Eleanor and Park
by Rainbow Rowell
February, 2013 St. Martin’s Griffin
Synopsis on Goodreads: Eleanor… Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough…Eleanor.
Park… He knows she’ll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There’s a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises…Park.
Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.
My Thoughts: I was so excited to read this. It was actually a really good story, but I could only give it 3 stars.Why? Because it was too cliche.Your typical troubled teenage love story. There was nothing exciting about it. Nothing special about the story. It was even a bit boring in the beginning. I did like how she wrote it – going back and forth between their perspectives. I also enjoyed the characters. I don’t know if I was just too old for this novel, or if it just didn’t really captivate me like it does some people. I guess I couldn’t relate to the story. I wanted to love it. I really did, but I just didn’t. Anyways…I gave it 3 stars. Maybe Fangirl will be better?
Oh, I loved Eleanor & Park. I have to admit, I liked Fangirl even more though. Hopefully, that one resonates better with you 🙂
I think I would have enjoyed it more, if I didn't expect so much out of it from all the hype.
I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one who felt this way about this book. I liked it, but it was just too much like so many other things that I have read before.
This is on my read list. Wonder if I would feel the same way. Are you on Goodreads? How would I go about following you?!
XO/Lena @ Root&Blossom
I doubt I'll read this one unless I'm in the mood to be reminded of my teenage years. I like a good, cute story but I fear I'm 1. Too old (33) and 2. Too cynical for teenage love stories. Then again, I am reading a book that is outside my usual reading selection and I've been devouring that. So who knows? =)
I'd like to read this one. And Fangirl!
I'm currently reading this (a little over halfway through) and I'm not loving it like I thought I would because of how much every other blogger seemed to love it. I liked Fangirl a lot. I'm not sure why…I think it was so relateable for me- not that my college years were exactly like hers, but it reminded me of my first year in college in some ways.