Eleanor & Park: A Review

 

(I've ran out of ideas. Sorry.) Anyway, if your name is Michelle and you happen to know me in real life, there's a message for you at the end of this review.

What do you think is under the title?

• Why, it's the names of our protagonists!

Summarize the story in your own words: goodreads summary:

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK 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. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

In general: (didn't like it, okay, liked it, loved it)

• I love it.

Why?

• This is the second novel I've read of Rainbow Rowell (Fangirl being the first) and I gotta ssay that I liked this better. Probably because the focus is romance and there's fab music involved.
• Let us talk about the characters first.

• Park- He's adorable. Sure, there are a lot of literary guys just like him, but he stands out. Probably because if you're one of his busmates, you'll see him as the guy who's just... there. He's sort of passive if you're the extrovert busmate. You know, he's always been there, but he's the kind of guy who goes with the saying; "whatever floats your boat." And I think it's really nice to see someone like that in the literary world. (Plus, he's Asian. Aw yi)
• Eleanor- She's just... her. And I love that. I can relate to her so much. (Pretty sure we all can--one way or another) She's being judged and mistreated so hard yet she still manages to stand her ground. She's such a strong and unique person. Hands down.

•  As usual, Rowell's writing is something I just have to take note of. She makes her characters seem like sweethearts. (Not that they aren't.)
• I liked how it was set during the 80's. I've gotten so used to reading novels which story lines occur either in the present or future, I had to remind myself that everything in this novel took place in a time even before I was born. (And that it's most likely the time when my parents were teenagers too. Interesting.)
• The music!!! I dig. A lot.
  
• the mIGHTY PLOT TWIST. Oh, I won't ever be able to talk about this properly. Ever. I've finished this novel long ago, but every time I recall this scene, I still come up with nothing coherent. It just wasn't something you could've seen coming. I mean, the idea tickled my mind a lot of times whilst reading, but never have I actually expected it to come out of the novel and when it did... well, surprise, surprise! It's something I had predicted, yes. Something that's probable to happen but you know, it's just not something you could have seen going along between the laces of this novel. It still creeps me out.
• The sobfest. "I am crying. This is so sad and I am crying." I cannot actually find a definite reason as to why I cried whilst reading this, but this novel is definitely, undoubtedly something.
• Let's talk about Eleanor and Park altogether. I think of all the ships I ship, they're the actual epitome of "star-crossed" and "misfits". And I mean it in a good way. Because you just see how they're living in the world, and that they're spiraling around their own planets, their own galaxies. They are very teenager-y. Innocent, chaste and just young. They're really just one of those genuine ships you have.
• Eleanor & Park is everything young and adorable and love and ouchy. It is guaranteed to make your heart flutter, make you smile and cry. This novel will make you fall in love.

Favorite scene:

• My favorite scene would be when Eleanor first sneaked up to reading this comic with Park on the bus.

Least favorite scene:

• I think we all know which our least favorite scene is.

One quote you liked:

“If you can't save your own life, is it even worth saving?” 

“All of her bones seemed more purposeful than other people’s. Like they weren’t just there to hold her up, they were there to make a point.”

Make a three to five song playlist for the novel:

• Sweet Disposition- The Temper Trap
• Home- Gabrielle Aplin
• No Angel- Birdy
• Burning Bridges- OneRepublic

Rate it by stars/rubber ducks:

Would you recommend it?

• Yes yes yes!

Last words:

• Thank you, Michelle, for reminding me of the things I have forgotten. I hope you find your starting sentence whilst reading this post.
• This review is probably one of the vaguest I've written ever. Because this review is at least a month late and obviously, I cannot recall this as nicer as I could have if I had not forgotten to do this before.