My Take: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Landline by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Landline by Rainbow Rowell is an adult contemporary. So, don't go in expecting a typical Rainbow YA experience.

This book is about a married couple, Gorgie and Neal. They have two kids, Alice and Noomi and a marriage that is on rocky ground.

Gorgie has a very demanding and time consuming job as a tv sitcom writer and Neal is a stay at home dad. (I love that!) And it is Christmas time and a show that her and her lifelong friend and colleague, Seth, have been planning for years is finally getting picked up for a pilot. This means she has to work through Christmas break and be away from the family, yet again. Neal makes a decision to head out to his parents in Omaha with the girls anyway. Without Gorgie.

Even though this book is realistic, something mysterious and almost magical happens to Gorgie. And it is something that could save or erase the life she has lived with Neal and her daughters.

The characters in this book felt extremely real. Which really is something Rainbow Rowell does well. She writes characters who are interesting and relatable. That have rich backstories and are just all around well developed, and Landline is no exception. I just love the personalities of the characters, they just come to life on the pages. I LOVE how, again, real the characters are with each other. Noomi, for example, is four and thinks shes a cat and how Gorgie indulges her by meowing back. She is the sweetest little girl! I just adore them all.

The story itself had it's range of emotions. We got to experience how they met and how they ended up where they are. It addresses the very real issues of everyday married life, and just life in general. How we get so caught up in our own issues and day to day routines, that we lose focus on the relationships around us. And how it affects everyone. This book had its share of sadness, but also hope and love. A lot of love.

I think Landline will brings in a whole new audience for Rainbow, and completely satisfy the fanbase she already has. This is another hit for me and just cements my own love of Rainbows work.

I won an ARC of Landline, but all opinions here are my own and honest.




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