G28 Book Review of Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Author: Rainbow Rowell
ISBN: 978-1-250-01257-9
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Type of book: 1986, nostalgia, misfits, first love, half Korean/American male/white female, rock and roll, domestic abuse, parental relationships
Year it was published: 2013
Summary:
Two misfits. One extraordinary love.
Its 1986 and two star-crossed teens are 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.
Characters:
The characters are unique, memorable and stay with you for a very long time. Eleanor is a much more stronger and fleshed out character than Park, and at some points in the story I found myself irritated with her, but then I think I was in her shoes a lot, especially her view towards Park's slimness and her own weight. I would have liked to know more about Park's character and why his first name is Park. In Korea, Park is a last name, not the first. Park does have issues as a half Asian half Caucasian male, and its cool to see that he's ready to add on Eleanor's problems to his own. Other characters were there too, such as Eleanor's family, and Park's family and some friends. While parents were slightly more fleshed out, (Park's mom is an interesting character and I would have wanted to know more about her background, as well as Park's dad.) the friends are just there and don't play strong roles. (Kind of opposite of most of YA.)
Theme:
Love can happen to anyone.
Plot:
This is in third person narrative from both Eleanor's and Park's points of views. The scenes are never boring and this is a non-sexual book for those who think it might be. They hold hands, kiss, and go to second base, but nothing sexual. I was never a person who liked or appreciated the type of music that Eleanor and Park liked, but its nice to see an old fashioned courtship. I feel that the pace wasn't fast and the author really took her time with causing the characters to fall in love with each other. I felt that the book was realistic and sweet. (If you had to sit by someone you couldn't stand at first, eventually one would have no choice but to talk to that person, especially in an age where you didn't have iphones or cell phones or music players.)
Author Information:
url
http://www.goodreads.com/RainbowRowell
born
Omaha, Nebraska, The United States
website
http://www.rainbowrowell.com
twitter username
rainbowrowell
genre
Literature & Fiction
member since
January 2010
About this author
Rainbow Rowell is the author of ATTACHMENTS. She has two novels coming out in 2013 -- ELEANOR & PARK in February and FANGIRL in the fall.
Rainbow lives with her husband and two sons in Omaha, Nebraska. Right at this moment, she is probably arguing with someone about something that doesn't really matter in the big scheme of things -- or trying to figure out how Sherlock faked his death.
Blog and other stuff at rainbowrowell.com.
Opinion:
Its a well written and realistic novel that I highly recommend to everyone. I don't think I have enough words to praise this book; a realistic female heroine that I cared about and wanted her to be happy; a cool hero that oh so slowly falls in love with her, the setting is nostalgic (I was born in 1985, but still...) when I first won this book, my reaction to it was "oh, whatever." However, I started to read some other reviews about it, and unfortunately it caused me to be eager about the book. Why unfortunately? I had to wait over a month and twelve days for it to come. I won it on November 12th, 2012, and it finally arrived on December 24th, 2012. I wish this book could be famous or well known, but I would best describe as a hidden gem. The cover doesn't do it justice, (one of my friends was in shock that Eleanor is described as overweight, and in cover she matches Park's build,) and neither does the summary, but once you start reading it, you are hooked tightly to the book. (I'm reading it to two of my friends who love it and understand it far better than I ever could.) Both my friend and I thought this book deserves a sequel.
Quick notes: I won this book on goodreads.com thus this review will appear in its entirety on goodreads as well as the blog
5 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
As someone sympathetic to your work, and, from personal experience, VERY unsympathetic to Rollins and his business practices and ethics, please take good care and don't hesitate to call in the authorities. I would not be surprised at ANYTHING that Ted Rollins might put someone else up to.
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