Review: Landline – Rainbow Rowell

Landline – Rainbow Rowell

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble; it has 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 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: Georgie fell in love with Neal during college, but after two kids and a demanding career, their marriage is falling apart. When Georgie finds a magic phone that allows her to call college-aged Neal, she has to decide if she wants to save their marriage or end it before it begins.

Rainbow Rowell is one of my favorite writers. Her characters have so much depth, and her dialogue is hilarious. There are literal laugh-out-loud moments in this book. I love the flashbacks to when Georgie and Neal are in college. The funny, awkward, sweetness of the characters in the past really contrasts with their anger and resentment toward each other in the present. The tension kept me reading. I wanted to know what happened between them.

Many reviewers have said that Landline is Rainbow Rowell’s weakest book, and I would agree with that. The characters aren’t as likeable or relatable as the characters in her other books. They argue a lot, and their arguments quickly become repetitive. The plot is also predictable. This is a time-travel book, and if you’ve read other time-travel books, it will be very easy to figure out the end.

That being said, I did really enjoy Landline. Even though it’s about serious marriage troubles, the secondary characters keep it upbeat. Georgie’s friends and family provide a lot of comic relief. Even the pizza girl made me smile.

Landline isn’t the best Rainbow Rowell book, but if you’re looking for something quick and fun to read, I’d recommend this one.