I'll be honest: I only picked up this book because John Green recommended it (and because the cover was absolutely adorable). I expected it to be a slightly cheesy and predictable summer read.
Um. No.
Set in 1986, Eleanor & Park is the story of two disparate teenagers who fall in love, despite all odds. Eleanor is a self-described “big girl,” with freckles and a tangled mess of red hair. She can't imagine why anyone would like her – but despite this, she is a strong character and doesn't let her insecurities rule her life. Park is a slight, half-Korean kid whose younger brother could kick his butt and who feels like he lets down his huge, war-veteran dad on a daily basis. Park is passably popular, but Eleanor is at the bottom of the food chain – which is why Park agonized over the decision to let Eleanor sit next to him on the bus, that first day. Soon, though, he begins to see past her haphazard thrift shop clothes and standoffish air; and slowly, she opens up to him, revealing things she has never told to anyone else. Their love progressed slowly and believably, and the ending left me breathless.
Rainbow Rowell's slightly whimsical writing style perfectly captures the feeling of first love, somehow managing to tell a beautiful love story without sappiness, and to create lovable, flawed characters that stay in the reader's mind long after the final page.
As John Green said, “Eleanor & Park reminded me not just what it’s like to be young and in love with a girl, but also what it’s like to be young and in love with a book.”
~Maya
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