This review is part of Melody’s Summer Reading: Diversity Spotlight. Enjoy!
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Release Date: February 26, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 978-1250012579
Source: Bought
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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.
It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book set in the 80s. So this was a refreshing change. Back to simpler times. But still just as complex when it comes to the matters of the heart. I enjoyed following this relationship between Eleanor, the new girl and Park over the course of the entire school year. We get to see so much, especially since the story is told in alternating point of views (third person) which gives us a prime example of how different people’s lives and perspectives are even when they come together and when they’re apart. While I did like the dual POV, much of the time, we got the same scene again in the other person’s perspective and while I like that…much of the time, it may have been a bit repetitive and excessive here…
I also appreciated the diversity though I can’t speak in depth on the accuracy as I’m not Asian. Though I’ve come across many close friends who can relate better to this and most of them are fine with this portrayal, some noting that it wasn’t their personal experience but that doesn’t mean it’s not valid. Others aren’t too happy with certain things. I did think that at times, Rowell could have addressed racial issues more head on and with more time carefully spent overall. You’ll have to read for yourself to decide. I could relate to these characters and this story in many other ways though and felt Rowell did a great job giving the reader that.
Overall, it pains me to say that I didn’t connect with this as much as I wanted to. But I totally understand why others are head over heels for this book. It’s the warm and fuzzy and angsty and heartbreaking love story I probably would have loved way more had I had this story to read in high school. But I’ve never really been the target audience for this kind of book (contemp romance) to begin with and a lot has changed since the time I would have loved this more. I’m admittedly not as open as I once was and maybe I’m too cold to completely appreciate this for all that this is? I see what’s here. I see why people love it. I just don’t. I’m not moved.
This book has very little plot. I’d go so far as to say that this book is not at all plot driven and all character driven. We’re simply following the course of a relationship and that’s actually enough for me. But as someone who really loves character driven stories, this didn’t quite hit the mark for me because I think we could have gotten more depth from both Eleanor and Park. Eleanor lives in an abusive environment which was heartbreaking to see. That was portrayed all too well and that was really emotionally gripping. But on most levels, it was hard to stay captivated and really connect with these characters. I really, really, really appreciated how integral their parents were in the book. It’s nice to read a story that hasn’t adopted the Disney complex so to speak. It’s the little things like this that kept me hooked. If the pacing were kicked up a notch and there was more character growth, this really could have hooked me. Instead, I’ve found myself noting that this is a solid book but this time, I’m just not with the majority in that I’m just not blown away. Maybe Fangirl will be different? I have yet to read that though it’s been on my shelf forever. On to the next!
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell is available today.