Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell ★★★★★ Set over the course of one school year in 1986, Eleanor & 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. I couldn’t put this book down. I mean that literally; every time I tried to put it down and go to sleep, I immediately had to pick it up again and keep reading. So I’m here at 3:36 in the morning, telling you that Eleanor & Park is the best book I have read in a long, long time. There were about a thousand times while I was reading that I had to put the book down and bite my lip and try not to melt or squee or some ridiculousness, because it’s just that adorable. But it’s also poignant and heart-racing and makes you think about everything. And I do mean everything. Eleanor’s home situation is a scary, all-too-real undercurrent to the love story, and Park’s family, seemingly the polar opposite, is a great testament to not judging a book by its cover. I don’t think there ever has been, or ever will be, another story quite like this one. I am going to shove this book into the hands of everyone I meet. Edit from 2020: It's been six years since I read Eleanor and Park, and a lot has changed about how I view the book. It's come to my attention that this book has deeply racist (anti-Asian and anti-Black), and fatphobic content. When I read it I wasn't able to fully understand the issues with the book, but I have a much better understanding of them now. There's a great thread by Naomi Giddings explaining some of the problems with this book, so if by some chance this review shows up when you google Eleanor and Park following the release of the movie, may I suggest reading that instead?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Once Upon a Time...As a longtime lover of stories and a believer in the power and magic of books, I've spent my life seeking out the best reads. This blog is dedicated to reviewing the books I read - good, bad, or magnificent - to help other readers find their next favorite books. Currently ReadingKing Zeno
Archives
May 2018
|