Book Review: Eleanor & Park.

Reading has always been one of my favorite activities: I can remember just sitting by the bookshelves when I was little, pulling stories down and flipping through them all day. My desire to read has never faded, but the actual time I have to sit and just dive into novels has shrunk severely since the beginning of high school.

Towards the end of fall semester, I made the decision to give myself time to read something other than textbooks. I used this time as a way to chill out on the weekends when I didn't have much to study. To be honest, I started this immediately after watching If I Stay. Reading the sequel was a must, and it couldn't wait until winter break. Working reading for fun back into my regular habits has been so rewarding. I actually forgot how attached I can get to fictional characters....

One of my favorite posts I've written so far was my book review for Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave. So I figured, now that I'm finished my latest read, why not share my thoughts/opinions?

My most recent completion is Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.

I'll be completely honest, I wasn't enjoying it much in the beginning. I had some issues with Rowell's writing style and most definitely with body image commentary. Something told me to stick with it, however, in hopes that it would lighten up eventually.

And I'm so glad I did.

Eleanor & Park (after the first 30 pages or so) is one of the cutest stories I've probably ever read. Without giving too much away, a out-of-place redhead girl and a quirky asian boy bond over mutual interests in comics and music on the bus to and from school. Eleanor and Park's journeys to acceptance of each other and themselves was endearing and special in a way I couldn't even describe. While reading, I related parts of both characters to myself. I understood their problems and fought  for happiness right along with them. 

Rowell's writing itself is quirky and definitely engaging. The overload on ugly descriptives in the beginning faded into a perfect balance of imagery and conversation. In a way, she's able to contribute an innocence to Eleanor and Park's relationship through her writing; she makes it obvious that there's a connection between them while simultaneously reminding her reader that both kids are jagged and lost; that it's going to take time for them to find what they need to enjoy each others' company. When it came to piecing together Eleanor and Park's future, I was along for the wild ride. 

By the time I was past the first 30 pages, I was flipping through the chapters quicker than I usually do. There’s just a spark to Eleanor& Park that I absolutely love.

Keep not settling,