Rainbow Rowell
Dutton, 2011
I love epistolary novels, and can remember the first novel I ever read written entirely in email format (Snail Mail No More, in case you're curious). So when I managed to snag an ARC of Attachments through a @DuttonBooks Monday giveaway on twitter? I was excited. I was very intrigued by the premise: boy "meets" girl by reading her emails, and wanted to see how Rainbow Rowell would make it work. I was not disappointed.
Lincoln is our 'hero' - he works web security for the local paper, and as part of his job has to read the emails that get caught in the filter. Enter Beth and Jennifer - two friends whose very-personal-emails get caught in the filter on a regular (almost daily) basis. At first Lincoln's just reading their emails as his job, but soon he is reading them for their own merit - and getting to know these two funny, vivacious women. He's especially fond of Beth's emails. We get to know Beth and Jennifer the same way Lincoln does: only through their emails, and then, somehow, by a chance encounter or two. Lincoln's chapters however, are "normal" chapters, and are the bulk of the novel. Through these, we get to know Lincoln, to work through his past and fight to find his place in the world. As Lincoln becomes more and more drawn to Beth, he realizes that the reason he's discovered her is the very reason he can never truly meet her. And so, he finally makes a decision - and leaves.
But that's not the end of the novel. Oh no, there's much more to be discovered. Reading, I had no idea where the story was going to go - I found myself cheering for Lincoln, Beth and Jennifer as they worked through their own individual problems. I kept trying to guess what'd happen next, and never succeeded. And that's okay, because the ending was everything it needed to be. Everything I wanted it to be. I, for one, am definitely looking forward to seeing what else Rowell will write.
ARC provided by my personal library.
This sounds excellent, Rebecca. There's another book with a similar premise--she's a tax adjuster with the IRS and falls in love with him through his tax return. I wish I could remember the name!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, back to this book. Right. I'm curious to know where the story goes from where you left off. So curious, in fact, that I just put it on hold. So thanks for adding a book to my TBR mountain. ;)
Ooooh, that sounds like a fun take on the idea ... Maybe I'll have to do some hunting ;o)
ReplyDeletehehe, My job is here done ;o) LOL! It's a fun, quick read :o)
I added a link to your review at my Saturday Review of Books ( http://www.semicolonblog.com ). You're welcome to come take a look and add a link any Saturday.
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