Eleanor & Park
Book Review - Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
I blew through this book in just two days - I couldn't put it down. This novel is about Eleanor, the new girl at the high school Park attends. Eleanor lives with her mom, step-dad, and four younger siblings - they don't have a lot of money and she doesn't get along with her step-dad. Park lives with his parents (who are more in-love than anyone he knows, especially his friends' parents) and his younger brother. His dad is hard on him, but it is tough love. Eleanor and Park met when Eleanor sat next to Park on the school bus. Their relationship blossomed when they discovered they had a love for music and comic books in common.
A lot of the typical young adult themes are present in this book: young love, teenage angst, school bullies, and homework. But there is so much more to this book than your typical high school drama. Eleanor and Park navigate more serious home troubles better than most adults could. They learn that people aren't always what they seem and that they aren't the only ones who are judged unfairly.
Sometimes it is fun to read young adult novels as a reminder of what life was like in high school (and how I would never want to re-live that part of my life again.) You know those people who talk about high school being their "glory days"? I can't relate to those people at all.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive compensation if you make a purchase using this link. Thank you for supporting this blog and the books I recommend!
