"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . "
Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.
Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.
When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.
By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.
What would he say . . . ?" (from Goodreads)
The subject: a young man in his late twenties who's trying to figure out what he should be doing in life, and falling in love along the way. Lincoln's a slightly pathetic (he lives with his mom), somewhat neurotic (he's a worrier with self-esteem issues), entirely lovable character who worms his way into your heart.
The setting: primarily various offices and rooms at The Courier, as well as Lincoln's mom's house, in 1999/2000. (Yes, the Y2K scare happens!)
Shutter speed: slow, to be sure. This is a character-driven book, so if you are looking for action-packed plot, look elsewhere.
What's in the background? The kind of dry, witty, understated humour that strikes my funnybone just right. This book had me chortling with laughter numerous times.
Also, some of the storylines are on the serious side, with more than a touch of melancholy to them. This balances out the lighter, fluffier side of things.
Zoom in on: Beth's perspective, particularly towards the end. We're in Lincoln's head a lot but I would have liked to have gotten a better idea of what Beth was thinking.
Anything out of focus? I wanted more from the ending. Given that the whole book was building toward this moment, it just didn't give me everything I was hoping for. Spoilers, highlight to read: I found the last couple of chapters cheesy and predictable in how they got together, and it happened awfully fast. While I think theoretically they are quite well-suited — Lincoln loves devotedly, which is what Beth is looking for after her previous relationship with Chris — I would have liked to have seen more of them together, demonstrating their compatibility in action.
I also felt like Beth's and Jennifer's voices sounded quite similar, and it took a while for their personalities to become even somewhat distinct from each other. They both made plenty of pop culture references that went sailing right over my head (as they often do).
Ready? Say... charming!
Click! 4 shooting stars. Fans of Meg Cabot's adult 'chick-lit' books will enjoy this one, especially if they're looking for something that's just a little bit weightier.
I loved Fangirl (but not Eleanor and Park) and so would like to give this one a try as I've heard good things about it too. Rowell's books seem to have in common the fact that they're more character driven :)
ReplyDeleteHow's your summer going, Danya?
Very well, thanks! I'm enjoying being back at home, relaxing, catching up on reading and blogging, and watching the World Cup XD What about you?
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