Book Review: Eleanor and Park

"You just look like you with the volume turned up"

      Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell is a young adult novel set in 1986. It follows the story of two 16 year old teenagers as they fall in love for the first time. Each chapter alternates points of view. Eleanor has frizzy red hair and is a bit overweight. She is mercilessly bullied by the other students in school and by her step dad. Park is a half Korean student who is grappling with identity and parental expectations.

      Rainbow Rowell beautifully describes the intensity with which you can fall in love. The characters love starts with comic books then expands to include music.  The small magnified details really make the book relatable. Not knowing where to sit is a huge nerve wracking situation in school.  I could relate to the feeling of uncertainty and nerves about walking into a new environment but I couldn't relate to that specific scenario. Reading the first half of the book made me feel like I missed out on a huge cultural experience of riding a bus. Where I grew up in the suburbs, there was (and still isn't) any school buses to take to get to school. Your parents drop you off and pick you up. Most people live too far away to walk. But that sense of community of living near school and your peers and taking a bus was such an important part of this book that I never experienced it. Up until I went to college I didn't know anyone really took a bus to school in this day and age. I thought it was a nostalgic relic for a time that no longer existed, like a John Hughes film.

      I realize this isn't a film however it broke a big rule at film school which is never show the falling in love because it's boring. If you've ever noticed the falling in love scene is usually a montage. However, this book makes the falling in love portion interesting and important. All of the questioning and uncertainty that occurs when your in a relationship is beautifully explored throughout this book.

      The story, however, fell apart near the end. I wasn't satisfied with the ending of the book and the events leading up to it seemed to come out of nowhere. I was confused by the shift in character relations and the sudden tonal shift. The secondary characters didn't receive a conclusion. All actions have consequences, good or bad. The consequences in this book didn't pay off. Considering we had so many details about each moment of their relationship, the ending felt rushed. The the book ends with no further explanation.

"She didn't realize that their were things worse than selfish"