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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
I flew through this book. I related a lot to the main characters, and while the plot premise is a little odd, it was kind of a cute way to spark a romance. I think switching between email chain of Beth and Jennifer and following it with the POV of Lincoln was very creative. The book ended in the way I wanted it to, and you can definitely tell all characters were very well thought out. I also think having other platonic relationships in the book really helped show Lincoln’s major character development. Honestly at some points it felt like it was more about him finding himself and becoming a new person, and I was here for it. Hope to read more of Rainbow Rowell soon!!
I'm not buying what you're selling.
I'm not picking up what you're putting down.
I'm not believing a darn thing in this book even though I fully understand that it is a work of fiction and meant to be a little bit cute and a little bit funny and also meant to be awesome just because it is written by the nearly infamous Rainbow Rowell who everybody and their cat/dog/gerbil loves but who I just can't seem to like/appreciate/jive with on a Saturday night down at the Twist n' Shout and holy cow this is a little bit of a run-on sentence now isn't it?
Now that I have that out of the way, I want to say that I actually liked this book (a little bit). My disappointment may not be in the book itself but rather in the hype that surrounds it. While I will give it to Rowell that she can write (that is to say that she doesn't come across as an uneducated hillbilly with a second grader for an editor), it was mediocre for me at best. Let's do a simple (and equally numbered) pro/con here, shall we? Do you want the good news or the bad news first?
CONS:
Con #1: Who the h-e-double hockey sticks writes e-mails like this to their friends? They might as well have been starting each e-mail with, "Dear Diary, blah blah blah."
Con #2: Lincoln. I get it. You're nerdy, but you're hot. You live with your mom, but you're hot. You can't really talk to women, but you're hot. You're hot, but you're hot. Let me tell you what the guys in our IT department look like. Hot. The actual engineers? SMOKIN'.
Con #3: The Beth appeal. I will admit that I am not a guy. And maybe because I'm not, I don't get why Lincoln was so drawn to Beth. Jennifer was the much kinder, funnier, more BESTER (stop underlining it, spell check - it IS a word) woman of the two if going by the e-mails alone. Men.
PROS:
Pro #1: There are 90s references. I love the 90s, which is admittedly probably only because I grew up in them. I get nostalgic over Super Mario Kart, Clearly Canadian and Blind Melon's No Rain. I remember original Chat Rooms where we pretended we were at pool parties (never in my life did I look so stunning in a bikini).
Pro #2: Midwest references. They went to a bar across the river. Bars in Iowa stayed open until 2:00am. Damn straight. And if you cross the bridge to Illinois, you get another hour.
Pro #3: Beth improvement. There were a couple small moments where I saw a glimmer of hope for Beth not being a complete sack of potatoes and someone I might drink draft beer with in an Iowa (or Illinois) bar.
Not a coincidence, my friend. I've got the arms of a Sicilian grandmother. Arms for picking olives and stirring hearty tomato sauces. Shoulders for carrying buckets of water from the stream to the farmhouse.
It was sometimes cute, hardly ever funny, and almost always fluffy. It was my wake up call that I will not be riding on the Rainbow Rowell express. I'm jumping this ship. I'm aborting this mission. I'm full of more cliches than a Rowell book.
2 Stars
I'm not picking up what you're putting down.
I'm not believing a darn thing in this book even though I fully understand that it is a work of fiction and meant to be a little bit cute and a little bit funny and also meant to be awesome just because it is written by the nearly infamous Rainbow Rowell who everybody and their cat/dog/gerbil loves but who I just can't seem to like/appreciate/jive with on a Saturday night down at the Twist n' Shout and holy cow this is a little bit of a run-on sentence now isn't it?
Now that I have that out of the way, I want to say that I actually liked this book (a little bit). My disappointment may not be in the book itself but rather in the hype that surrounds it. While I will give it to Rowell that she can write (that is to say that she doesn't come across as an uneducated hillbilly with a second grader for an editor), it was mediocre for me at best. Let's do a simple (and equally numbered) pro/con here, shall we? Do you want the good news or the bad news first?
CONS:
Con #1: Who the h-e-double hockey sticks writes e-mails like this to their friends? They might as well have been starting each e-mail with, "Dear Diary, blah blah blah."
Con #2: Lincoln. I get it. You're nerdy, but you're hot. You live with your mom, but you're hot. You can't really talk to women, but you're hot. You're hot, but you're hot. Let me tell you what the guys in our IT department look like. Hot. The actual engineers? SMOKIN'.
Con #3: The Beth appeal. I will admit that I am not a guy. And maybe because I'm not, I don't get why Lincoln was so drawn to Beth. Jennifer was the much kinder, funnier, more BESTER (stop underlining it, spell check - it IS a word) woman of the two if going by the e-mails alone. Men.
