Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Published February 26th, 2013
St. Martin’s Press
Find on // Amazon
Goodreads Synopsis:
Eleanor… Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough…Eleanor.
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.
I rated Eleanor and Park 5/5 stars on Goodreads.
This review, like all my reviews, is spoiler-free.
For a reason that I cannot quite explain, I was skeptical about this book. I had absolutely no reason to be, but I was nonetheless. Maybe the hype was a little too much for me and my cynical side made me think that the book wasn’t worth the hype. I really don’t know.
Regardless, this book blew my expectations out of the water. For this first time in a long time, I was uncomfortable. Every word, every sentence was pure poetry so it wasn’t an unpleasant reading experience, but this book pushed my boundaries and forced me to fall in love with an awkward teenage romance that was doomed from the start. I had to imagine the main characters for who they were: an awkward, self-proclaimed “fat girl” with red hair and a random sense of style, and a skinny, short Asian-American boy who likes to wear eyeliner. I had to embrace them for their quirks in the same way that they embraced each other and not dreamcast them to be “prettier” than they were.
The strengths in this book lie in the characters themselves. Eleanor and Park, our leading gal and guy, were phenomenal. (When I was writing this, I actually had to pause and think about a word I could use that would capture the explosiveness of their character development. That’s how phenomenal they were.) They were so well-defined while also so ambiguous that they might honestly be some of my favorite characters. Ever. Do you know how many books I’ve read? Saying that they’re some of my favorites really means something.
What I also loved about Eleanor & Park was the reality in their intertwined stories. There was no sugar-coating here: the story was raw and real and painful and beautiful and a million different adjectives at a million different times. When Rowell wanted us to root for them, she crafted the story so we would root for them. When Rowell wanted us to scream with frustration, she crafted the story so we would scream with frustration. Every word was purposeful and carried a palpable intention.
As aforementioned, the plot made me uncomfortable in the best way possible. I love me a contemporary novel, but I prefer to stick to books that I know will have a happy ending, or at least a comfortable resolution. I had no such luck with this book and that was okay with me. I felt that the plot had an ease about it that just made sense. With this natural flow, we sometimes entered treacherous waters filled with bitter realities, but I didn’t mind. The plot was a reflection of, get this, life. In this reflection, I found so much beauty and fulfillment that I wouldn’t have experienced had the plot been filled with fluff.
Overall, this book was a knockout. If you have a pulse and want to read a fabulous book, this one is for you. Eleanor & Park is a book of the highest caliber and I’m sure I’ll be ranting about its fabulousness for a long, long time.
Have you read Eleanor & Park? What did you think of it?
Related Post: My Review of Geekerella
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Weren’t you taking a blogging break or something?
No, not quite a break! I am cutting back on how often I post and trying to write posts on topics that interest me, but no I’m not taking a break!
Oh okay, now I get it. 🙂
I read Eleanor and Park years ago back when I was in high school and it was the hype and I remember cautiously starting the book. Because hypes do that to me 😅
But yes! I understand how it makes you uncomfortable and I remember being frustrated with the ending but I kinda forgot which part frustrated me. With this review, I might just pick it up again 😄
Thanks for reading, Kate! Yeah the hype was a little worrying but I ended up loving it! Happy rereading 🙂
This one has been on my TBR for the longest time! Everyone seems to love it!
It is amazing!! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
I loved this one! I thought it was a great, realistic portrayal of teenage love 🙂
Totally agree! There was so little fluff in this book 🙂
i was looking forward to this book so much! but i was disappointed! i don’t know what happened but i really wasn’t a big fan 🙈
i am glad you liked it tough and that it was a 5 star read for you! 🤗
Thanks!! I can see how, with all the hype, it may be a disappointment based on your tastes in reading. What about this book didn’t you like??
the biggest problem for me was eleanor. i don’t know, i couldn’t connect with her at all. it was really bad. she annoyed me. also, i wasn’t the biggest fan of: we don’t talk, the other person is weird and then suddenly best friends. well, and i think the ending disappointed me, i wanted more out of it unfortunately 😔
Yeah that ending left something to be desired!
I ended up listening to this audiobook a while ago and the narrators were what really sold me on it. I don’t often go for teenage romance, but I ended up not wanting this to end, and Rainbow Rowell had me from the very first sentence. The way the narrator delivered that little prologue just haunted me, and I was also uncomfortable from the start.
I’ve never read an audiobook, but I’ll keep this one in mind if I’m feeling a reread!
I’ve had this book on my iPad for the longest time now, and I still haven’t read it; however, your review has really made me want to give this book a try finally! I love when books push your boundaries. It is uncomfortable, as you said, but usually it’s an incredibly worthwhile experience. The way you describe the characters too just makes me want to get to know them, see how phenomenal they are. Great review, Annie! By the way, have you read Rainbow’s Attachments? It’s her first book, and it’s so good. It’s told through email but you get to know the characters quite well.
Lauren @ Lauren’s Crammed Bookshelf
That’s exactly what happened with me! I was stuck in the car for a road trip and had nothing better to do, so I opened it up and couldn’t put it down (proverbially, of course :)). I haven’t checked out Attachments yet, but I’ll go give it a look now!
I love the book
Glad you enjoyed it too 🙂
I am currently reading it now after it has been on my reading list for a couple of years!! I am on Chapter 10 currently!