Book Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

"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 Sheridan

Recapitulation: Boy rides the school bus & has his own seat. Red headed Girl begins to ride the bus and needs a seat. Boy [very very very] reluctantly scoots over. Boy harshly judges Girl. Girl is a misfit. Boy feels like a misfit. Something indescribable begins. 

Regarding the Read: A few months ago, I saw a photo that someone posted [I think it was on instagram] of a really sweet quote from this book. I filed Eleanor & Park in the "Novels to Consider" folder in the deep crevices of my mind. Side Note: I cannot find the photo that I originally saw that caused me to catalog this book in my head and frankly, that upsets me! If it was you, speak up! The person has come forward! Thanks Thuyvi for solving the mystery. :-) 

Refreshing: The two main characters are very unique. 

• Eleanor has bright red curly hair, and is (repeatedly) described as being chubby. Although it seems that she exaggerates her weight (see Point #3 under Relishing), I loved that I could relate to her struggles yet she wasn't obsessed with "fixing" herself like so many girls try to do. She is 100% herself.
• Park's mom is from Korea and his dad is a white American. My husband is Korean [and I am a white American] and I thought it was so great that a main character in a popular, current book is multiracial. It gives me hope that more authors will think to include multiracial/multicultural characters in their books. But more than that, Park is described as a handsome guy who is honest with himself concerning both his shameful feelings and his desire to be a rescuer.

Relishing:  Eleanor & Park was one of my favorite books in awhile because of the following topics within the tale: 

1. Awkward teenage love. The book is written in the third person limited, which was incredibly refreshing (since I am tired of books written in the first person). However, Rowell switched from being limited to Park's thoughts to being limited to Eleanor's thoughts by labeling their respective sections as eleanor or park. Eleanor and Park were emotionally effusive in their words to one another yet, as was revealed in their personal thoughts by the limited narration, they always wanted to say even more. Oh man. Teenage love! As a high school teacher, I think this is SPOT ON. Teenagers-in-relationships are some of the gushiest human beings alive. Although it can be awkward, annoying, and silly, there's often a purity to the fresh feelings, especially when the lovestruck teens put those feelings into words. I think that's why when adults revisit their memories of first crushes, dates, and loves, it can make anyone    s q u i r m,     even years or decades later! 

2. Bullying. Before reading this book, I would want someone to go in fully aware of the bullying that Eleanor endures. Yes, endures. The book was set in 1986 when the metaphorical flag of bullying awareness was not yet flying. I say, it's sad that it wasn't. I take bullying seriously, and I'm thankful that so many school systems are on guard. Obviously this doesn't mean that no one ever stood up for the victims of bullying in the 1980s, but it seemed like a "Kids will be kids" mentality was prevalent until a few years ago. Furthermore, Eleanor was judged and then bullied based on her outward appearance (both clothes and looks). Coming from a poor and abusive family background, few seemed to care about what was going on in Eleanor's home life and instead focused on how they could verbally humiliate her based on her exterior. 

3. Body image/insecurity. The last things that both bothered and intrigued me were Eleanor's insecurities. She often described herself as being fat and constantly wondered why Park liked her. Nevertheless, I do believe these thoughts are what made Eleanor a very believable high school character. Although some adult women [e.g. me] sometimes still hear those voices that say, "I'm so fat!" and "Ugh! Ugly!" upon looking in the mirror, I remember that those voices were that much louder in high school and the (not) funny thing is, I was much smaller and more fit back then.  Self-acceptance is a lifetime journey and hearing Eleanor's thoughts made me want to pull her out from the pages, give her a hug, and tell her that she is beautiful. Incredibly corny, I know, but I'm actually glad that this book had that kind of influence on me; I believe that it has helped me to recall and relate to those feelings of self-loathing that are pervasive in the teenage years. 

Overall, this is an enjoyable book. I loved it.

Red Alerts: If cursing and language bother you, you might not want to read this book. It pains me to say that, but I would hate to recommend a book that would insult anyone based on the content. However, I will make an argument for reading it anyways. The cursing/language didn't bother me because a) it was mostly not coming from the two main characters,  b) it revealed the verbal abuse that Eleanor was plagued by, and c) it made me sick and angry over how bullies taunt their victims with a cruel use of something we all share: language. With the ubiquity of text messaging and ridiculous social apps, the reality is that we do not much consider the power of our words. Rowell's purposeful use of obscene language could easily empower readers to actually change how they speak, write, or text upon seeing the result.