Book Review / Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem 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, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.




Published:     26th February 2013
Publisher:  St Martin's Press
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

What I loved about this story...   I had tried to pick up a Rainbow Rowell book before, Fan Girl, and didnt' really like it so I decided to give the author another try but this time I listed to this on audio book.  It made a lot of difference just by listening to the story rather than reading the words.  What I loved the most was the fact that you had two 'outcasts' in school who by chance become great friends and more and despite the fact there are the usual 'bully' characters these weren't really bullies in the really bad sense of it and even helped the story in certain scenarios.  

There is also a serious side to this story and that is mainly on Eleanor's side of it.  She comes from a family whose parents have split up and she now lives with her mother and step father.  Now this stepfather is not a particularly nice character and is very abusive.  It was interesting to follow this part of the story and see how the author dealt with that particular sensitive topic.

What I didn't like about this story...  Honestly, despite enjoying aspects of this story it just never gripped me as much as what I thought it would.  I was never really surprised by the story or by any of the actions of each of Eleanor and Park and that was unfortunate as I would have loved to have been more surprised or caught off guard by certain things.  If I would have read this 10 or more years ago I think I would have loved it.