Young and In Love - Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Back at it again with another Rainbow Rowell novel. This time I am reviewing Eleanor & Park, a love story between Park, a kid who has spent his whole life making himself invisible, and Eleanor, the new girl in town who couldn't stand out more if she tried. The story follows the two slowly falling in love and attempting to be together despite their issues with family, school and each other.

When I began reading this book, I did not expect to love it as much as I did. I have never read a contemporary young adult romance novel as I tend to find them a tad bit sappy and cliche but somehow this book hit the nail on the head. I adored how the characters of Eleanor and Park developed as a couple but also as individuals as we see how they respond to their place in the world. Park has spent his whole life not really caring for anyone that much and Eleanor has spent her life with barely anyone to care for her so it was interesting to see how each character affects the others growth.

I commend Rowell for her avoidance of the 'love at first sight' cliche. In fact, we literally see Park cursing at Eleanor as she struggles to find a seat on the bus. Their romance reminded me slightly of Benedick and Beatrice from the Shakespeare comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, as slight details about the other originally irk the protagonists but those details soon become the things in which they love about each other. I also appreciate the more than slight awkwardness which is presented because this is written to be a 'first love' scenario and anyone who claims to know everything about love and relationships from the very beginning is lying to themselves.

On a more serious, slightly darker note, I respect Rowell's interpretation and demonstration of an abusive household and how those situations affect all individuals involved. I strongly sympathised with Eleanor when she was in situations completely out of her control, which she was in more than she was not, and how helpless she was, despite Park's constant attempts to have her open up to him. I feel that Eleanor's character can be very relatable to people who have found themselves in similar situations as she did. I myself have never experienced what she has so reading this novel has been an eye-opening experience.

I would like to give this book a 9.5 out of 10, as I just loved how accurate Rowell has portray the emotions and personalities of these characters and how they have interacted with one another. I believe Rainbow Rowell is beginning to become one of my favourite authors and can't wait to read more of her work. I would recommend this book to slightly older teenagers and young adults, due to the themes of abuse and violence, as well as frequent harsh language.

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