Eleanor & Park in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Aug 25, 2014 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: american-fiction, fiction, young-adult-fiction

I loved it. I read it in less than 24 hours, and really liked that neither of the protagonists was a skinny white kid that was actually really good- looking but didn't think he or she was. I was never Eleanor, or Park, but both of them are so underrepresented in books, movies and just about everywhere that I began the story loving them. And it's just such a real novel. No perfection, no pretense. I really did love it. ...more

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Jan 30, 2014 Martin rated it liked it

Shelves: yearofreadingwomen, 2014books

The story of a girl with a "difficult" home life (to say the least) and her burgeoning relationship with a indie-music loving boy, set in Omaha in 1986, Eleanor & Park is a good, quick read. Much sadder and darker than I expected, given it's "young adult" pedigree, I felt it was surprisingly sophisticated in language and tone. The only thing "young" about it was the plot that felt somewhat plodding and simplistic, like I was a step ahead of the narrative most of the time as it moved from A to B ...more

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Sep 25, 2013 Nina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: novel, fiction, ya, kindle

I *loved* this book. I echo John Green's assessment in the New York Times: this book will remind you what it's like to be young and in love but also what it's like to be in love with a book. Since I never really experienced the young and in love combo, I'll take his word for it but wholeheartedly endorse the second. The book takes on an unlikely teen couple versus the world. It's 1986 and two out-of-place teenagers bond on the bus over comic books and music. They still had Walkmans back then! An ...more

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Apr 20, 2014 Arianna rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobook, borrowed, audible

shelfnotes.com

Dear Reader,

I read this a while ago, but it's taken me some time to get around to writing a review. I guess because I didn't love OR hate it, really, so my dispassion helped me avoid considering it really at all. I actually did LOVE reading it, weirdly enough. It was an engaging story which I couldn't stop listening to. The audiobook was read by two different voices (Eleanor's and Park's) and it was well done by both the (I think they were) teenaged readers. The story was really in shelfnotes.com

Dear Reader,

I read this a while ago, but it's taken me some time to get around to writing a review. I guess because I didn't love OR hate it, really, so my dispassion helped me avoid considering it really at all. I actually did LOVE reading it, weirdly enough. It was an engaging story which I couldn't stop listening to. The audiobook was read by two different voices (Eleanor's and Park's) and it was well done by both the (I think they were) teenaged readers. The story was really interesting: Eleanor is a new girl who was considered a serious "weirdo" in the 1980's by her schoolmates, who connects with quiet but cool Park over comic books and music. I loved the premise, of course - I was certainly never the "cool kid" in high school, so I understand Eleanor's situation (although I was lucky never to be treated as poorly as she was!). I loved the idea of the two bonding over the kinds of things I love. I loved that they were two misfits who found love with each other, and how they supported and cared for each other so well, despite all of the obstacles to their being together. And I don't really know what I didn't love about this book, but there was definitely something. As much as I could really relate to a lot in the book, I just couldn't connect to it on the level I wanted to. There was something holding me back. And that's why I haven't been able to review this well - because I can't really pinpoint my feelings towards it. I would definitely recommend this book to people, too. I just can't express why I would, save from that it's about the 80's and mix tapes and teenage romance and how you feel at that age that you can save each other from the rest of the world. I'm gonna change this to a 3.5, at least (I had it rated as a 3 before). I'm sorry that I can't really review this one well. (Maybe part of it was the build-up from others who had read and enjoyed it - almost nothing lives up to the hype, I've found, and my expectations are probably always too high.) I'd still definitely recommend reading it.

Yours,
Arianna

P.S. Amber's review of this book was WAY more articulate than mine, and actually explains why she felt the way she did about the novel. I think she's right - it started off GREAT, but didn't stay great, and that's really where the problem lay with it. I think the ending was ultimately also great, but the middle had some blah-ish parts. Plus, she's right: having to be dragged back to the feeling of teen angst and super-dramatic relationships might just have not worked as well with those of us who were lucky to survive it and move past it, haha. Thanks, Amber! ...more

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Oct 16, 2014 Adriel rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, historical-fiction

SO sweet and sad and charming. I loved it, but an award winner? Really? Yes the writing and perspective were excellent. True, it did deal with some heavy teen stuff without bogging the reader down, but it seemed to be a bit of a niche romance, and probably not the universal story I think of when I think of award winning books. Please take my advice and read while listening to the Smiths. There are plenty of book nerds who made play lists on youtube to read this book with.

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Jul 10, 2014 Leanne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I don't think anyone has ever written first love the way Rowell does. Dear god. Rip my heart right out of me, why don't you? ...more

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Oct 16, 2013 Julianne Dunn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2014-friends-recommendations

I finished "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell yesterday, recommended by Kristen Schaefer. I essentially devoured it in one night. I have loved Rowell since Rita suggested "Attachments" and E&P is another example of Rowell's superior talent of describing the beginning stages of love. This one is about first love and she definitely captures the breathlessness of it all. Made me a little nostalgic.

Eleanor's family situation is painful to read and you want to jump through the page to help her. She ...more

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Dec 17, 2013 Kim Marques rated it liked it

This book wasn't written for me. But 14 year old me would have stayed up all night with a flashlight reading it.

I want my daughter to read this book when she's 13/14 so she knows that all those feelings she's having are perfectly normal and she's not alone. I want her to read it so she learns not to judge people - that she may think someone is weird, but that they may have their reasons, like Eleanor. I want her to read it to learn that abuse is not ok, and that you can be strong enough to get o ...more

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