Review: Landline

Landline by Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: July 8th, 2014
Source: Library
Date Read: 8/25/14 to 8/25/14
310 Pages
Rating: ✰✰✰✰

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 beside the point now.

Maybe that was always beside 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?

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So first I have a couple of things to say because Landline blew my socks off. I'm sorry for the weird phrase, it's just that, this is the first thing that came into my mind. But let me just say:

• First of all, I have now read every single Rainbow Rowell book! Yes, all 4 of them. No I don't care that that's a small number. It matters to me. Moving on...
• Second, the library gave me the large print edition, because I don't know why? But either way, I still loved the book. I already have horrible eyesight for objects far away, I don't need reading glasses now. (Though I'm doomed to get them, my dad said so)
• AND EVEN THEN, I still read this book in one day. 

Have I reeled you in yet? Yes? Good.

Landline is about a couple, well more of a marriage, that has had more downs than ups. Our awesome main character, Georgie, realizes this. But she isn't sure what to do. And when Georgie chooses work over visiting her family during the Christmas season, she feels as if she's ruined everything. 

Her husband, Neal, is never available when she calls him.

And his mother and Georgie's daughters always pick up instead.

And this is a huge problem to Georgie. Because maybe this time, Neal really did leave her. Or at least he would be thinking about it, right?

ENTER IN MAGICAL PHONE, THAT CROSSES TIME AND SPACE TO 1998 NEAL. Georgie's husband from the past, but he doesn't know that he has a family with Georgie.

Yet, whenever current time Georgie talks with 1998 Neal, everything is okay. It's as if 1998 Neal, and current time Georgie were meant to be, even though it's impossible. 

The book divides itself into three time periods, the past with 1998 Neal and 1998 Georgie which serve as flashbacks to describe their early relationship, the current time with their marriage troubles, though we don't get much Neal here, and then the middle. The middle was the most unique, since this is the bridge between the current time and the past.

Also, I grew very attached to both characters, which was really surprising! I haven't fully been assimilated into adult fiction, and I didn't like Attachments as much, but I've never gotten attached to adult characters. BUT I DID WITH GEORGIE! And I can't say why for certain, but I'm glad I did!

But yes, this is completely different from what I've been reading so far (all fantasy haha), but the introduction of the magical phone really did it for me. You would think that Rowell, being mostly a contemporary writer, wouldn't get the whole topic of time travel, right?? WELL I WAS WRONG. It was done so neatly, and it was in the background enough for it to NOT get on my nerves. No plot holes, no intricate science terms, because everything was just accepted after awhile. Sure, Georgie thought she was hallucinating, but that's normal!

I APPROVE

Now, why have I taken off a star?

It was purely for personal reasons, aka MY FEELS. And what DIDN'T HAPPEN. 

Which I will put in as a spoiler, because even though it isn't, I still don't like to imply what has happened and what has not happened:

SO GEORGIE NEVER MENTIONS TO CURRENT-TIME NEAL ABOUT HER PHONE CALLS TO 1998 NEAL. Being a huge fan of reveals, I thought this would be A GREAT REACTION from Neal. He does kind of grow a little confused at the end, BUT HE DOESN'T PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER. Wah.

Haha so yeah, I'm a little mad about that. But either way, I still loved it! Plus, there's a little LGBT in here that made me squee! And also, PUPPIES!

Yes, go read Landline. Order it, buy it, request it from the library. GET YOUR HANDS ON IT.

Also, I have updated my list of Rainbow Rowell books, from my favorite to least favorite:

Fangirl > Eleanor & Park = Landline > Attachments