Book Review: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Landline

By Rainbow Rowell

Release Date: July 8, 2014

Source: Publisher

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?

Review: Haha, this book. It was definitely an interesting journey reading this book. Let me start out by saying that I didn't read the summary before reading this book, so I had no idea what this was going to be about. So when Georgie, the main character, thought she was going crazy after talking to her husband on her landline phone, I thought she was going crazy too. Not knowing what was really going on, though, made the story that much more enjoyable to read. 

Georgie McCool's life is everything she's wanted, but growing up is a lot harder than she thought. Her marriage to Neal isn't exactly in the best place. Sure, they love each other, but they need more than love to be truly happy together. When Georgie has the chance to make it big with a television show she's been working on for years, she decides to stay home for Christmas while Neal and their kids go to his mom's house for the holidays. Georgie knows Neal isn't happy with her decision, but she stays home anyways to chase her dreams. As soon as her family leaves, though, Georgie isn't sure she's made the right decision. Back at her own mom's house, Georgie finds her old rotary phone and discovers that she can talk to Neal in the past, at a moment where their relationship was just as rocky as it is now. Georgie is shocked at first, but then decides her magical phone is the chance to fix their relationship and rediscover why they chose each other in the first place. 

Once I got over my first thought that Georgie may, in fact, being going absolutely crazy when she starts speaking to Neal who is definitely not her husband now, Georgie's life becomes so much more intense. Georgie has to try and fix her marriage while her husband is off in Omaha and she's in LA, but she can't seem to get ahold of him unless it's by using the landline. From 1998. I love how Neal is similar, yet completely different, in 1998 than he is in 2013. Yet Georgie still has to try to fix their relationship both then and now. You can tell Neal and Georgie truly do love each other, but so much more goes into a functional relationship. Georgie and Neal have to figure out how they can learn to put each other first while still living a life that makes them happy. 

Rainbow Rowell always makes fantastically lovable characters, so it's no surprise that I loved the characters in this novel. As a TV/movie fanatic, I loved how Georgie and her best friend Seth were television writers and were working on a show they've been dreaming about for as long as they've known each other. Then, Neal was definitely quite the character. I loved how we got to know all of the characters from when they first met to when they're adults 15 years down the road. Neal is so mysterious in college, yet Georgie can't help but be fascinated with him and his drawings. We get to watch them struggle with their marriage now, but then we get some flashbacks and see them fall in love and raise a family that helps us understand how they got to where they are now. While I think the ending was a bit predictable, it was a very emotional journey to watch Georgie pretty much have a mental breakdown as she tried to figure out her marriage, family, career, and life as a whole. 

Seeing as this book is by Rainbow Rowell, I had super high expectations for it. I was excited to see how she would write in the adult genre, and I'm happy to report that I loved it! Some parts were a bit slow, but the characters were so unique and wonderfully developed that I became immersed in their lives and struggles to discover how to follow their hearts while being happy. Rainbow Rowell fans, and those who have never read the wonderful author, who are looking for a read that explores the reality of life and love in the adult world, you have to check out Landlines.