From the Bookshelf of YAholics Anonymous!…

Eleanor & Park

Rainbow Rowell

Start date: December 1, 2013

Finish date: December 31, 2013

Discussion: Group Read

Why we're reading this: Contemporary Group Read
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What Members Thought

May 24, 2013 Renuka rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, young-adult, romance, realistic, contemporary, diff-pov, reviewed, my-fictional-boyfriends, fav-couples, mind-blown

Rating: 5/5
Genre: Contemporary, romance
Recommend To; fans of Pushing the Limits, the Fault in Our Stars (they cause similar amounts of trauma)

What did I ever do to you books? Why do I deserve this absolute heart-wrenching, completely terrifying experience? I never caused you pain, but you nearly killed me. I never made you cry, but you made me drown in tears. Why would you do such a thing? I felt compelled to write this review at 1 in the morning. Because I just finished and the tear tracks are Rating: 5/5
Genre: Contemporary, romance
Recommend To; fans of Pushing the Limits, the Fault in Our Stars (they cause similar amounts of trauma)

What did I ever do to you books? Why do I deserve this absolute heart-wrenching, completely terrifying experience? I never caused you pain, but you nearly killed me. I never made you cry, but you made me drown in tears. Why would you do such a thing? I felt compelled to write this review at 1 in the morning. Because I just finished and the tear tracks are still fresh. This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read.

The characters, still so fresh in my mind just evoke such emotions. Eleanor, love and independence. Park, bravery and loyalty. Richie, complete and utter hatred. Even the secondary characters invoke crazy things, Tina, Steve, DeNice, Beebi, Ben, Maisie, Park's parents, Eleanor's mom and actual dad. The feelings were just flowing freely and were completely out of control. My family probably though I was a psychopath or something.

The writing itself, it just....I'm going to be honest here, it terrified me. I was going out of my mind. Because as the story progresses, it hastens and develops a sense of urgency. I was feeling utter dread as it continued. The beginning was almost slow, Park and Eleanor meeting, falling in love. But then it starts to go. And it makes your heart crawl up into your throat. Because you know, you KNOW, something is going to happen and you KNOW it's going to do something to do this fragile/indestructible love of Eleanor & Park and all you can do is sit tight and pray that they both don't end up like Romeo and Juliet. It's completely crazy. And it's one of my favorite books of the year.

Eleanor. She made me want to cry. And then get a grip on myself and hug every single member of my family. Her story...just the incredible amount of things she is forced to go through. The fear of not having enough food, not having clothes, not having a bathroom door, not having batteries. A useless mother, a drug addict father (actual father). Siblings who honestly terrified me. The amount of things against her were astounding. I wanted to pack my entire room up and hand it to her with a bow. Like here...an actual toothbrush and clothes. And yet through it all, she still remained Eleanor.

Park. He was freaking Asian Prince Charming. Can I say I completely fell in love with him? The comic books, and the music, and making Eleanor tapes. He was the opposite of Eleanor in every way. HIs family too, gods they were adorable. I loved how they eventually welcomed Eleanor into their family, especially his mom (I loved her).

Here comes the actual ranting. Richie you sick, SICK, TWISTED ~~man~~ monster. I hope you rot in hell. Because even if you are fictional, you embody perverts, rapists, sexual predators, domestic abusers, sex ring runners and every humanly horrible thing on this earth and I want you all to die slowly. Because you are freaking disgusting.

Sigh, overall, this book is simply amazing. But it completely drains you. And uses every ounce of your being. Then it rolls over you with a train a couple times for good measure. Just a note of caution.

...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Jul 24, 2013 Autumn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

This is probably my favorite book of 2013. I also loved Fangirl but this was even better for me. What I like about both of these novels is how well Rowell writes about what it's like to be a kid for whom things aren't perfect, how powerless that point of view is, and as a reader we feel that sense of desperation. There is something about these books that makes me empathize with the characters far more than much of the other things I read. I loved these characters, I related to these characters a ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 28, 2013 Megan (The Book Babe) rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed-on-my-site, got-on-kindle

Other reviews at The Book Babe's Reads

Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.

