Review : Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Pages : 328
Genre : YA, Contemporary
Stand alone
My Rating : 4/5
About the Book :
Park… He knows she’ll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There’s a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises…Park.
Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.
My Thoughts :
I remember when Eleanor & Park came out and it was everywhere. It just couldn’t be avoided. So I got myself a copy, cracked it open and… couldn’t get into it.
I tried, and tried. Oh, I tried! Still, I didn’t see the appeal.
And yet, when Fangirl came out I added it to my shelf becase it sounded fun and I’m all about the second chances. I loved it, and went on to read Landline; which I also enjoyed, though differently, and so I decided it was time I gave Eleanor & Park another chance.
I’m really happy I did; this time it clicked almost immediately, and I fell in love like many other readers did before me. For me, it was all about Eleanor. She was easy to relate to, and I was really impressed by how Raibow Rowell wrote her sadness and her anxiety. It was done with a lot of empathy for her character, without it being all doom and gloom despite the context. Maybe it was the love between them, but I thought the text was filled with hope thorough the story.
Park was also an interesting character, though he could have used a little more depth; and while their love story felt a little too good to be true, it was immensely enjoyable. I’m particularly fond of YA stories involving parents, which this one did in a very realistic, balanced way. Some were better than others, some I hated, things were complex and more real than in a lot of stories I read in a similar genre.
Add a sprinkle of nerdyness, 80’s references aplenty, and you’re in for a really fun and emotional ride!
Rainbow Rowell has such a unique way to write that I really connect to. Her language and structure are simple, but in a way that accentuates the little details and her characters’ personalities. I’m not sure why I didn’t connect to this book before – it seems almost impossible to me now! But I am so happy I finally added it to my “read” shelf. I can’t wait to read whatever else Rainbow Rowell comes up with next!
I thought this book was terrific. I loved Eleanor and Park and Park’s mom too.
I’d have to agree with you on all accounts of this. When I first tried reading Rowell, it was with this book. I couldn’t do it. So I started with Fangirl, which I connected to the most, then moved on to Attachments (so good! Especially if you’re going through some sort of office-romance or life crisis, haha) and Landline. Deciding to go back and try E&P after all that was good. Rowell’s a remarkable writer, a very unique style. Must be all those years in journalism! She’s coming out with a Simon Snow book in October — Carry On, the fanfic Cath wrote!
Ha! I am really happy to know I’m not the only one who had a similar experience. Fangirl was definitely where it clicked for me, maybe because I related to the characters a lot.
Attachments is the one I haven’t read yet; I need to get my hands on it! 🙂 I’m a bit more hesitant about the Simon Snow book though, but I’ll certainly give it a try!
Okay so my story is similar – I just couldnt’ get into the idea of E&P when it was so popular, but when I heard about Fangirl, I knew I had to read it. Then I loved it, and liked Attachments, and adored Landline…so I tried E&P while waiting in line at a bookstore. I only read the chapter with Park on the bus and couldn’t get into it. What you say about Eleanor makes me think I should give it a little more of a chance.
I get it. And honestly, for me, the book could have easily skipped Park’s point of view. I find that Rainbow Rowell really excels with the female characters (I felt the same in Landline and Fangirl), and I think that’s why I had a hard time getting into it at first. Her voice just wasn’t as “clear” with Park’s narration.