Landline By Rainbow Rowell - A Review By Jen

Just Hang Up!

Synopsis

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?

I bought and read this book, due to the connection to Fangirl with the cameo appearance from Cath and Levi (which disappointedly came at the end). The book centres round the marriage of Georgie and Neal. The narrative takes place during one week over the Christmas of 2013, with each day detailed. 

It begins with Neal with their two girls leaving his wife to spend Christmas at his Mum’s, as Georgie ‘needs’ to prepare for a big meeting, which may lead to her dramedy being piloted. Ironically it’s called ‘Passing Time’, since I was waiting in expectation for Cath and Levi to show up. With the promise of two Christmases for the girls, Noomi and Katie, Georgie is left alone to work. Noomi, the youngest affectionately believes she is a cat, and ‘meows’ at her mummy at every given opportunity is sweet, but I grew quickly tired of Georgie and the chats around the conference room, with Seth and Scott.  

The protagonist within the whole piece appears to be a yellow 1980s phone…..a magic phone that calls Neal’s Mum’s house fifteen years previously??? It gives the opportunity for Rowell to introduce the background of their relationship and how what is currently happening in 2013, reflects what happened in 1998. It became apparent to me, the couple were very much mismatched from the start. Yes they have their moments, like his doodles. I just found the whole ‘magic phone’ thing a bit clumsy and made the book more unbelievable. Nice idea though, but I am sorry ‘it just wasn’t enough’.