A review by ermt520
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

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

1.25

The book had potential but I could have done without the bad attempts at discussing race (Eleanor’s POC friends talking in a way that a white author obviously thinks they’d talk, the audiobook authors doing an Asian accent for his mom, the description of his mom as a china doll). The storyline about being in an abusive household was the most compelling and the book would have been better if this Midwestern white woman author didn’t try to explore race relations when she knows nothing and it comes across super cringey and racist. 
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