Eleanor & Park in Overdue Podcast

Jul 10, 2013 Heather rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary, ya, romance, 80s

2.5/5

After reading Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (which I loved - see review here), I found out about Eleanor & Park. I found a bunch of reviews and the majority seemed to really like it. I seem to be part of the minority that was nota big fan.

Don't get me wrong this book was ok. There were times where I thought it went a little show and other times when I couldn't put the book down. Eleanor was a smart mouth, geeky outcast girl who just started up in a new school. I loved her character but I fou 2.5/5

After reading Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (which I loved - see review here), I found out about Eleanor & Park. I found a bunch of reviews and the majority seemed to really like it. I seem to be part of the minority that was nota big fan.

Don't get me wrong this book was ok. There were times where I thought it went a little show and other times when I couldn't put the book down. Eleanor was a smart mouth, geeky outcast girl who just started up in a new school. I loved her character but I found majority of the time wondering why she was the way she was. Why did she hate her stepfather so much, what happened in the past? Why did she dress the way she dressed? Yes I realize that she was in a poor family and that they woudln't have the money to buy her new clothes and that she was bigger (although I have a feeling she wasn't the size she thought she was) than her mom so she couldn't get those hand-me-downs but her little sister didn't dress as a boy. Anyways, overall, I found I was questioning Eleanor's actions.

I liked Park too, although I'm not sure why. He was a quiet geek who happened to be Asian in an all-white community. He seemed a little hateful for his upbringing and past but hey his is 16 so I can't question that too much. Overall, I found him to be a little boring. His life ended up revolving around Eleanor and he didn't seem to have his own personality outside of her (at least within this book).

The book, like I said earlier, had is weird pacing. One minute we seem to be going fairly slowly though the days or weeks, and then the next everything was happening all at once. Or maybe that was more when I was interested in the story. I spent a fair amount of time wondering if we were ever going to figure out what was happening and why. To tell you the truth, I almost stopped reading this after 50 pages - I'm glad I finished it but I wouldn't feel like I lost anything if I hadn't. In the end I got most of my answers, but I'm still not happy with the ending. It felt like too much build up and not enough payout.

In the end, I would recommend it if you absolutely love Rainbow's work - just keep in mind that it may be the weaker of her books. I loved Fangil and I found this one to be just ok. It's a cute story based in the 80s about teenagers in love (or lust or like - no real heat to it). Read it if you're looking for something to pass the time and you like Rainbow - otherwise there's no need to go out of your way for it. Not a love but not a hate book. ...more

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Jun 13, 2013 Liesl rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, optioned-for-film, 2014, bullying, overdue

Lovely, straightforward and sweet. Since I only had basic crushes in high school and didn't start dating until college, it was difficult at first for me to fathom how it could be possible for these two to be so completely in love after knowing each other so briefly and at such a young age. But I can relate to being head over heels in love and devoted to another, and on that level the relationship between Eleanor and Park works. Like Rowell's other books, the setting and characters are perfectly ...more

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Sep 05, 2013 Sarah rated it really liked it

Touching, funny, and brings back the emotions of being a teenager with little control in your family, trying to find your place in the world, and falling in love for the first time. The fact that it is set in the 80's makes this YA novel perfect for us 40-somethings. Read it!

Here is a summary in the author's words:
"Eleanor & Park is set in 1986. It’s about two 16-year-olds who fall in love on a school bus. The story is told from both of their points of view. Eleanor, a chubby redhead, is the ne ...more

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Mar 05, 2015 Angela rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks

One of the reviews I read said that Rowell has managed to remember what it's like to be a teenager. There were so many times, when reading this, that I was taken back to those situations, feelings, and emotions--ones that I had completely forgotten even existed. So I would say this is very well-written and that I enjoyed it very much. I think Rowell has definitely found her niche. Bonus that she has lived in my hometown for years (I remember reading her newspaper columns when I was a teenager an ...more

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Sep 04, 2015 Holli rated it liked it

This is a raw, tragic love story. It was a page turner and kept me engaged. That being said, the obscenities and content didn't appeal to me at all. ...more

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