Reviews with content warning for Racism - Eleanor & Park

What can I say but this is a very 2012 book in the worst way possible. This book felt like Rainbow Rowell wanted to hit on every hot button topic and make a "diverse" read, but failed to address any of them with any depth. It felt like she wrote about internalized racism, fatphobia, and abuse from a distance and as a way to make this book feel modern and relatable. Instead, it felt so dated and surface level. I know it is a teen romance primarily, but I feel like teens books never need to be this shallow. Even as a teen I think I would have felt conflicting. As a child abuse survivor, it felt like this book would have taught me all the wrong things, to ignore, disconnect, and avoid vulnerability. That being abused makes love impossible. Not to mention she is a White author righting about a mixed race Korean boy with what feels like no really knowledge on and zero effort to really understand what being a Korean American is like. Due to all these facts I could not connect with the characters or story. Not to mention the male narrator in this story did a horrible job voice acting as Eleanor. I was physically pained hearing him do her voice. Would not recommend this book to anyone and feel free to ignore the awards it got.

Content Warnings

copiani's review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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carina_dreamer's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

🎧 Comprei este livro sem ter folheado e lendo a sinopse faz já séculos, então apanhei uma enorme surpresa quando começo a ler e descubro que não se passa nos anos 2000 e sim em 1986. Eu estava convencida que na capa eles usavam leitores de CDs e não de cassetes 😅

🎧 Neste livro vamos ter o romance de Eleanor e de Park, dois inadaptados entre os colegas da sua secundária por diferentes razões. Ela é a nova aluna, de cabelo ruivo volumoso que veste roupa de homem e usa gravatas no cabelo e alfinetes como acessórios. Ele é meio-coreano meio-americano, veste-se todo de preto e tenta passar despercebido.
Quando Eleanor, alvo imediato dos bullies no autocarro da escola acaba por se sentar ao lado de um Park muito incomodado, as vidas de ambos vão mudar.

🎧 Aquele choque inicial quanto à década retratada + os capítulos curtos com saltos rápidos entre os POVs de ambos deixou-me com algum receio, mas assim que os nossos protagonistas ignoraram a má primeira impressão, o enredo flui bem.

🎧 Este livro aborda mais que um primeiro amor e todo o doce que é ler esses momentos.
Faz questão de nos mostrar que apesar de retratar os anos 80, que não é muito diferente do presente.
Encontramos:
• bullying;
• baixa autoestima e autodepreciação de ambos (ela acha-se gorda e pouco atrativa e ele acha-se pouco desenvolvido e enfemininado);
• a falta de representatividade asiática nos média americanos (Bruce Lee era o único ícone sexy que conseguiam referir);
• microagressões racistas;
• estereótipos de género.

🎧 O que teve mais foco que os pontos indicados acima e está equiparado com o romance é o drama familiar resultante das diferenças económicas de ambos.
A família da Eleanor é pobre e numerosa, enquanto que Park pertence a uma família média-alta e enraizada na comunidade.
Adorei que o que os aproximou fosse as BDs e mixtapes que o Park partilhava com ela todos os dias.

🎧 Não acho que seja um livro infalível e pode não agradar a todos, mas eu recomendo bastante, mesmo não sendo fã do tipo de final escolhido 😅.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ponderei se merecia ou não as 5 estrelas, porque eu sou sempre uma forreta a dar essa cotação, mas quando dou é sempre porque a emoção que o livro me dá ultrapassa as mesquinhisses que eu possa ter para lhe dar um 4.75 e esta foi uma dessas leituras.

Content Warnings

rillastone's review

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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alishbaaa's review

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨4.5/5
going into this book blindly, i thought that this book would be a cute, light romance. i was soooo wrong. this book was SO addicting like i could NOT put it down. this book taught me a lot…especially to never judge people because u litterally dont know their story. the way that it was written i felt such emotions for each character and became so attached to them. i also felt that this book had a lot of racism in it and i’m not sure if the author did that to show the racism in the past, or because of some other reason..jus confused ab that.

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jamielynn18's review

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willowlywillow's review

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hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

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jordan_noel's review

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emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is a sweet story of friendship between two sort of outsiders.

The transition from hate to love between the two characters felt kind of sudden, but their friendship was so sweet and pure that I think it makes up for it.

Maybe it's just me, but many parts felt overly, almost sickly sentimental. I felt a lot of dialogue and description of their romantic endeavors was a bit excessive. Still, it was a sweet relationship and I can get over these little flaws.

I have very mixed feelings about the ending.

The characters separate and lose touch, which of course, is normal and fine, but Eleanor began to start acting completely out of character right before this point. She was distant and rude and failed to reach out even with Park's persistent letters. Then at the end, she sends him three words (unknown to us) that somehow make him smile. I don't understand why Park would forgive her after almost a full year of her denying contact.

I think the relationship was a chance for Eleanor to appreciate herself more, learn and grow, and become independent. And for Park, it was his first, perhaps naïve, experience in love. I do like the complexity in their different interpretations of the relationship.

These characters were likable and the end was fairly realistic. Overall, this is a sweet, hopeful book, especially for teenagers who know just how brutal high school and adolescent life can be.

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