Rating: 
Summary: Backpack packs in a great read
Review: This was a really fantastic way to spend a rainy weekend day! Emily Barr has managed to stray away from the typical Brit girl who works in publishing and media to create a funny and exciting read with an interesting murder mystery to boot. The ending throws a really nice curve at you.
Rating: 
Summary: A Nice Change - But I Don't Like Tansy At All
Review: This was definitely a refreshing change from the dizzy Brit girl persona characterized in so many recent novels. However, one thing that really turned me off from giving this book four stars (which I would have, if only for the interesting twist of a murder mystery in addition to the typical meet-Mr.-right scenario)is Tansy's use of cocaine. I really felt that Barr was glorifying drugs for at least a good portion of this book, and that is just offputting to me.Other than that, there were a few editorial bloopers but nothing compared to those in, say, "Jemima J." or "Bad Boy". One thing I will say is that the identity of the murderer is disappointingly easy to figure out early on in the book. Also, I wondered why Tansy didn't report to anyone the fact that the murderer was likely leaving behind items stolen from her. Overall, a nice twist on the Bridget Jones-era copycats but still somewhat lacking in the fact that, though Tansy is from a different mold, she is still selfish and self-absorbed at the end of the story (she definitely still is not deserving of Max at all) and that brought the rating down to a three.
Rating:
Summary: Such a great book
Review: When i picked up this book I didn't really think about how great it would be. While reading Backpack, it made me think about going backpacking through Asia myself. Emily Barr really brings you through Asia, you get that feeling that you're backpacking through Asia.
Rating:
Summary: Such a great book
Review: When i picked up this book I didn't really think about how great it would be. While reading Backpack, it made me think about going backpacking through Asia myself. Emily Barr really brings you through Asia, you get that feeling that you're backpacking through Asia.
Rating: 
Summary: Great! Not brainless as expected! This book has substance!
Review: When I picked up this book, I expected it to be fluffy, brainless, and shallow ...(like Shopaholic Takes Manhattan). However, this book was really good. It has some depth, intrigue, romance, humor, and heart. It strikes a nice balance because it is both a fun and easy read (exactly what I needed after a hard semester as a geochemistry grad student) and not insulting to my intelligence (as was Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, which I gave up on - how predictable, shallow, and just plain boring can a book be?). I RECOMMEND BACKPACK TO ANYONE :)
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