★★★★
Summary:
Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.
Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.
Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.
Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.
Summary:
Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.
Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.
Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.
Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.
You guys... I bought the EXCLUSIVE COLLECTOR'S EDITION from Barnes & Noble because I love Rainbow Rowell and I absolutely loved the fan art in the inside covers. This book is so beautiful, I just had to share!
Eleanor & Park is... well, Eleanor & Park. Need I say anymore?
Even though I have only read one other Rainbow Rowell's novel, Fangirl, I am already a fan. Her writing is very simple and easy to read, but it reaches into you and squeezes. Eleanor & Park is no exception. The characters are well written, complex, and realistic. They have to deal with problems such as bullying and abuse. However, whereas Fangirl had me bawling my eyes out, Eleanor & Park only made my eyes sting with unshed tears. Given that E&P was published before, I think Rainbow Rowell's writing probably became more powerful in Fangirl.
If you haven't browsed around the web for reviews, you have probably only heard good things about it. If you do look around, though, you might find that some people found it boring or just not that great. Although I cannot understand how the story could be boring for someone, I do understand why someone might not love it. I probably would not go as far as to include it in my all-time favorites either.
There are a few issues I found when reading it that I wish Rowell had addressed differently, but they in no way ruined the book, though maybe they hurt it a little bit. I believe that if the following had been different, E&P would be a book a million times more powerful.
1. Historical Incompatibility
E&P is set in Omaha, Nebraska in 1986. One of the MC is Asian and two of the secondary characters are African American, yet they are never at the receiving end of bullying or racist comments. Eleanor's comments of "Stupid Asian kid. Stupid, cute Asian kid" is as far as the novel goes to display such feelings. It felt like the author was, to a certain extent, glossing over the ugly, because racism is alive and well even today.
Rainbow Rowell does, to an extent, explain why Park is safe from the bullying and racism. However, it appears improbable that Park is never bullied (even outside of school) because he dated the most popular girl in middle school.
I kept having to remind myself that the story is set in 1986 as I read the novel. Besides the 80s references, nothing really seemed that different from the present. Even today there are kids whose preferences in music are set in the past. I suppose they did use cassettes... I just wish Rainbow Rowell had made it more obvious.
2. The Romance
I thought the progression from not talking (ignoring) each other to friendship was really believable and cute, but the progression from friendship to a romantic relationship was too quick. It was cute, but it bordered on obsession. I didn't hate it, like I have in many cases, but I wish it hadn't been so quick. I wish they hadn't said things like "I live for you" and "You're all I care about."
3. Lack of Information
I am talking about the ending. All I wanted to know was what happened to Eleanor's family. Hopefully Rowell will write a sequel soon. She's said she wants to in many interviews....
There were so many things I liked so much, that I doubt the bad will seem of any importance in a few months. Here's a short list of these:
1. Family
The portrayal of Eleanor's family life was not pretty. Her stepfather was emotionally abusive. Although I could tell her mother loved her, she was too scared of her husband to leave him and truly protect her kids. I was glad to read about Park's family life because YA novels usually have parents that are not present in the kids' lives. I loved how sweet they were to Eleanor, even if not from the very beginning (that, too, added dimension to the characters).
2. Park
I loved Park. He was such a sweet character and he truly cared about Eleanor. Even when he did things that were not exactly good, he felt bad for them and regretted it. I loved the eyeliner issue and how Park dealt with it. I loved how he handled the differences between his life and Eleanor's and how he helped her in the end. Park is book boyfriend material.
3. Outsiders
The two MCs in this book are outsiders. Eleanor is bullied for being overweight and having an odd sense of fashion, and Park is accepted by his peers, but he does not fit in. Outside of them, all the characters are different. You know how in so many books you totally confuse a couple characters because they are so similar and have no distinctive qualities? This is not one of those books.
What did you think of E&P?
Even though I have only read one other Rainbow Rowell's novel, Fangirl, I am already a fan. Her writing is very simple and easy to read, but it reaches into you and squeezes. Eleanor & Park is no exception. The characters are well written, complex, and realistic. They have to deal with problems such as bullying and abuse. However, whereas Fangirl had me bawling my eyes out, Eleanor & Park only made my eyes sting with unshed tears. Given that E&P was published before, I think Rainbow Rowell's writing probably became more powerful in Fangirl.
If you haven't browsed around the web for reviews, you have probably only heard good things about it. If you do look around, though, you might find that some people found it boring or just not that great. Although I cannot understand how the story could be boring for someone, I do understand why someone might not love it. I probably would not go as far as to include it in my all-time favorites either.
There are a few issues I found when reading it that I wish Rowell had addressed differently, but they in no way ruined the book, though maybe they hurt it a little bit. I believe that if the following had been different, E&P would be a book a million times more powerful.
1. Historical Incompatibility
E&P is set in Omaha, Nebraska in 1986. One of the MC is Asian and two of the secondary characters are African American, yet they are never at the receiving end of bullying or racist comments. Eleanor's comments of "Stupid Asian kid. Stupid, cute Asian kid" is as far as the novel goes to display such feelings. It felt like the author was, to a certain extent, glossing over the ugly, because racism is alive and well even today.
Rainbow Rowell does, to an extent, explain why Park is safe from the bullying and racism. However, it appears improbable that Park is never bullied (even outside of school) because he dated the most popular girl in middle school.
I kept having to remind myself that the story is set in 1986 as I read the novel. Besides the 80s references, nothing really seemed that different from the present. Even today there are kids whose preferences in music are set in the past. I suppose they did use cassettes... I just wish Rainbow Rowell had made it more obvious.
2. The Romance
I thought the progression from not talking (ignoring) each other to friendship was really believable and cute, but the progression from friendship to a romantic relationship was too quick. It was cute, but it bordered on obsession. I didn't hate it, like I have in many cases, but I wish it hadn't been so quick. I wish they hadn't said things like "I live for you" and "You're all I care about."
3. Lack of Information
I am talking about the ending. All I wanted to know was what happened to Eleanor's family. Hopefully Rowell will write a sequel soon. She's said she wants to in many interviews....
There were so many things I liked so much, that I doubt the bad will seem of any importance in a few months. Here's a short list of these:
1. Family
The portrayal of Eleanor's family life was not pretty. Her stepfather was emotionally abusive. Although I could tell her mother loved her, she was too scared of her husband to leave him and truly protect her kids. I was glad to read about Park's family life because YA novels usually have parents that are not present in the kids' lives. I loved how sweet they were to Eleanor, even if not from the very beginning (that, too, added dimension to the characters).
2. Park
I loved Park. He was such a sweet character and he truly cared about Eleanor. Even when he did things that were not exactly good, he felt bad for them and regretted it. I loved the eyeliner issue and how Park dealt with it. I loved how he handled the differences between his life and Eleanor's and how he helped her in the end. Park is book boyfriend material.
3. Outsiders
The two MCs in this book are outsiders. Eleanor is bullied for being overweight and having an odd sense of fashion, and Park is accepted by his peers, but he does not fit in. Outside of them, all the characters are different. You know how in so many books you totally confuse a couple characters because they are so similar and have no distinctive qualities? This is not one of those books.
What did you think of E&P?