Eleanor & Park Review

Hello peeps, I'm officially back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Schools over, I have a degree and now I need a career; BUT until than I will continue to work where I am now and blog as much as I can!!!!!!!!!!!!

Title: Eleanor & Park
Author : Rainbow Rowell
Number of pages: 325
Pub Date: Feb 16,2013
     

"Bono met his wife in high school," Park says. "So did Jerry Lee Lewis," Eleanor answers. "I’m not kidding," he says. "You should be," she says, "we’re sixteen." "What about Romeo and Juliet?" "Shallow, confused, then dead." ''I love you," Park says. "Wherefore art thou," Eleanor answers. "I’m not kidding," he says. "You should be." Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under

First off you guys, this is my first review after an almost two month hiatus due to school; so try to stay with me. If not review sure how this will turn out! I haven’t written anything in two months because I was focusing on passing my Math class for graduation (which I did, with a B) and I suck at math!!

First thoughts

Ok! Even though I was living under a rock these last couple of months, only coming out to replace the batteries in my calculator, and possible check twitter. I was not unaware a book that refuse to be unseen. Whether I was on the internet for a short period of time, just to check in on the “happening” of the blogosphere, I heard about this book!! Everyone would constantly talk about how amazing this book was, So Eleanor & Park was a book I just had to read!!!!

My Thoughts

Eleanor & Park was amazing!! I have the kindle copy but now I must get the hardcover edition. What made this story standout for me from everything else that is being published today, are the characters! This is a story that is emotional, loving, and completely realistic. It bypasses most YA clichés and forms its own identity. Eleanor is the new kid on the block, she lives with her four siblings, and parents that have their own set of problems. She isn’t like your normal YA heroine; she is slightly overweight and has a head full of curly red hair. Then we have Park; he has loving parents, he has friends, and popularity but he feels that since he is half Asian he doesn’t really fit in with his peers who are predominantly white.  After allowing Eleanor to sit by him on the bus neither think anything of it, but has the bus rides grow more frequent and they bond of music and comics, they begin to have feelings for one another; but who falls in love at 16 and does it actually last?

This story set in 1986 is the complete package, and makes you root for first love! No matter the time, everyone can remember their first love and how sweet and tragic it is. Rowell took it a step further by adding multiple complications. Not only do these characters have to deal with being teenagers and outcast, but they have to deal with abusive parents, mean peers, and trying to build a relationship on top of it all. What’s amazing and a plus for me was the slow build up to the romance! Some find it boring, but I love a good slow burn, where every little thing is significant and worthwhile, until they actually fall in love, because that is real romance!

I adorned this story soooooo much!!! I laughed, I cried, and fell in love with the characters and the 80’s.  Rainbow Rowell has officially brought me back into the contemporary romance genre. I treasured the diverse characters!

Overall, Eleanor & Park is an amazing book! It’s now among one of my favorites, and I will be quick to recommend it to everyone, NOT just YA book lovers. If you are looking for unique, diverse characters, and a story that you will remember long after the last page than this one is for you!!!

P.S I really want a sequel!! I’ve gotten so spoiled with Epilogues and sequels like I hate only having my favorite characters for one book!!! Anyone else having this problem, of not enough pages for your love of characters?