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Eleanor & Park | November 20, 2013

by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martin’s Press/ Macmillan, September 2013)

I decided to read Eleanor & Park because of how much I enjoyed Fangirl, also by Rainbow Rowell. But, what I liked about Eleanor & Park was so very different from what I liked about Fangirl. What I liked about Eleanor & Park was the simplicity: the simplicity of the main relationship, the simple truths about young love, and subtle reminders of how very hard high school can be.

My favorite young adult novels tend to spark memories or nostalgic feelings, and reading this book brought me back to a very specific memory of holding hands with my first boyfriend. When all you’ve done is hold hands, then holding hands is the most exciting, invigorating, and heart-pounding activity that you’ve ever experienced. And to be honest, I just hadn’t thought about that in a while.

I loved so much about Eleanor & Park: the amazingly precise observations, the slow and cautious bonding of the two main characters, and the world’s reaction to their bonding. It was all so simple and beautifully said; it was perfect without ending that way.

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