Attachments
By Rainbow Rowell
Plume March 2012
323 pages
From my shelves
Lincoln O'Neill wasn't expecting to read people's emails when he took a job as a security officer at a newspaper. But that is what he is asked to do each evening. Most of the emails that are flagged are inappropriate, but the exchanges between copyeditor Jennifer and movie critic Beth are a blast to read. The friends are kind and funny and Lincoln finds himself wishing that he could actually talk to them instead of just cyberstalking them for a paycheck. When he finds himself falling for Beth, Lincoln decides he couldn't possibly introduce himself...or can he?
Attachments is a wonderful read. It is told in alternating chapters - some chapters are from Lincoln's POV and the others are email correspondence between Jennifer and Beth. I am not usually a fan of epistolary novels, but this one makes it work. The emails between the two girls look just like the ones that are in your inbox from your best friend. While I certainly agree that characters don't have to be likeable to be interesting, there is something irresistible about falling for characters as they fall for each other. Lincoln and Beth and Jennifer are people you can't help but love. They have quirks and flaws, but they quickly feel like friends who you have known for years.
This story takes place in 1999 and 2000. Rainbow Rowell manages to hit the perfect balance of placing her story firmly within a time and also making it feel timeless. The newspaper where they work may just be introducing an online edition and Y2K may be a real concern (remember that?) but their story of figuring out who they want to become is timeless.
The characters in Attachments are going through the big life changes of their mid and late twenties. They have graduated from college and are in that middle place where they are deciding if their first job will become a career, if they want to have kids, and if their first love will be their partner for life. These decisions feel just as important for these characters as they are in real life, but their magnitude doesn't weigh down the story.
The characters in Attachments are going through the big life changes of their mid and late twenties. They have graduated from college and are in that middle place where they are deciding if their first job will become a career, if they want to have kids, and if their first love will be their partner for life. These decisions feel just as important for these characters as they are in real life, but their magnitude doesn't weigh down the story.
Attachments is a really fun read that will have you cheering for the characters and smiling when you turn the last page. The problems that Beth, Lincoln, and Jennifer are dealing with are real - the day to day frustrations and the major life decisions that each of us encounter - and they will resonate with readers. This is a perfect book for those days when you need to believe again that good friends can get you through the pain and uncertainty of life.
