| Title: | Eleanor & Park | |
|---|---|---|
| Author: | Rainbow Rowell | |
| Publisher | St. Martin's Press | |
| Publication Date: | February 2013 | |
| Publisher's Description | 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. | |
| My rating: | **** | |
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book this book. Eleanor & Park is about two teenagers who, for different reasons, don’t fit into their 1986 Omaha, Nebraska setting. Eleanor is too big, her hair is too red, and she dresses too oddly. Park is half-Korean and keenly aware that he is different from not only the people in his neighborhood, but also his immediate family. Eleanor, the new kid in school, starts out not knowing anybody, but she and Park soon bond over their shared love of music and comic books.
Eleanor and Park are believable teenage characters, and never seem fake or too grown up, even though they face circumstances that would be challenging for most adults. Watching them learn more about each other, the world, and themselves was an enjoyable journey, and made me want to read everything that Rainbow Rowell ever wrote. ’80s pop culture is front on center in this novel: Eleanor and Park devour Watchmen and swoon over “How Soon is Now.” Even though this is a young adult novel, it is definitely not appropriate for younger teens; the profanity and subject matter addressed in this book would probably be appropriate for readers ages 16 and up. I would recommend this books to adults, too, especially those who remember ’80s New Wave, John Hughes movies, and acid washed jeans from when they first were popular.
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