Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Attachments 

by Rainbow Rowell

Released: April 14, 2011
Publisher: Plume 
Page Amount: 323, US Paperback
POV: 3rd Person
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-19/20
Characters-18/20

Creativity-20/20

Writing-18/20

Pace-9/10

Ending-9/10

=93/100 A

★★★★★/5

SUMMARY:

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 . . . ? -Goodreads.com

REViEW:
I am on a Rainbow Rowell kick and I have no regrets. After reading Eleanor and Park and loving it, I now feel the urge to read all of her books right this second! However, seeing that I am in the midst of finals and papers, I figured I needed a quick, easy read, and Attachments was just that. I must say I was intrigued from the very start because of the unique plot and captivating characters. This book follows Lincoln, who has a job reading people's emails, when all of a sudden he begins to fall for one of the girls from her emails. How clever is that? I really enjoyed being able to read a book that was new and fresh. The plot was so quirky and unexpected at times. However, the main force of this novel is the characters.

Rowell's characters are incredibly realistic. They feel like they could be people you know or people that you actually know. For instance, I feel like Jennifer is almost exactly like me. Her naivety and innocence really made me feel like I was reading my own text messages when reading the text of her emails. Similarly, Jennifer's best friend, Beth, seemed to be an incarnation of my best friend. That being said, reading Jennifer and Beth's messages were hilarious and totally relatable. Their drama was pretty typical but infused with wit. This made ordinary events appear to be worth reading. On the contrary, this was one of my issues with the main character, Lincoln. Don't get me wrong, I loved utterly adorable Lincoln, but because he was an ordinary guy his narrative was a bit slow at times. This book is so close to reality that it made some parts of this book a little slow, but it was still nonetheless enjoyable. Additionally, the romance in this book was just enough. This book is not solely focused on love, which I appreciated even though I am a hardcore romantic. This book worked because it focused on friendship, life, growing up, as well as just a sprinkle of gush worthy romance.

The ending was cute. I don't want to say that much, but I loved it. It filled my heart with such warmth. Cute is the big word with this book. From the start, I loved the fun plot with the normal yet intriguing characters. Although this book may not be my favorite Rainbow Rowell book (Eleanor and Park is...as of now), that doesn't meant that this book isn't fantastic in and of itself. This is exactly the kind of book that it seems: fun, quirky, and cute. I highly recommend it if that is something that you are looking for.

My Favorite Part: Jennifer and Beth's friendship and daily banter.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it's so cute!

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor and Park 

by Rainbow Rowell

Released: February 26, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Page Amount: 352, US Hardback
POV: 3rd Person
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-19/20
Characters-20/20

Creativity-19/20

Writing-20/20

Pace-10/10

Ending-10/10

=98/100 A+

★★★★★/5

SUMMARY:

Two misfits. One extraordinary love. Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor. Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park. Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. -Goodreads.com

REViEW:
I am sad to admit that this was my first Rainbow Rowell book. I met Rowell at BEA and even got a signed ARC of Fangirl, yet I did not read it. However, once I found out that Rowell was coming near my hometown, I knew the time had finally come for me to open on of her books. In preparation for the book signing, I picked up a copy of each of her books and began reading Eleanor and Park so I would not feel like a complete hypocrite when I met her. Well, once I started reading Eleanor and Park, I could not stop. I decided homework and readings for class could wait because this book was just that addicting.

This book centers around two high school students, both from extremely different walks of life. The plot was intriguing because this book is told in alternating perspectives of Eleanor and Park. When Eleanor was narrating, you are thrust into a world where everything isn't just flowers and happiness. Instead, there is domestic abuse, family issues, and a lot of pain. On the other hand, Park seems to be leading a privileged life, but not everything is a polished as it seems. The serious tones of this book does not bring the reader down because Rowell makes sure to include humor and cute, romanic situations that are sure to make the reader swoon and laugh out loud. I do not want to say much about the plot, because it is so incredibly beautiful, and I think you should find out for yourself.

As you probably can already tell, the characters are the driving force of this novel. Eleanor and Park are wonderfully developed. I loved seeing them grow as individuals and together. To be honest, when I began reading this book, I thought I was going to hate Park for being such a jerk. And then I thought I might Eleanor too for being so weird. But now it pains me to even admit that because now Eleanor and Park feel like real friends. Rowell is a master at making the reader realize their own discriminatory faults. Everyone has a story that you do not know. Eleanor and Park are both great examples of this. I learned a lot from being able to be a part of their relationship. It made me remember what it was like to be in love for the first time. It's something incredibly beautiful and relatable for readers of every age.

The ending of this book was great. I don't entirely want to say much about the ending because it is so incredibly beautiful. I accidentally spoiled the ending for myself, which made the ending a little less impactful. However, I know that if I read the ending without knowing what was about to happen I would have been freaking out and loving it a thousand times more. This ending- and book- is absolutely amazing. Please read this book. It's most definitely one of the most beautifully written love story I have ever read because it is realistic. I really wish that I could know what is next for Eleanor and Park.

My Favorite Part: The depth of this book that Rowell maintained, while still including some wit and whimsy.


ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Absolutely, this book rocked my world. 

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