Eleanor and Park

Reviewed by: Felicia

by Rainbow Rowell

St.Martin's Press

329 pages

This book is about two misfits that live in Omaha; Eleanor is sixteen years-old, and a full-figured shy girl with big red hair. Park is a half Korean sixteen year-old boy, who's the kind of mysterious and prefers to keep to himself type. They meet on the bus on the way to Eleanor's first day at her new school. They don't immediately hit it off but through a connection of comic books and mix tapes of rock music, they start to become closer and begin to create their own love story.

 

Anyone can enjoy this book because it’s not just about one specific genre, which is what I loved so much about it. It was a romance and touched the struggles of a young, complicated love. It showed the struggles of getting bullied and being different and misunderstood. It talks about how scary it can be to have to start over at a new place without knowing anyone there. It touches what it's like to have to deal with an abusive parent or with a step parent that you can't stand but have to for the sake of your actual parent's happiness.