Book Review: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Release Date: July 8, 2014

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Pages: 308

Received: Publisher (exchange for a review) *Thank You!*

Star Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆








Summary:
               Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems besides the point now.

Maybe that was always besides the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

My Thoughts:

I wish there was a word I could possibly think of that describes my thoughts for LANDLINE. Cute? Adorable? Delightful? It felt like more. As humans, we waste words unknowingly. Rainbow Rowell has brought a charming and appealing novel upon us. Her writing style was familiar and spoke to my young heart. Based on my thoughts, I think this novel will spread to a majority of the YA readers because of Rainbow Rowell's previous successes in that genre. But without a doubt, it is through and through an Adult book. Rainbow Rowell can work on both genres, YA and Adult, and produce a novel that makes readers always wanting more. 

Georgie McCool has known her marriage was on the brink of falling apart. She has always loved Neal and vice versa. But there's another problem that will repel them from each other, more than it has already. Georgia gives a late response to Neal about not going with them to visit Neal's family in Omaha for Christmas. She is a TV writer and is caught up writing for something she has been waiting to happen for years. Georgie knows Neal will be more than unhappy because their marriage is also not at its best. She feels she finally wrecked everything. But that night, Georgie has found a way to contact Neal in the past. She thinks it's another chance to repair her marriage and to fall in love with Neal again. 

The main reason this book caught my attention, other than Rainbow Rowell, was the idea of talking to the past. The old, yellow landline gave the story that effect. While Georgie talks to past Neal, she gets reminded why she fell in love with him in the first place. It opened more doors for Georgie and you can see the transition from start to finish. The development with Georgie and her lack of communication was a ride I was happy to be on. Throughout LANDLINE, we fall in love with Georgie and Neal's past and discover the meaning of falling in love again.

I'm not going to be endearing about this, but Landline is not an all round happy book. We see the downfall of a marriage and characters struggling to communicate. But in LANDLINE, we submit ourselves on a ride we never want to end. The plot was fairly predicable, but the delivery of the writing made up for it all. By far, this wasn't my favorite Rowell novel, but I enjoyed it as much. This is a book definitely worth rereading, especially during the Christmas time.

LANDLINE reminds us that the true meaning of love isn't presence, but is something you can never have enough of. I know this book isn't for everyone, but it will most definitely appeal to many Rainbow Rowell readers. If you're debating on picking this up, I would suggest this to anyone who is interested in mature pieces of young adult literature. Rainbow Rowell has created more than paper characters. She has written genuine characters that feel so real, but are so out of your touch.

4.5/5 STARS