Lefty's Lowdown: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
(standalone)
Published: April 14, 2011 by Dutton
Source: Received in a trade

Summary from Goodreads: 
Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ?

After being wowed by Fangirl, I vowed to read everything by Rainbow Rowell. Let me tell you, Attachments did not disappoint me. This book is clever, addicting, and different. 

I'll admit, I had a few problems with this novel when I was reading. In the beginning, I thought Lincoln was a bit too mopey for my tastes, but I did respect how realistic and (even though some might not like to admit it) relatable his character was. Socially awkward, stuck in a job he hates, and living with his mother again, Lincoln was definitely stuck in a life slump. In a way, his transformation almost reads like a coming of age novel (even though he's almost 30). All in all, though, he was a good guy and I really enjoyed reading about him once he starts getting his life together. 

The other problem I had was that the ending felt very rushed. This whole novel builds up to Lincoln and Beth meeting in person, so the way things went down when they finally did meet was not what I was anticipating. I just thought what took place was a bit strange, and I could feel myself reading with furrowed brows. 

Aside from those two things, though, I thought this book was brilliant! I just adored getting to know Beth and Jennifer exclusively through their emails back and forth with each other. They were so much fun and so so so clever! Their emails were definitely my favorite part of the novel. In the beginning, when I wasn't so much vibing with Lincoln's narration, I found myself eagerly awaiting their email exchanges. You know Rowell is doing something right when she gets me super invested in these two characters through just emails! 

I also think it is really neat that this book deals with the turn of the century AKA the Y2K debacle. I'm a bit too young to remember the panic that centered around this event, so it was so cool to see it in a book, and to read about the transition into a more technology-driven era. 

Despite minor issues, this book had me really hooked, and feeling very happy by the end of it. I love that Rainbow Rowell's books leave me with this deep-seated feeling of contentment when I finish the last page (NOT ELEANOR AND PARK THO). Anyway, this book was quick, addicting, and super enjoyable! 

4/5