My reccommendations, are to go with a Multiplex Easy Star RTF. You won't be wasting your time with it.
There is a VERY BIG difference between your average Cessna 182, and a Electric Shock. First of all, the most obvious, is that the cessna is a high wing plane, that is very stable in the air. It can have very forgiving flight characteristics. The electric shock has a symmetrical wing, and is mounted in the middle of the fuselage, which makes the plane a very neutral flying plane, whcih means it will be right at home upright, or inverted. Also, it has MUCH MUCH larger controll surfaces than the cessna, resulting in instant controll, and very very fast roll/pitch rates. Beginners need a very stable plane that they can react to and learn at their own pace, not a plane where they have to think about what they are going to do in just a few millisecnds. We urge you to not waste your money on getting a high performance 3D plane, like the Addiction, or Electric Shock. You will end up crashing the plane in second, and you will be out of the hobby as fast as you got into it. Yes they may look cool, and awesome when in the hands of an experienced pilot, and you may think "Oh, that looks very easy to do. I'm going to get one and do that" when we really have years of experience and make maneuvers like hovering, rolling harriers, rolling circles, immelmanns, loops, inverted, blenders, waterfalls, ect. appear very easy to do.
Getting a Multiplex Easy Star, or Hobby Zone Super Cub is the right way to go. If you have "young thumbs" you'll pick flying up fairly fast, and you'll be soloing your new trainer in about 10 flights. Then you can move onto an aerobatic trainer, then onto a sportty 3D plane.
Easy Star
Super Cub
The Easy star is more forgiving in flight, and can handle winds a lot better than the Super Cub. However, the Super Cub can fly in smaller areas (like a small park), where the Easy star would be a challenge to fly.
Both have their ups and downs, like the Easy Star included Hitec RDC radio equipment, which you can re-use in other future planes. The Super Cub has low quality radio gear, that you pretty much can only use in the Super Cub.
Happy Flying!