REVIEW: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
RATING: 5 Stars
GENRE: YA Contemporary

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Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

MY THOUGHTS:
This was the last book I read in 2014, and boy, what a way to finish! This was probably the top book I read in 2014 and I flew through it in a day! A great read for anyone - bring on more Rainbow Rowell!

Eleanor and Park is the story of two misfits who met on their school bus. Although Park isn't popular, he does alright just being invisible. Eleanor is the new girl at the school and in addition to the issues she has to endear at home, the girls at the school decide she will be their next target. They both have issues of their own but through it all manage to find each other. 

The characters for me were fantastically built. I fell in love with them not because they were perfect and role models. I love them because they are imperfect. Rainbow Rowell doesn't try to hide the fact that her characters are definitely not perfect - far from it. They both have their faults and flaws but she makes sure the reader knows that faults aren't the end on the world. You don't have to be perfect to be an amazing person. 

"She never looked nice. She looked like art"

The romance is also very realistic in the fact that it isn't love at first sight. At first, they hate each other, then tolerate, become friends and fall in love the way that most people would. A great representation of teen romance.

For me, the aspect of this book that made it stand out was the issues the novel tackles; especially Eleanor's life. Eleanor lives in poverty. She shares a tiny room with many siblings, struggles for food and clothes and has no proper bathroom. This hit me. Hard. To adore a character as much as I did with Eleanor, and then observe 300 pages of her suffering hurts. But it also raises a valid point. Just think of how many people there are in the UK and the rest of the world right now that live like her and worse. No one suspected what Eleanor's home life was like so how many people have you spoken to live like that. You would never know.

Other little details that added to the overwhelming aura of the book include the setting. The references to the 80's culture were cleverly placed so you knew when it was set without it being in your face obvious. Also, the POV (Eleanor and Park), were distinguished and elegant. I really felt like I was talking to each of them in turn.

Overall, a stunning gem that has all the ingredients for a perfect book. One that will make you laugh, cry and fall in love; everyone should read this!