Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Hi, my name is Rya. I am a junior and I enjoy reading, swimming and traveling.
Eleanor is growing up in a household with four siblings and an abusive stepfather. She is the new girl in school, and her stocky stature and eclectic clothing style, paired with a head full of vibrant red hair, get her more attention than she wants.
Park is an introvert living in a world of extroverts. He gets along well with everyone, but while his friends and family expect him to embody masculine stereotypes, Park prefers to spend his time with music and comic books.
As is the case in any romance story, the two meet coincidentally when Eleanor is forced to sit next to Park in the only seat left on the bus. For weeks, they want nothing to do with each other, until one day, Park silently offers Eleanor a comic book. From there, their relationship grows, despite everything pulling them apart.
Eleanor and Park is a popular romance novel about two misfits who fall for each other, which plays on the archetype of star-crossed lovers. I expected my opinion to match all of the positive feedback I had heard, but I found the book to be decent at best. The general idea was clear and the characters were well-thought-out, but the plot and page-turning qualities were lacking. All that to say, my opinion is an outlier amongst many positive opinions- so give this book a try if you are looking for a unique romance story.
