Jacque's Review:
I read Fangirl and Landline by Rainbow Rowell when they were first released and loved them. I'm trying to tackle some of the older books on my TBR list, so I decided it was time to read Eleanor & Park.
Eleanor comes from a broken family. Her parents are divorced and her Mom is now married to Richie, who leaves much to be desired. Eleanor is one of five siblings living in a two bedroom house that doesn't even have a real bathroom. The family barely has enough to eat and new thrift store clothing is considered a privilege.
Eleanor meets Park on the bus her first day of school. His mom is Korean and his dad is American, but he considers himself the only Asian kid in the neighborhood. Even his brother takes after his dad and looks far more American than he does. He reluctantly lets the new girl sit with him, but eventually they start to develop a true friendship.
I loved how Eleanor and Park bonded over the music and comics Park brought onto the bus. Park even made Eleanor mix tapes to listen to at home, which I loved. It is such an old school reference these days, but something I can definitely relate to. While her family life was a complete disaster, she at least had her time on the bus to look forward to each day.
I was surprised by the direction Rainbow took with the last portion of the book. We pretty much knew what was coming after reading the prologue, but I never expected the disconnect that came as a result. The ending seemed very abrupt to me. It was like she was planning on writing an epilogue...or a short story...or perhaps a second novel in the future. I would love to know what happens next!!
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. The pacing was great, it seemed very realistic, and I enjoyed hearing the story from both Eleanor and Park's perspective. This would be a great choice for any YA fan.
Eleanor meets Park on the bus her first day of school. His mom is Korean and his dad is American, but he considers himself the only Asian kid in the neighborhood. Even his brother takes after his dad and looks far more American than he does. He reluctantly lets the new girl sit with him, but eventually they start to develop a true friendship.
I loved how Eleanor and Park bonded over the music and comics Park brought onto the bus. Park even made Eleanor mix tapes to listen to at home, which I loved. It is such an old school reference these days, but something I can definitely relate to. While her family life was a complete disaster, she at least had her time on the bus to look forward to each day.
I was surprised by the direction Rainbow took with the last portion of the book. We pretty much knew what was coming after reading the prologue, but I never expected the disconnect that came as a result. The ending seemed very abrupt to me. It was like she was planning on writing an epilogue...or a short story...or perhaps a second novel in the future. I would love to know what happens next!!
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. The pacing was great, it seemed very realistic, and I enjoyed hearing the story from both Eleanor and Park's perspective. This would be a great choice for any YA fan.
Yay, I`ve been meaning to read this for a while. Glad you liked it, I really need to finally get this one.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Jen @ The Bookavid