Book Thoughts: Eleanor & Park

Title: Eleanor & Park

Author: Rainbow Rowell

My rating: 5/5 Stars

*NO SPOILERS*

 

Beautiful.
That's the best word to describe this book. I loved it. And it's probably one of my very favorite stand-alone novels of all-time.
So, the plot of this story was wonderful. I thought everything fell into place just perfectly. I cried. I laughed. I got angry and pissed off. I got surprised. Nothing was overdone. And it was all very realistic. I couldn't believe just how exact this book was with real life. It was very adorable, cute, and sweet. But also completely sexy. There was shyness, but there was also growth into being comfortable.
Everything about this storyline was perfect.
Then, the characters: Eleanor and Park, mainly. I've never read a book with characters as unique and different than these two were. Eleanor wasn't the usual female lead you read about in a book; she wasn't super model hot, and she didn't have the perfect life. She didn't try to impress people. But she was loving and caring. I've never seen a character love as much as she did. She was strong, but also vulnerable. Throughout this book she developed and grew in perfect sync with the book. Then, there was Park. Unlike most macho heroes that usually take the lead male roles in books, he was totally nerdy, quirky, and weird. He was very conscious of what people thought about him, and actually shied away from embarrassment. Eventually, and thankfully, he grew up and got over that, growing into a great young man by the end of the book. I'm proud to say these two characters are probably my favorites out of any YA Contemporary book.
So, overall, I loved this book generously. I want everyone in the world to read it, because it's just one of those books that everyone can relate to and enjoy.
~Laura