Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Stand-alone Novel

Cover rating: 5 out of 5

Writing style: 5 out of 5

Story: 4.5 out of 5

Overall: 4.8 out of 5

   I've got some mixed feelings about this book, but I loved it, like who wouldn't? I actually told my mom to read this book just because she's asking me what should she read, she wants something light and sweet; so I ended up giving her this book! If you're a fan of a quick, easy and cute read, I'd definitely recommend this book! I HIGHLY recommend this! It's just the right amount of cuteness and sweetness, I loved it! This book is probably one of my favorite contemporary novels by far. Eleanor & Park is about Eleanor and Park's love story (like it isn't obvious already). They're two misfits creating a one extraordinary love story. It's funny, your stomach will be filled with excited butterflies and your heart will flutter or maybe at some point broken. I had a hard time finishing this book, and it's not because I didn't like it, it's because I don't want to finish it. There's something about this book, that makes you want to savor every page and try to visualize the scenes carefully, and not let your clumsy imagination ruin the moments of Eleanor and Park. Those two are so cute! This book is like a ticket to the mind of a couple and how they see each other. It’s very rare to have a chance to know what the other thinks of the other.  I hope that you’ll pick this book up, because if you still haven’t heard of this book. . . Where are you all this time??? You should definitely read this, and then come back and we’ll talk about the book!

   I assume that you’ve already read the book…. and the dreaded ending. I feel like Rainbow Rowell, made us feel giddy, happy and cute all-over that she thinks she has the right to leave us hanging like that! I literally was expecting for another chapter when I turned the last page until I realized that it was acknowledgements that showed up instead of the justice that I needed. We all feel the same I know. I’ve watched book reviews, read some on good reads and heard some complaints about my bookworm friends about how they felt with the sadness that stuck into them after reading Eleanor & Park. I hardly moved, I swear, I was letting the realization to sink in; that there’s no chapter left to expect, that’s the end-- that’s the freaking ending, deal with it. I felt stupid, not because I expected for another chapter but I felt that way because of Eleanor. What’s the point, Eleanor? Why did you have to go away? Why’d you have to do that to Park? You could’ve called! You could’ve written back! But what did you do? Nothing.  I honestly have no idea why she’d have to do that. I feel like that was completely unnecessary. There’s nothing left to feel but to cry for Park. My heart tried to reach out for the fictional character that I created in my mind, how sad he was, how much he misses Eleanor and how much he waits for her. It literally cracked my heart slowly until it was completely broken. I wish the ending didn’t turn that way. I wish Richie died, because he made everything go wrong. He stresses the heck out of me. The book could’ve been perfect without him. I could’ve just live with the fact that Eleanor is just poor, without an evil stepfather. He’s the scariest antagonist there is in the world of contemporary novels. I swear that he is. If he died in the ending because of smoking too much, it would have been perfect. Or if Park just drove all the way to Minnesota, knocked on the door of Eleanor’s new house and said “Hi, Eleanor” or maybe that’s a crappy ending but that’s what I wanted to happen!!!

   Leaving aside the disappointment towards the ending, the book is such a cute and great read.  I loved it so much that I tried to savor every moment and prepare myself to finish the book already. I love those little things that they notice! Like how Park likes the cheeks of Eleanor, how Eleanor likes Parks voice when they were talking over the phone and just their little conversations! Those things make me happy!!! They are so cute~ I love how their “rated x” scenes doesn’t look sexy and with malice, while reading those scenes all I felt was how they loved each other, how they looked at each other with pure love, not just lust, but contentment and adoration for each other. Before they kissed and gone into physical contact, they notice all the simple gestures—the smile, the way their arms touch while sitting next to each other on the bus AND WHEN PARK HELD THE COMIC BOOK LONG ENOUGH FOR ELEANOR TO READ THE PAGE (!!!), that’s so cute and probably my favorite part of the book!

   I can really connect to Eleanor, her insecurities and paranoia. She’s probably the character that I can relate most to. But I feel sad for her with a mix of pity. How can she not have a toothbrush? And why doesn’t their bathroom have a door? I feel sad for her life but how Park balances everything in her life in a way that is unexplainable.  Park changed her; he made her happy and made days something to look forward to for Eleanor. This book is the best way to describe love and what it does to us. It makes us do stupid things, like Park, when Eleanor was being bullied by the people in the bus; that scene of Park fighting Steve made my love for Park go up so high that I think I love Park more than myself. And love can make us take risks; Eleanor sneaking out, or telling her mom she’s going to Tina’s (hahaha omg I literally laughed when Eleanor said that it is as if she’s replacing Park’s name with Tina’s every time she lies to her mom!), even though she’s fully aware of the consequences if she’ll be caught. And love can make us miss a person even though you just saw each other! Those narrations of Eleanor and Park when they said that weekends and Wednesdays are the worst. That’s so cute!I’ve got a ticket to the minds of two people in love. And it’s the best thing ever. Eleanor & Park is a story of two people in love with each other, not the kind of love that’s temporary, but a love that can be treasured.