Book Review: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Orion, February 2012

It’s 1999 and for the staff of one newspaper office, the internet is still a novelty. By day, two young women, Beth and Jennifer, spend their hours emailing each other, discussing in hilarious detail every aspect of their lives, from love troubles to family dramas. And by night, Lincoln, a shy, lonely IT guy spends his hours reading every exchange.

At first their emails offer a welcome diversion, but as Lincoln unwittingly becomes drawn into their lives, the more he reads, the more he finds himself falling for one of them. By the time Lincoln realizes just how head-over-heels he really is, it’s way too late to introduce himself. What would he say to her? ‘Hi, I’m the guy who reads your e-mails – and also, I think I love you’.

After a series of close encounters, Lincoln decides it’s time to muster the courage to follow his heart, and find out whether there really is such a thing as love before first-sight.

Attachments was a book I had been looking forward to reading. I had heard great things about it. It was my introduction to Rainbow Rowell.

Lincoln works nights at a newspaper. He spends his shifts monitoring the e-mails of his colleagues in a time where e-mail was still pretty new to offices. The e-mail exchanges between two of his colleagues catches his eye and soon he feels as though he knows Beth and Jennifer. He even starts to fall in love with one of them.

This isn’t a traditional love story. One character is completely unaware of the man who is falling in love with her (without never having met her.)

Lincoln works nights. He seemed such a sweet character and is maybe a little shy. He was a very endearing character. He knows his interest in Beth and Jennifer’s e-mails goes beyond the professional but as he likes one of them, he continues to look and as a reader, you forgive him for it. I know I shouldn’t like him for that but for some reason, it’s sweet. He was by far my favourite character. It is a love story but the focus on him is very much him finding independence. He has quite a transformation throughout the book.

The point of view switches between Lincoln and e-mail exchanges between Beth and Jennifer. I did find this style unusual and it is a little hard to follow in some areas of the book but it was mostly OK. I didn’t have a problem with this format. I found the style quite interesting actually.

Rowell’s humour is great and sensitive subjects are written about with care. The cover is so pretty too. I read this in a couple of sittings as I couldn’t put it down.

Attachments is a book about taking chances, risks and about having faith. This was my first book by Rainbow Rowell and I am fast becoming a fan.

(Attachments is published by Orion, February 2012 and is available in most major bookshops.) 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.