a great find for me. It's one I'll keep on my bookshelf forever and refer to often.
Rating:
Summary: "Save Karyn" can save others!
Review: "Save Karyn" is a delightful educational tool for the shopaholic, but it can also be a gut-wrenching trip down memory lane. Either way, Karyn is touching, extremely funny, and the most deserving pan-handler around--she gives you your money's worth. It's definitely a lesson for those who have the potential to spiral into credit card hell (and you know who you are!)This should be a must read for young women with shopping tendancies BEFORE they are eligible for their first credit card and rack up $20,000 worth of "emergencies," like bikini waxes and Gucci.
Rating:
Summary: If you've ever been in debt & freaking out- this is for you!
Review: If you've ever thought you were alone in a mound of debt & secretly freaking out, you will totally relate to Karyn. This is a lighthearted, funny book about a seriously stressful topic. If you know what it's like to get a knot in your stomach when the phone rings because you're scared it's a creditor, if you know what it's like to rack your brains for scams to pay bills, if you know what it's like to have to sell your stuff to pay your bills, then you know Karyn! I read this book in 2 days. I couldn't put it down! It was such a comfort to know that there are other people out there who shop like an idiot & then don't know what to do about it!!! Get this book...you'll love it!!
Rating:
Summary: Witty and wonderful!
Review: If you've followed the website, you'll love the book. Karyn takes you on her journey as her debt accumulates. Anyone (including myself) who has ever tried to rationalize or justify charging a high-ticket item that they couldn't afford will find solace in Karyn's story. A must-read!
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