Review: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (Spoiler-Free)

Is this a romance book? I feel like it's more of a two-people-living-their-lives book. And I think I like that better.

Picked this up on a whim for some easy reading to close out the year and accidentally devoured the entire thing on Christmas Day. The story and format are both so easy to read, so mundane that it's comforting, that I never even thought about putting the book down.

I really don't know if romance readers would be happy with the structure of this book because the love interests don't even meet until maybe the last third or fourth of the novel. Most of this story is just silently observing the lives of ordinary people. And the majority of it follows the male main character, which isn't typical, but I really enjoyed.

Lincoln's aimlessness and life blunders are relatable to read about, and I had a good time with them even though they're just everyday events. Beth and Jennifer, we only get to hear about secondhand, through messages they send each other online. But the messages are so well-voiced that it really does feel like we're getting to know them. I loved the slice-of-life updates we get over time and seeing how much people's lives change, often slowly, but also often all at once.

I like how Lincoln and Beth both date other people throughout the novel, have different relationship statuses, and don't end up as a pair for a long time. Starting the story before the typical meet-cute felt so much more real.

I will say, if you get hung up on real-life ethics... this book probably won't be for you. There's belief you need to suspend when it comes to the morals of reading other people's messages, emotional cheating, limerence, etc. but if you're okay with that, I think you'll have a good time.

On a more serious moral note, Rainbow Rowell definitely has some Boomer tendencies (despite being Gen X). I've read several of her books and her proclivity to throw in random comments about someone's race is... interesting. It gives Grandma at the Thanksgiving table going "yes, so this doctor I saw, he was [insert race], by the way..." Like... okay. What's the motivation in pointing that out. There are also other questionable "jokes" about disabilities, bodies, women, etc. and I guess this book is set in the 90s, so mayybeeee part of it is supposed to be the characters' opinions, but I've noticed this trend in multiple of Rowell's books so I don't think it's that. Anyway. That part is unfortunate.