PROS:
Pro #1: There are 90s references. I love the 90s, which is admittedly probably only because I grew up in them. I get nostalgic over Super Mario Kart, Clearly Canadian and Blind Melon's No Rain. I remember original Chat Rooms where we pretended we were at pool parties (never in my life did I look so stunning in a bikini).
Pro #2: Midwest references. They went to a bar across the river. Bars in Iowa stayed open until 2:00am. Damn straight. And if you cross the bridge to Illinois, you get another hour.
Pro #3: Beth improvement. There were a couple small moments where I saw a glimmer of hope for Beth not being a complete sack of potatoes and someone I might drink draft beer with in an Iowa (or Illinois) bar.
Not a coincidence, my friend. I've got the arms of a Sicilian grandmother. Arms for picking olives and stirring hearty tomato sauces. Shoulders for carrying buckets of water from the stream to the farmhouse.
It was sometimes cute, hardly ever funny, and almost always fluffy. It was my wake up call that I will not be riding on the Rainbow Rowell express. I'm jumping this ship. I'm aborting this mission. I'm full of more cliches than a Rowell book.
2 Stars
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The sole reason why Lincoln was forgiven for being such an absolute snoop—even when dealing with topics such as the love lives, pregnancies and eventual loses of these of absolute strangers—is because—surprise, surprise!—he's attractive. Effortlessy so. Oh, and also because he's polite, but let's be honest—this book wouldn't had had the same result were he just a decent guy.
But you know what? I guess I shouldn't be as surprised—frustrated, weirded out—as I currently am that that happened, sinceBeth literally tried to follow him to his fucking house (she would've definitely made it there, but thankfully she lost sight of his car halfway through) . Guess they deserve each other.
Wonder when and how was it that Rainbow Rowell thought this would be a good idea.
But you know what? I guess I shouldn't be as surprised—frustrated, weirded out—as I currently am that that happened, since
Wonder when and how was it that Rainbow Rowell thought this would be a good idea.
I just really like Rainbow Rowell. I feel like I'm reading an episode of Gilmore Girls - quick, funny, smart.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am a fan of rainbow Rowell and wanted to read this. Honestly the first hundred pages were just okay. It was only when Lincoln starts improving his life that it began to get really good.
This book pretty much consoles people who feel like they are failing about being adults.
All three of the main characters are pretty much in the boat but for totally different reasons. If you remember the 90s, you'll definitely get an added kick out of this.
Lincoln doesn't quite know what he's doing in life and has is still yet to find his goal, he's shy, reserved and doesn't really put much effort into making new friends. He's just doing the daily grind, living with his mother and reading other people's emails for a living.
Beth just doesn't know that he relationship isn't quite working and is probably settling and is completely unaware of it. Despite having a hot rock band boyfriend she still scouts out cute guys from her surrounds, something's up but she's definitely in denial.
Jennifer is married and working full time but progressive any further with life's usual goals such as family and probably sorting out her retirement fund with her husband is too much of a commitment on her free-spirited ways.
This is a book for the underdog: Fresh out of college and a little disillusioned with life and becoming a full realised human being. This was the first book I read to understand me, rather than me understand it. The first of its kind for me with all the convulsing with 'the feels' and crying out the book's emotional honesty -- it's funny, heart-warming, creative and everyone should read it because it's such an easy book to read and get caught up in the characters who remind you of your friends.
All three of the main characters are pretty much in the boat but for totally different reasons. If you remember the 90s, you'll definitely get an added kick out of this.
Lincoln doesn't quite know what he's doing in life and has is still yet to find his goal, he's shy, reserved and doesn't really put much effort into making new friends. He's just doing the daily grind, living with his mother and reading other people's emails for a living.
Beth just doesn't know that he relationship isn't quite working and is probably settling and is completely unaware of it. Despite having a hot rock band boyfriend she still scouts out cute guys from her surrounds, something's up but she's definitely in denial.
Jennifer is married and working full time but progressive any further with life's usual goals such as family and probably sorting out her retirement fund with her husband is too much of a commitment on her free-spirited ways.
This is a book for the underdog: Fresh out of college and a little disillusioned with life and becoming a full realised human being. This was the first book I read to understand me, rather than me understand it. The first of its kind for me with all the convulsing with 'the feels' and crying out the book's emotional honesty -- it's funny, heart-warming, creative and everyone should read it because it's such an easy book to read and get caught up in the characters who remind you of your friends.
I'd give this 4.5. Was a great little chick-lit novel. I especially liked the ending. Not as trite as most, but satisfying. I also liked it better than Eleanor and Park her more popular novel. Not sure if it was just because this was more about adults. Was entertaining, but not a lot of laugh out loud moments. Also was fun to have it set back in 1999 and bring back memories.