Rating: 
Summary: Contrived ending, obvious burnout of author
Review: If you like reading about bratty over-privileged girls then this book is for you. The ending was a complete cop-out. It disguised the fact that the author Emily Barr was suffering from burn-out. I won't put the spoiler in this review; let's just say that it was an all-too convenient way to wrap things up.
Rating: 
Summary: Intelligent and entertaining
Review: It's really a shame that Emily Barr's novels are promoted as frivolous pop-thrillers when they are anything but... She is a very intelligent writer and the characters she creates are believable and complex. The plot lines in both Backpack and Baggage are compelling, the settings are well-researched, and both novels are a joy to read. I am eagerly awaiting "Cuba".Ms. Barr - You are a serious writer! I wish the packaging of your books would indicate as such!
Rating: 
Summary: Unpack
Review: There was no balance to the main character who was totally reprehensible in every way. With zero redeeming qualities, the only hope for entertainment is to root for the antagonist whose appearance is much too brief. I had hoped this would be an entertaining read while traveling in Southeast Asia, but it's a real stretch to call it a mystery, I dreaded every new encounter by Tansy (who never learns a thing), and as a travelogue it's only for someone who wants to rationalize never leaving home. 80s teen movies used to cast someone (usually James Spader) as the totally loathsome "best friend" that was from the same peer group as the "seemingly superficial/ but in reality sensitive" main character. The viewer could start liking the main character from the start because at least he wasn't as shallow as the despicable best friend and it served to show exactly when the main character "goes good" because he rejects the best friend at that defining moment. Tansy is as comically and consistently "bad" as those in the "best friend" role. It just doesn't work in the lead and begins to grate even quicker than the Briticisms which come about two a sentence regardless of the nationality of the speaker.
Rating:
Summary: Wannabe backpackers take heed
Review: There's a lot of good backpacking info in this book and that's a big plus. However a minus is the awkward use of flashbacks. Very confusing. Also, have your England to American dictionary handy; you'll need it.
Rating:
Summary: Wannabe backpackers take heed
Review: There's a lot of good backpacking info in this book and that's a big plus. However a minus is the awkward use of flashbacks. Very confusing. Also, have your England to American dictionary handy; you'll need it.
Rating:
Summary: On the Road
Review: This book really made me want to hit the road on my own to a foreign country & see what happens! I thought it was wonderful that Tansy still went to Vietnam alone, though her "boyfriend" bailed out! She was quite brave to go it alone & I enjoyed her transition from scared tourist to backpacker. The descriptions of the places she went were right-on (I've never been to SE Asia, but friends who have said they knew the places she described). I recommend this book to anyone who wants to travel alone for the adventure or who dreams of doing so. The only part I didn't like was the end - seemed to wrap things up a bit too nicely.
Rating:
Summary: pathetic
Review: This book was absolutely terrible. The writing, plot structure, voice, and characters were all awful. It depresses me that publishers pay money for fiction like this. There is nothing "intelligent" about this book at all. The ending is contrived and unoriginal. The whole serial murder thing seems thrown in and completely unbelievable. If the author wanted us to despise Tansy, then she at least accomplished that. I bought this book at a bookstore and within a week, I sold it to a used book store for fifty cents. I just wanted to get it out of my hands as soon as possible. I think I ripped off the used bookstore guy for allowing him to give me two quarters in exchange for such a piece of garbage.
Rating: 
Summary: raising the Barr
Review: This book was an absolute hoot! Emily Barr has written a refreshing take on the life of a late twenty-something girl searching for true love and happiness - amidst a backpacking lifestyle. Especially enjoyable was the part when Tansy first arrives in Saigon - I nearly fell out of my chair laughing at her crabby exchange with some local children. This book is for anyone who has backpacked, dealt with broken families, had a jerk of a boyfriend (or girlfriend), or hated the person sitting next to them on an overseas flight. Hilarious and sensitive in all the right places. I eagerly await the next Barr book.
Rating: 
Summary: Not quite what I had in mind
Review: This book wasn't exactly what I imagined when I picked it up off the shelf. I have spent some time backpacking through Europe and I have always wanted to visit Asia. When I saw a book about a young woman backpacking through Asia, I was very excited. I was not prepared for Tansy. I found myself rushing through the beginning section because I just wanted her to start traveling. I thought maybe then she wouldn't annoy me quite as much. She was extremely self absorbed, which I know was the point, but it just seemed to grate on me. I was also not thrilled about the whole muder mystery plot. It distracted me because I wanted to read a book about a traveler, not a mystery. All that said, it was not a bad book. It kept me entertained. However if you are looking for a book to get you wrapped up in the excitement in backpacking and the thrill of a new country, this may not be for you. There is too much else going on in the book.
Rating:
Summary: Not your typical chick lit book.
Review: This isn't your typical chick lit book. There isn't a group of girlfriends going out to the bar every night and there isn't the Mr Right that the main character is trying to get. Tansy Harris is trying to escape from her life in London. She had planned the perfect trip to Asia with her boyfriend Tom. At the last minute Tom decides that he isn't going to go and leaves Tansy with the idea to go alone and see Asia. Tansy decides that she isn't going to label herself a backpacker, but instead a traveller. She meets a bunch of people along the way that she travels with all around Asia. She also meets a wonderful man named Max whom she feels very close with. But she also keeps thinking of things back in her life in London. The only part of this book I wasn't too thrilled with was the whole murder mystry theme. But overall Tansy learns alot on her trip and makes a bunch of wonderful friends who care for her and help her out. Overall I can't wait to read more from this author.
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