Can I just say without sounding like
I am gushing? There is something about Rainbow’s stories and characters that
stay with you after reading her books. Landline
is no exception. While her books are fictional, Rainbow writes from the heart
and that’s what makes her stories real and believable. To me her stories are so
believable I often sigh, laugh, gasp or shut the book because of what is going
on in the book. With Landline I almost could not read that last chapter. No laughing. It
seriously made me anxious. Would Neal be happy to see Georgie? What if she
really did ruin something in her timeline? When the girls run into Georgie’s
arms I was thinking okay good no one got erased in the timeline. Then when Neal
was still staring at Georgie and not saying anything as he took the girls
aside, I was thinking oh no. Then when Neal kisses Georgie, my heart leapt out
of joy. Then I realized my brain was not getting oxygen because I had stopped breathing.
I feel a side rant coming on: I am
not sure why some people restrict reaction to scenes to just movies. We should
be doing that with books, music, theater, everything and anything that is
creative. I say when you want to throw a book across the room, or when you want
to cry because this song reminds you of a special moment that’s a good thing.
Because book you had one job! And movies, I owe you an apology because I do
love you, but right now we’re talking about other creative ways to tell a story. I can see how when you’re reading the
story there may be some people who would think of Georgie as selfish. But I did
not think of her as selfish. I thought of Georgie as just human. Seriously, how
many of us go through the day just trying to get through the day. Or, are
mentally still at work even when we are home. Or, wondering if the grass is
really greener on the other side. (Where does that expression come from?
Because I’ve seen Fringe and you know
what? I think their grass is actually greener. Darn, Walternate strikes again!
Where was I …) It’s just part of everyday stress. Perhaps I am reading (no pun
intended) too much into this book, but it made me think that there are too many
things left in this world to be taken for granted.
I like the message this book gives at
the end of the day what matters most is family. It also raises the question
what would you do for love. And what do you do when you realize, you’re the one
who has been not putting in half the work. When you realize you’re the one who
is not there even when you are there physically. At certain points of the book
Georgie realizes that it is always Neal who goes to her and Neal who supports
Georgie no matter what.
After that last chapter you realize
Neal never thought Georgie was difficult. He knew without her, life is not
life. That his life began when he first met her. I love how Georgie realizes
that Neal was not laughing at something witty she said, or that she was funny.
He laughed when he was happy. You think that would have blown my mind. But what
really blew my mind is when you (the reader) realize the conversations Georgie
had been having with “in the past” Neal on the landline actually happened. Then
I thought it’s just like Battlestar Galatica, without the cylons …This has happened
before and it will happen again. Then I thought wait, you’re telling me you
built a time machine … out of a landline? (Seriously if they try to remake Back to the Future I’ll have no words.
I’m looking at you Red Dawn. Yes, I
know I have said that about Red Dawn,
but I’m sorry it was .. well no words!)
If you are looking for a book that
make you question the importance of love. If you ever though yeah it would be
nice to go back in time and change a mistake, but why not change your mistakes
now. Or, if you believe in the possibility of time travel, Landline is the book for you.
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