Weekend Writing: Reviewing Rainbow Rowell's "Attachments"

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" 

"I don't know. Do you believe in love before that?" - Rainbow Rowell, "Attachments" 

When I first read the synopsis to Rainbow Rowell's 2011 contemporary novel, Attachments, I knew it was the type of book I would enjoy. It's a classic romance: A boy falls for a girl, but he's too shy to tell her about it. He's not even aware that she likes him at the same time.

Rainbow Rowell's "Attachments" (photo/The Kizz of all Trades).

But Rowell has put a slightly modern twist to the classic tale by introducing technology. For example, the story is set in 1999 towards the end of the 20th century. The protagonist, Lincoln O'Neill, works in the IT office at a small local newspaper. He thought he would be helping install cybersecurity, but it's just the opposite. He's monitoring coworkers' emails and instant messages. Talk about a boring job.

It is until he stumbles upon instant messages between Jennifer Scribner-Snyder, a copyeditor, and Beth Fremont, a film critic. They know their messages are being monitored, but that doesn't stop them from chatting about their personal lives--discussing everything from Jennifer's pregnancy, Beth's distraught relationship with her boyfriend, and more. They're breaking the rules, but they don't care. They haven't been caught yet.

(photo/Popsugar)

Because it's Lincoln's job to send them a warning message...but he doesn't. He is so caught up in their conversations that he doesn't send them a warning. He begins to rely on the messages to get him through his boring job. But, it doesn't take long for Lincoln to fall in love with Beth. He's never even seen Beth, but he fell in love with her--her personality, her quirks, and her stories. He already knew pretty much everything about her, and he never met her.

At the same time, he discovers in the chat conversations that Beth has developed a crush on him in the office. She refers to him as "My Cute Guy." If only Lincoln had the courage to talk to her, but he knew that once he told her that he read her messages, she wouldn't want anything to do with him.

Rainbow Rowell (photo/Time)

When he finally meets her and she finds out the truth, however, she's not angry. She's single and has fallen in love with him. She asks him, "Do you believe in love at first sight?" He responds, "I don't know. Do you believe in love before that?" Because it's true; Lincoln fell in love with Beth long before he ever met her.

Rainbow Rowell is known for writing believable characters, and the characters in Attachments are no different. Lincoln is a 28-year-old "geek" who only has a small circle of friends. He's a hopeless romantic, but he's way too shy or "awkward" to find a girlfriend. Beth is also a hopeless romantic who wants her boyfriend, Chris, to finally propose. She's ready to get married and become a mother, but she's in a dead-end relationship. This is very relatable.

(photo/Pinterest)

I loved reading the chats between Beth and Jennifer. They were impressive characters. They're witty, interesting, strong, and intellectual women. Lincoln cared about both of them (especially when Jennifer had a miscarriage), but he fell in love with Beth's story.

While the ending is open-ended (we don't know what the future holds for Beth and Lincoln), that's the beauty of Rowell's writing. Readers don't exactly know if it's a "happily ever after," but we can make our own assumptions. That's what I did with this book. I assume Lincoln and Beth will end up together, eventually get married, and live the romantic lives they desperately wanted.

Overall, I really enjoyed Attachments. It wasn't your typical love story. None of Rowell's books are the same, which shows how versatile her writing can be. I love reading a book that makes me hope for the best, and I definitely hoped for the best with these characters. Even though I knew Lincoln and Beth would eventually meet each other, I was intrigued by how it was going to happen.

And that's what you want with a good book, and Attachments is one of the best.

Read on.

-KJL-

(photo/My Tiny Obsessions)