Finding out who you are, who you love and how their view of the world is vastly different from your own – it’s called growing up – and it’s magnificent, terrifying and mind-explodingly beautiful.
This is the second novel by Rainbow Rowell I’ve read, and has become one of my favorites so far this year. Maybe it is due to the fact is is set in an era when I grew up, maybe it’s because Eleanor is a red head too, or the fact the main characters are a little wierd, a little on the periphery of the High School pecking order. Or just because of the slow burn of the growing and undeniable passion they have for each other – whatever the reason, ‘Eleanor and Park’ spoke to me on so many levels that I can’t squee enough.
Rainbow’s writing style is effortless and never pulled me from the narration. I completed the book in one sitting, totally engrossed in the drama of High School life. Miss Rowell has the ability to create beautifully flawed and realistic characters that you have no other option but to embrace in all their glory. She tackles issues like body image and bullying through the eyes of the main characters that ring true to your own experiences.
It’s a love story, so yes the outcome is predictable, but the path the story takes is beautiful. With moments that could have been taken straight out of my childhood diary, I loved how this book travelled the road of innocence, identity and the angst that a teen feels of – let’s be honest – just about everything.
I don’t want to spoil the book by discussing any more, but it is enough to say that this books gets top marks from me and is a must read recommendation.
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Casey Carlisle 