Attachments

- By Rainbow Rowell

Attachments is about an IT security guy, who reads emails written on the corporate network, that are filtered by a security word filter, when the emails are not adhering to company protocol. His job is to send a standard warning to the employee about a breach in security protocol. One such occasion, he happens to read an email exchange between Beth and Jennifer, who vicariously ignore the standard warning of using profanity or unprofessional words in the emails, and freely discuss their personal life, without a care for company protocol or the language they use. While their exchanges frequently get flagged, he seems to be caught up in their lives and enjoy their odd sense of humor, that he could not find it in his heart to send a warning note to either of them. Beth and Jennifer are aware of the fact that someone snoops their emails, but Jennifer with her "right to free expression" speech, willfully ignores company protocol. Eventually, Lincoln realizes that he fell in love with Beth and it might be too late to introduce himself to her. Will he confess his feelings for her? What consequences does his actions have on his love? That is the plot of the story.

Characters, simple and complicated are introduced and developed in the email exchanges. While the style of the author is easy to follow and story line uncomplicated, laced with humor and emotions, it left me slightly difficult to stay with a character and connect with it. Emails, having written many and read many, made me realize how impersonal they can get. Perhaps I read it with that in my subconscious mind that I could not quite honestly connect with the characters or the plot.

Having said that, Rainbow Rowell certainly has a funny bone and a wit to charm her readers. The author manages to progress the story of these three lives suitably and entertainingly. This is my first novel of hers. I intend to try another one, before deciding if her style suits my interests. If you are interested in a romantic story and do not mind slightly disconnected pieces that eventually fit together, you can give it a try!!