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autismandniamh 's review for:
Eleanor & Park
by Rainbow Rowell
This is probably one of the most engaging and decently-written YA books I've encountered in a long time; however, it missed the 5-star mark in a few areas.
The casual racism just seemed jarring in places. Secondly, there were too many side characters whose roles/lives were never really expanded upon, (Tina's the bad girl. Steve's the bad guy. There's two token black girls, DeNice and Beebi. And so on. I mean, I know this story isn't meant to be centrally concerned with these characters; I just felt like they were 2-D, cardboard side-pieces).
The most concern I had with this book, however, centred around Park. All he was - his very personality - was obsessed with Eleanor. Sure, he had minor hobbies...but his infatuation seemed toxic. This was exemplified most for me in the scene where he's left alone in the house; Eleanor comes over, doubting he's in; and he practically pulls her onto the sofa, which was exceedingly uncomfortable simply because - that buzzword - there was no consent in this scene. Eleanor barely speaks, she even "crumples her face" at one point, which could mean - in fact, it more likely does mean, more than any other emotion - pain, and it makes Park "become unhinged". Um, no. Park began likeable: he was charming, dorky, polite and quiet. He devolved into this ridiculously overwrought caricature of the lovesick, and the more I read, the more I wondered what the hell Eleanor saw in him (besides, you know, her obsession with his "honey skin" and other physical attributes). The cherry on the cake came for me at the end, as Park drives Eleanor to a safe refuge at her Uncle's house; he gets angry over the fact she's so exhausted from trepidation and fear that she's sleeping, because it means they can't spend their last moments together. NO. This moment made me want to hurl the book across the room. Park's selfishness at that point was simply staggering.
The good points: I liked Rowell's dialogue; it was authentic teen-speak for once. I quite liked the third person POV. I thought the pacing was 'okay': their attraction for each other did appear pretty much out of nowhere, though, and my God, were those sex? - with a question mark - scenes the most infuriating, rose-petals and gauze, vague descriptions I've ever read. It slowly turned almost into lunacy, which I can understand, as their lust for each other (or...maybe not really each other, but idealised versions?) heightened rapidly, which is also very adolescent-esque, but it ran a little too glitzy for my liking. I don't like the fact teens may read those parts and get uber excited...because it was so overly fanciful, even though barely anything happened each time. Which just isn't realistic at all.
I found Eleanor likeable; I even tolerated her hard and stubborn moments, mostly as her anxiety was relatable, and also as her home life made her understandably tense.
I wouldn't write this novel off; it was definitely readable, and even triggered (very low-level) 'feels' in some places, which is more than can be said for a lot of YA.
The casual racism just seemed jarring in places. Secondly, there were too many side characters whose roles/lives were never really expanded upon, (Tina's the bad girl. Steve's the bad guy. There's two token black girls, DeNice and Beebi. And so on. I mean, I know this story isn't meant to be centrally concerned with these characters; I just felt like they were 2-D, cardboard side-pieces).
The most concern I had with this book, however, centred around Park. All he was - his very personality - was obsessed with Eleanor. Sure, he had minor hobbies...but his infatuation seemed toxic. This was exemplified most for me in the scene where he's left alone in the house; Eleanor comes over, doubting he's in; and he practically pulls her onto the sofa, which was exceedingly uncomfortable simply because - that buzzword - there was no consent in this scene. Eleanor barely speaks, she even "crumples her face" at one point, which could mean - in fact, it more likely does mean, more than any other emotion - pain, and it makes Park "become unhinged". Um, no. Park began likeable: he was charming, dorky, polite and quiet. He devolved into this ridiculously overwrought caricature of the lovesick, and the more I read, the more I wondered what the hell Eleanor saw in him (besides, you know, her obsession with his "honey skin" and other physical attributes). The cherry on the cake came for me at the end, as Park drives Eleanor to a safe refuge at her Uncle's house; he gets angry over the fact she's so exhausted from trepidation and fear that she's sleeping, because it means they can't spend their last moments together. NO. This moment made me want to hurl the book across the room. Park's selfishness at that point was simply staggering.
The good points: I liked Rowell's dialogue; it was authentic teen-speak for once. I quite liked the third person POV. I thought the pacing was 'okay': their attraction for each other did appear pretty much out of nowhere, though, and my God, were those sex? - with a question mark - scenes the most infuriating, rose-petals and gauze, vague descriptions I've ever read. It slowly turned almost into lunacy, which I can understand, as their lust for each other (or...maybe not really each other, but idealised versions?) heightened rapidly, which is also very adolescent-esque, but it ran a little too glitzy for my liking. I don't like the fact teens may read those parts and get uber excited...because it was so overly fanciful, even though barely anything happened each time. Which just isn't realistic at all.
I found Eleanor likeable; I even tolerated her hard and stubborn moments, mostly as her anxiety was relatable, and also as her home life made her understandably tense.
I wouldn't write this novel off; it was definitely readable, and even triggered (very low-level) 'feels' in some places, which is more than can be said for a lot of YA.