Title:
Eleanor & Park
Author:
Rainbow Rowell
Genre:
Contemporary Fiction/Romance
Age
Range: 13+
TV
Guide Snippet: Two kids from different sides of the tracks fall in love and
deal with their family drama.
Plot
Summary: There are two sides to every love story. Rowell plays on this by
having two narrators. Eleanor is the kid who doesn’t fit in. She is new and
dresses weird. In this 1980s town, it’s like painting a target on your back
that reads, “Pick on me.” Park is a Korean-American boy who is just trying to
live life under the radar. When Eleanor gets on the bus and has no idea where
to sit, Park reluctantly clears a space for her. Over the next few weeks, he
notices that she has an interest in the comics he reads. Being the low boil
person he is, he passively leaves some on her seat. This small act kindles a
very sweet romance that rescues her from a horrible home life.
Anything
Critical: The teen romance aspect of the book is pretty accurate. I re-felt a
lot of the feels from my early romances along with the characters. (ALL THE
FEELS!!!) The sense of wonder and discovery between two young people as they
create intimacy together is heartwarming. It really kept me powering through
the book. I wasn’t just reading it, I was eating it and savoring all the
delicious memories it unlocked until, yes until, the final climax. The final
climax was like hitting a brick wall. Something good and intimate happened so
something REALLY bad has to be coming. The resolution played out as painfully as
climbing up that brick wall with just your fingernails. Although the ending
could be seen as totally predictable and unnecessary, I would definitely recommend
the book to youngsters who want to fall in love and read it again myself.
Satisfaction
Level: 85%
Curriculum
Ties: English
Challenge
Issues: Language, some sexy-time moments, guy-liner (boy wearing eyeliner)
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