The main character is Lincoln, who has just started a job as an IT security guy, in order to help a newspaper get ready for Y2K. So you know the book takes place in 1999. Really all he has to do is check emails that get flagged for inappropriateness and then send warnings out if it is needed. However there are these personal emails between Jennifer and Beth that seemed to get flagged a lot. Although really, the only problem is that they are personal, there is not really anything bad in them. Except the email where they list every word they think might get their email flagged. The conversations between the two women are pretty entertaining to Lincoln, as they were to me as a reader. And for some reason he doesn't bother to send them a warning. Probably because they're really not doing anything wrong. He kind of develops a crush on Beth. But she has a boyfriend, who is in a band. He wants to go introduce himself, but how can he, because at some point he'd have to admit that he'd been reading her private emails. And that's kinda creepy. Meanwhile he is living at his mom's house. Which isn't horrible, I mean he gets wonderful meals. But, his sister really thinks he needs to move out. And he hates his job, he's basically sitting there every night bored. One nice thing that happens, he meets an older lady named Doris on his breaks. And at least makes a friend. He feels sorry for her because she brings just a turkey sandwich for her break, and so he shares his feasts his mother sends with him. And then soon, an email comes through the flagged file that Beth has seen him, and is calling him the "cute guy". And now he's ecstatic, trying to find ways to be able to tell her he likes her too. But still, a boyfriend is there. So he goes on with his life. Even hanging out with other people from the paper, as well as his old friends.
I won't go on. It's kind of just that story. But so much better than I tell it of course. And there is so much more to it as well. I loved the story because it is the type of love I would be okay finding, in that exact way even. I guess I even identify more with Lincoln because of several things he says/thinks. One that caught me when I first start was on p. 21
"He could imagine himself a year in, at the comfortable place, the hand-at-the-small-of-the-back place. But the meeting, the making a girl like him... He was useless at all that."
That's my problem. I can imagine being with a guy that I like or think is cute. But I just can't figure out how to go through the part of getting them to like me, the dating, etc. And there were other really perfect quotes, I just wish I'd make a note of them. I really need to start keeping track of the page numbers again when I read. On my Nook I can make notes, but when it's an actual book I'll have to use a paper as a bookmark to do that on.
Love, love, LOVED the ending! Was it happy? Yeah, it'd have to be for this kind of book. But it wasn't one of those that was just perfect, it all worked out with no discussion, kind of unbelievable endings. It was realistic in my opinion. I kind of want to even read it again it was so good.
