Summer Reads: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

First off, I had to read this book pretty much because John Green said I should (see his NYT review). If John Green is telling you to read a book, then you should not only read it, but buy it for your collection. Now onto the synopsis via goodreads.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone see 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 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.

After a few negative experiences with the past few selections, I was starting to give up on the YA genre. It was getting too cliché and too predictable–-that is until this book. Eleanor and Park has restored my faith in the YA genre. This is a beautifully written love story about the obstacles young love must fight, including peer pressure and domestic abuse. Additionally, Eleanor and Park fight against family, class level, and gender role definition and it just feels like all odds are stacked against them. Their fight is quite inspirational and they are a couple you can cheer for.

Even though this story takes place in the 1980s, it is a timeless classic. These characters could have been me or my friends in 2002 or my parents in 1976. Eleanor is a misfit for being “big” and having wild, red curly hair. Along with a love for comic books and reading, Eleanor is considered an easy target for bullying. Then there is her home life. Her stepdad is horrendously abusive and this leaves her mother in an hopeless situation which also leaves Eleanor and her siblings quite stuck. Eleanor’s life is one that many teens, unfortunately, resonate with.

Park is half-Asian and is having issues defining himself–-something that most teens experience. Park’s situation with his family is different than Eleanor’s, but is one that teens can still relate. Park’s dad wants him to be a more manly figure and not “puss out”, while his mother only wants perfection from him. I will say that Park’s parents are more likeable and more relatable parents than previous books I have read.

I definitely got teary-eyed towards the end shouting “BUT WHY?!” and “There’s got to be more!” But the ending just leaves you wondering about the couple. It’s just really unfortunate that I don’t see a sequel in sight. This was Rainbow Rowell’s debut YA novel and she has another coming out soon titled Fangirl. I sincerely hope she sticks around.

If you like Eleanor and Park, here are some suggestions via goodreads, Novelist, and my own personal judgment.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

OCD, the Dude, and Me by Lauren Roedy Vaughn

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexia