Juvenile Fiction
Macmillan
2013-02-26
328
"Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits--smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try"--
Review:
After reading “Eleanor and Park”, I felt an overwhelming urge to write a love letter to Rainbow Rowell. It was everything my old, nerdy, hipster heart needed and more.
Make no mistake about it, this book is hipster and nerd to the core. Everything about the 80s that was amazing in terms of pop-culture is here, and everything that needed some good-natured mocking is mocked. It’s a book filled with nostalgia that can still be appreciated by the young. In fact, it should be required reading for the new generation of hipsters.
The writing is sparse, but in a good way. The facts, and only the important ones, are laid out like an outline to a research paper, softened only by the accompanying thoughts and emotions that can only be found in hormonal teenagers finding love for the first time. It makes it realistic, and also keeps things from becoming overly romantic. The heaviness of Eleanor’s situation is never overshadowed by the good, and the good is never completely overshadowed by the bad. Given the subject matter, that balance being so perfectly accomplished is a testament to the author’s talent.
The only reason I am giving “Eleanor and Park” four stars instead of five is the ending. It seemed rushed, and while somewhat understandable, almost out of character. Given the easy flow of the rest of the book, it was a jarring awakening from a literary dream.
The ending was not, however, nearly enough to keep me from recommending it to anyone who is old enough to read it. It is definitely aimed at older readers, with subject matter that is dark and difficult to read. If given to a younger reader, I would recommend an adult read it and discuss it with them.
Content Warning:
Language, Violence, Sexual Situations, Abuse
