Eleanor & Park
by Rainbow Rowell
Format: Audiobook
Price: checked out from library
Author Website: http://rainbowrowell.com/blog/
Basic Premise: Park, a high-schooler with a slightly who-gives-a-crap attitude, accidentally finds himself next to the completely weird new girl on the bus. And while he does everything he can think of distance himself from her, he somehow can't. And neither can she.
My Take: 8.5 out of 10 (scale here)
I was interested in this book from the moment it was mentioned at my YAL book conference from nearly a month ago. The lady said that the content and style were very John Green-ish. In general, I like John Green, so that was a plus for this book. But really, I chose it because I was driving to Oklahoma and wanted an audiobook for the drive. The library had this one checked in. The trip down and up was 8 hours, but the book was 9, and I had to finish it immediately, so while my husband watched the KU game, I curled up with the laptop and listened to the final disk. I seriously loved this book, which actually surprised me. I am kind of prude-ish about language in books, particularly books geared toward young people, and this book containeda little a lot of Fs and JCs (which, by the way, are so much worse when heard aloud than read on a page). The overdose in the first few minutes nearly made me turn it off, but I was so drawn into the characters that I literally couldn't. It's a dual narrative - a style I have always loved - but it's done in third person. Interesting choice. There were a few times when I wondered why it wasn't in first person, but it worked. I loved the characters. Park is sort of a jerk, but he comes alive when he meets Eleanor. Eleanor, because of her underprivileged and kind of sick home life and her less than ideal physique, finds it difficult to believe anyone can love her. I loved her. She's insecure about her appearance, and the things she hates most about herself (like her wild mane of red, curly hair) are often then things that other people notice and admire. And I wished so hard that she had a better life. She reminded me of a few of my kids at school - my girls and boys - who just can't catch a break, and who deserve so much more from their parents. I loved the story, and I seriously loved the narrators. They. were. awesome.
My Take: 8.5 out of 10 (scale here)
I was interested in this book from the moment it was mentioned at my YAL book conference from nearly a month ago. The lady said that the content and style were very John Green-ish. In general, I like John Green, so that was a plus for this book. But really, I chose it because I was driving to Oklahoma and wanted an audiobook for the drive. The library had this one checked in. The trip down and up was 8 hours, but the book was 9, and I had to finish it immediately, so while my husband watched the KU game, I curled up with the laptop and listened to the final disk. I seriously loved this book, which actually surprised me. I am kind of prude-ish about language in books, particularly books geared toward young people, and this book contained
I would have given this a 9.5 if it hadn't been for the ending. It was abrupt, inconclusive, and enormously irritating. I probably won't be able to sleep tonight because I'll be thinking about how much I hate it, and how I would have ended it differently had I written it. It's not a book I can give my middle-schoolers, but if you are looking for a quick, heartfelt read, this is a good one to pick up. But beware the swearing.
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