Eleanor & Park

Wow, so many feelings about this book. I'll try to discuss them in order:

So, I picked up this book because it was supposed to be one of the best YA books of 2013 (if not the best). And the cover looked cute and indie.

I hated the first half of it. I found a typo. I thought the author was trying too hard to make the characters quirky. Even though Eleanor is supposed to have this unlikable/likable thing going on, I just plain disliked her. I didn't sympathize with her at all. And I felt like the 80s setting was just a self-indulgent excuse for the author to throw out random nerdy references when she felt like it. (You'd think I'd love it, but for some weird reason it grated on my nerves.) I couldn't get into the romance, which was sometime sweet, but mostly irritating.

And then one line changed my mind about the entire book. (Or maybe, to paraphrase Alice in Wonderland, I wasn't the same person that I was when I started this book.) It was right after Park gave Eleanor a necklace for Christmas. "Park wanted to pull on the chain, to pull it into his chest and anchor her there." From that point on I devoured the book.

It reminded me so much of young love, of first kisses and touches and first everythings. I finally connected with the characters, with their yearning for human contact and love.

I hated the book a little more later. I was afraid of how it might end...without hope, which is the only thing that redeems a lot of otherwise depressing YA books. And then came...then end. And it was amazing.

Dramatic life of teens... pre-cell phones...1986. I will add this to the list of outstanding books I have read recently! Must read her other books!

We added this book to our summer reading choices for rising 9h and 10th grade students - mainly because of the strength of the characters. Both E & P are misfits in a rough high school living in a poor neighborhood. E suffers from terrible self criticism and low self esteem, due in part to her dysfunctional home life. So why would teens read this? High school can be a devastating social word. Reading good YA fiction can help students see their own lives through the filter of characters going through many of the bullying and social traumas of their lives. E&P can help all of us see "misfits" through their own eyes.
The language in this book represents teens trying to be tough and cool. The initial scene on the school bus sets the tone for the cruel sensitivities of some high school kids. When love and compassion can rise from this hard life, it gives us hope.
( )

Gushing, full-on, want to eat the pages, love affair with this book. My own children were getting sick of me crying like a maniac on the couch. Ugly crying, little trickles of tears, water-rimmed eyes...they whole deal. I am not typically a crier when it comes to books but Rainbow Rowell has some sort of witchcraft she weaves in her stories to make you feel, feel, FEEL. This incredibly romantic tale of two geeky, music-nerds finding common ground and acceptance with one another is going down as my all time favorite YA book. I mean that. I would lament under my breath while reading, "oh god, this book is KILLING me." My ten-year-old know-it-all twins would retort, "Then why are you reading it, mom? Just stop." I can't. I couldn't. I needed to know these two, Eleanor and Park. The last 1/3 of the book, it was all I could do to prevent myself from having a complete emotional collapse. Read it, you won't be disappointed. ( )

Upper YA only! ( )

Best for: Young adults who want a love story that isn’t as absurd as Romeo and Juliet but that doesn’t discount their feelings.

In a nutshell: Eleanor comes from a fuck-up home. Park does not. Both are a bit outcast-y. Events transpire.

Worth quoting: “When Eleanor was around girls like that — like Park’s mom, like Tina, like most of the girls in the neighborhood — she wondered where they put their organs. Like, how could you have a stomach and intestines and kidneys, and still wear such tiny jeans?”

Why I chose it: I didn’t realize how many of the most popular CBR books I’d already read. I was sort of avoiding this one as it wasn’t appealing to me, but ultimately I’m glad I read it.

Review: This is a very quick read. I got it from the library on Wednesday and finished it Thursday night. Given its popularity, I think there probably isn’t that much more for me to say. But I’ll try…

The writing is good, but even though this is such a thoroughly character-driven book, I felt that the characters weren’t that well developed. Am I alone on this? Probably. We seemed to get some more interesting information about these two people prior to them meeting, but it mostly came in the last 10% of the book. I suppose the author was going for just a slice of life, but still, I wanted to know more about Eleanor especially, beyond just not liking how she looks.

I also appreciate that Ms. Rowell treated young relationships with such care — she doesn’t condescend, she doesn’t doubt their feelings. She explores them. And that’s pretty awesome.

I also like the very, very end. I know it is controversial for some people, but I like it. My copy has an author note where Ms. Rowell addresses this controversy, and I totally got her reasoning. I thought it was pretty cool. ( )