You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
sdoncolo 's review for:
Eleanor & Park
by Rainbow Rowell
I love, love, loved this book. I don't read a lot of YA (but a little), and I don't read a lot of romance, and this book was both, and I loved it so much that I finished it, sat around reading nothing for a few days, and then just re-read Eleanor & Park because I wasn't up for moving on to something else. I loved the characters, I loved the writing, and I most of all loved the way Rainbow Rowell made me feel like a teenager again -- from the hot romance of holding someone's hand for the first time, to the humiliation of being made fun of, to the shame of being oneself and thinking one's thoughts, at times, to the bliss of the right music and books. Suffice it to say that the first extremely romantic scene in the book involves AA batteries -- and not in a dirty way, so get your mind out of the gutter.
I loved that the characters each have their own battles to fight, and I loved that they are complicated. I liked the way the story shifts between the two characters, because I am super nosy and so I liked seeing inside Park's head as well as seeing the story from Eleanor's point of view. I liked how the teachers are present and not superheroes, not super evil, sometimes rooting for the characters or going out of their way for them, but ultimately, the characters must solve their own problems. I like how the parents are present in a realistic way, and noncliche, especially Park's.
I enjoyed the journey back to Midwestern 1986, but I enjoyed even more that the story transcends its time and place. I participated in a twitter chat about this book, and some people didn't even remember what city it was set in or other little details. For a couple people this felt too anonymous, but others felt like it makes the story more universal, and I tend to agree. It's the kind of environment where anything might happen. The book has key motifs of music and comics, but the characters' problems are other than those things -- they aren't used as a crutch for the story.
Most of all, this book is such a touching and beautiful depiction of young love. It's a story of how teenagers can quietly save each others' lives. Ive heard it started as adult fiction and then was moved to YA. It seems like readers who lived through the '80s are loving it. I would lend it to you, because I think everyone should read it, but I really don't want to, so get your own copy.
I loved that the characters each have their own battles to fight, and I loved that they are complicated. I liked the way the story shifts between the two characters, because I am super nosy and so I liked seeing inside Park's head as well as seeing the story from Eleanor's point of view. I liked how the teachers are present and not superheroes, not super evil, sometimes rooting for the characters or going out of their way for them, but ultimately, the characters must solve their own problems. I like how the parents are present in a realistic way, and noncliche, especially Park's.
I enjoyed the journey back to Midwestern 1986, but I enjoyed even more that the story transcends its time and place. I participated in a twitter chat about this book, and some people didn't even remember what city it was set in or other little details. For a couple people this felt too anonymous, but others felt like it makes the story more universal, and I tend to agree. It's the kind of environment where anything might happen. The book has key motifs of music and comics, but the characters' problems are other than those things -- they aren't used as a crutch for the story.
Most of all, this book is such a touching and beautiful depiction of young love. It's a story of how teenagers can quietly save each others' lives. Ive heard it started as adult fiction and then was moved to YA. It seems like readers who lived through the '80s are loving it. I would lend it to you, because I think everyone should read it, but I really don't want to, so get your own copy.