Erika’s POV: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Eleanor & Park

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Series: Standalone

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance

Format: Published June 2014 by St. Martin’s Griffin

Source: Own copy; bought in Barnes and Noble

“I just meant that… I want to be the last person who ever kisses you, too… That sounds bad, like a death threat or something. What I’m trying to say is, you’re it. This is it for me.”

The Summary:

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:

One thing’s for sure: After reading this book, I want to fall in love. I want to fall in love right now.

“As soon as he said it, she broke into a smile. And when Eleanor smiled, something broke inside him.”

“Something always did.”

I’ve only read two Rainbow books being Fangirl which I loved but for some reason Eleanor & Park touched me more. Maybe it’s just me being all hopeless romantic but their love story is beautiful. Experiencing everything with Eleanor felt like I was cheating her because it was just meant for her. All the love Park gave was meant for her and I was lucky enough to experience it with her.

Eleanor has been through so much in her life. From being kicked out of her house to not even having her own toothbrush, it was depressing. I felt like no one should experience anything like that. No one deserves to be treated that way and with having a very dysfunctional family, Park is the only thing keeping her sane. She’s not the girl who everyone likes. She’s not your girl next door. She’s her own person. She’s weird and likes comics. You can’t say anything except that she’s Eleanor.

“Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn’t supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.”

Park starts out disliking her. Judging her by her looks but we just have to thank the heavens for that bus and that seat where it all began. Also, we have to thank that comics were created.

The first time Park truly took notice of her was when he was reading comics and he saw that Eleanor was reading with him so he started opening his comics wider and lifting the pages slower. He started bringing comics for her everyday. Just so adorable.

“Holding Eleanor’s hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive.”

Park is mysterious which would be the first thing that catches your attention. He keeps to himself which makes you want to know him more. He’s not your typical macho hero but his got tricks of his own. He’s kind, smart and fragile. He seems so gentle when he moves.

“I’m expecting you to take me someplace nice,”

“I will… Someday.”

His mom’s a beautician so Park always helps her out which I find too cute and then there’s this scene that her mom puts eyeliner on him and he liked it so he starts wearing eyeliner to school. He wears all black all the time and I have to say he looked H-O-T with the eyeliner. He does girly things but he doesn’t exude girly at all more masculine actually. *Okay, I’m starting to sound weird.* He also takes Taekwondo and he bust someone’s face in one scene. He’s awkwardly sweet you guys.

Eleanor’s stepdad is a freaking disgusting creep. I hate him. I’m also starting to hate her Mom. Why do you put up with him? He hurts you and he disrespects your children. I mean he has his days like very rare but how does that out way the bad ones? It really frustrates me. I just can’t comprehend.

Park’s family is another story. He may have his issues with his dad but his dad’s the best. I love his dad. One of the best book dads ever! So supportive of him and Eleanor. When his mom’s acting all crazy, his dad rescues him. Also, Park’s parents are so in love it makes me wish that I would find that kind of love. (Except for the PDA’s though, they love that but it just seems too awkward.) Park’s lucky to have parents like them.

 “Can’t you just like a girl who likes you back?’
“None of them likes me back. I may as well like the one I really want.”

I love books that are dual point-of-view’s. It’s my favorite but I haven’t quite read anything like how Rainbow wrote it. The flow was so natural. It’s like she knew when to switch to who’s point-of-view. It was perfect. It wasn’t what you would expect like Chapter 1: Eleanor and Chapter 2: Park. It made you understand both of them. It made you ache for both of them.

“I don’t like you, Park.”

“I think I live for you.”

The whole book made me swoon, laugh, feel awkward— just feel absolutely everything. It made my heart swell and then deflate. It made me want to cry but the ending was just filled with so much hope that I know their story isn’t over. It can’t be over. I want more Eleanor & Park. A love story like no other.

“He’d stopped trying to bring her back. She only came back when she felt like it anyway, in dreams and lies and broken-down déjà vu.”

Happy reading!!!

PS: The art in this edition is amazing!! Very beautiful. You should definitely buy this edition!