Eleanor&Park – Rainbow Rowel

I had been quit excited to read this book and I feel a bit disappointed if I am honest. This review contains spoilers so that I can express my thoughts clearly.

What is the story about?
Eleanor is the new girl in town, and with her chaotic family life, her mismatched clothes and unruly red hair, she couldn’t stick out more if she tried. Park is the boy at the back of the bus. Black T-shirts, headphones, head in a book- he thinks he’s made himself invisible. But not to Eleanor… Never to Eleanor. Slowly, steadily, through late-light conversations and an ever-growing stack of mix tapes, Eleanor and Park fall for each other. They fall in love the way you do the first time, when you’re young, and you feel as if you have nothing and everything to lose.

What did I think? 
The plot containing the love story didn’t do it for me, I found the pacing slow and it didn’t read to me as two teenagers in their first relationship. Everyone is different and has a different relationship of course but this didn’t feel true to me.

I found Eleanor to be mean, especially to herself, it was really difficult to read and I didn’t enjoy it at all. She puts herself and her body down in such a way that I started to not feel great about myself which isn’t what a book is supposed to do. I also do not believe anyone in this universe thought Eleanor was pretty. Everyone’s perspective of beauty is different but you have to be truly hideous for everyone to agree you are that ugly and such people don’t exist. Generally speaking, I would feel bad for her but she isn’t that nice of a person which creates conflicting feelings for me. Why on earth does Park fall in love with a girl he doesn’t find good-looking, he looks down upon and thinks is not very nice? That doesn’t sound like love to me.

It’s not as if he forgets or changes his views, because he comes back to it but he hasn’t changed his views in any way. This is odd because he is so in love, I am unsure what sort of love that is. But it’s not something anyone should want. The story ended with an open ending, which I don’t like. I am also not a fan of the premise that “17-year-olds don’t get happy endings they get beginnings”. Why can’t you have a happy life and meet people that stay in your life forever? It has nothing to do with age. The love between the two main characters didn’t make sense in any part of the story. I was very disappointed by this book, I don’t think the author and I clicked.

Normally I try to be very positive on the blog although I believe that positivity is good. So is honesty and that is why I chose to talk about this book in this manner. Books aren’t cheap so if you are not sure about this one my advice would be to borrow it from a friend or the library.

What is your opinion on Eleanor&Park?
Did you like it, and why?

Lots of love,
Melissa