Sunday, November 30, 2014

Eleanor & Park

Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell, has been on my “books to read” list for quit some time now and I must say it did not disappoint. I just finished this book last night and stayed up pretty late to finish the last few pages – I could not put it down, I had to see how it ended. Eleanor & Park is the first book I have read by Rainbow Rowell, I will definitely be picking up some of her other books: Fangirl, Landline, and Attachments.

Eleanor & Park is set over the course of the 1986 school year. Eleanor and Park are two star-crossed misfits who are young enough, brave enough, and maybe just a little bit desperate enough to make a go at first love, which rarely lasts. Eleanor is a curly-red head with a unique sense of style, limited by her living/finical situation. Eleanor is the oldest of five children {all of whom share the same bedroom}, her stepfather is not a pleasant man to say the least, and Eleanor’s mother and sibling have sub-come to her stepfather’s ways to avoid conflict and other unpleasant situations. Park on the other her comes from a stable, loving family. Park and Eleanor meet on the bus and slowly form a bound over music and comic books.

Rainbow Rowell tells the love story of Eleanor and Park in alternating segments, by what they like and admire about each other, and what obstacles they are personally facing and helping each other negative their way through them. Rowell make both Eleanor and Park likable characters and the love they hold for each other real. When Eleanor’s family living situation takes a dangerous turn for the worse the solution is not the most perfect one, but it is a believable one – the question becomes will Park and Eleanor love for one another endure.

Rowell does a great job of keeping balancing the dark parts of the book with light and happy experiences that we have all encountered during out lives. Eleanor & Park is a book I had to make myself put down at some points, but last night the ending was so climactic and suspenseful that I had to find out how the book ended. If you are looking for a good, quick read I highly recommend Eleanor & Park.

2 comments:

  1. I saw this book at Target a few weeks ago and put it on my "maybe" list but that was a great review and I definitely want to pick it up now.
    -Alex
    www.monstermisa.blogspot.com

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