Book Review - Attachments

After meeting Rainbow Rowell and reading her most recent book, I was excited to read her first novel, Attachments.  I really liked this book!  Here are some reasons:

• Like Eleanor & Park, this book is set in Omaha.  It's fun to recognize street names and places.  I got a little nostalgic for the Ranch Bowl (a concert venue which was torn down and replaced by a Walmart a few years ago).  I definitely went to a few concerts there when I was in college.
• It's set in 1999, and the main character has a job as an internet security officer at a newspaper that just let their staff have email access.  It's crazy to think about how email was a new thing, and everyone was worried about Y2K, and Rowell does a great job of capturing that time period.  
• The main characters are realistically likable.  The main story is that Lincoln can read emails from his co-workers (and he's supposed to get them in trouble if email is used for personal stuff), and he starts to read conversations between Jennifer and Beth.  Then he starts to really like them, especially Beth, and everything gets complicated.  Even though they make mistakes, I still wanted them to have a happy ending.  (I compare this to many romantic comedies, like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, where I truly disliked both characters and didn't even want them to end up happy and together, because they were both such jerks!)
• The narrative moves between Lincoln's every day activities to email threads between Jennifer and Beth.  Rowell does a great job of making this transition, and I felt like all 3 characters have their own distinct voice.  

I'm sure I am forgetting something.  I should really write up my notes immediately after finishing a book instead of a few weeks later.  In conclusion, if you like a smart and funny and romantic novel, you should read this one!