Fun fact about me: an ending can just make or break a book for me. If it has a rocking ending, maybe my previous three star rating will go up, and if it has a crappy ending maybe my previous five star rating will go down. I'll give you three guesses as to what happened here.

If you didn't guess, the ending sort of broke this one for me. It still gets four stars, but because it's a work of genius and a romance b Other reviews at The Book Babe's Reads

Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.

Fun fact about me: an ending can just make or break a book for me. If it has a rocking ending, maybe my previous three star rating will go up, and if it has a crappy ending maybe my previous five star rating will go down. I'll give you three guesses as to what happened here.

If you didn't guess, the ending sort of broke this one for me. It still gets four stars, but because it's a work of genius and a romance between two NORMAL people. But the ending... as realistic as it was, that was a book thrower for me. Good thing that it's on my kindle, or I literally would've - I sort of gently tossed my kindle away.

I kind of started backwards here, to tell you the truth. Let's go back to the beginning. The first paragraph, the first sentence - they were like instant hooks. I wanted to know all about Eleanor and Park, and why Park is looking so hard for resemblances in other people. Lucky for me, we found out pretty sudden like. I loved how normal and lovable both Eleanor and Park were.

Eleanor could be a bit overbearing and brash at times, but it's just her personality - and it's very easy to get used to, because I know several people that Eleanor could literally be. It was easy to imagine her, because she was just so real! I also liked Park - he was like the cutest thing ever. Really. And he's so mushy adorbs - finally a sweet guy! (And chivalrous!) *hugs fictional character*

I also appreciated their family dynamics. It was really nice to see Eleanor and her mom go to the grocery store... I mean, that just made my day! Real, normal every day things! In a book! And the world didn't end! But Eleanor's stepfather is....gross. I really, really disliked him. Like, I would beat you badly disliked him.

Contrary-wise, both of Park's parents were great! His mom was a little iffy at first, but I grew to like her. Some of the things that she says are just too funny. And Park's dad was a pretty good guy, even if he is a little tough on Park.

Eleanor & Park together, though... the warm fuzzies. They were so cute, and I love love loved them together! They were kind of awkward sometimes, but it was still so cute. I do think that Park's confession of love was only because he was scared, though. He could've waited just a little bit longer before he threw it out there. (Oh, like that's a spoiler. You already knew that they were going to fall in love!)

All in all, Eleanor and Park would have been at LEAST a four point five for me, if the ending just hadn't killed it for me. I do want to read more by Rainbow Rowell, though! ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 14, 2013 Cynthia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own

I loved this book! Last week I had never heard of it and then as I saw a post go around about favorite YA novels this one kept getting brought up. I went to the library and grabbed a copy and I am so glad I did! What a great book! It is one of those I needed to sleep on it before reviewing it. I loved that it was set in the 1980's first of all. Eleanor had such a sad life you just wanted someone to help this poor girl and get her away from how she had to live. I was left wanting more of the stor ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 12, 2014 Bette rated it liked it

The feels! OMG the feels!

I did not know where I was when I read this book. I didn't know if I was happy, sad, disgusted, empathetic, nostalgic or just bored. It was a slow burner for me. I started reading it a chapter at a time, taking breaks in between and not really caring when I got back to reading. But as the book went on, I started reading more and more until I realised I finished the book. However, that was while I kept looking to see how long was left, wanting the book to be over. Why?

Wel The feels! OMG the feels!

I did not know where I was when I read this book. I didn't know if I was happy, sad, disgusted, empathetic, nostalgic or just bored. It was a slow burner for me. I started reading it a chapter at a time, taking breaks in between and not really caring when I got back to reading. But as the book went on, I started reading more and more until I realised I finished the book. However, that was while I kept looking to see how long was left, wanting the book to be over. Why?

Well to start with - and this isn't really a spoiler since it's the first thing you read - you are foreshadowed that something goes wrong in this story, and you don't know how far into the book this thing that goes wrong does. So even while the book goes on and theres a sweet and loving story to it, there is still this nagging voice telling you 'it's not going to end like you want it'.

Then, for me... I just found it too sickly sweet romance. I am not a fan of romance... well I say I am not, but all the books I read do have a romance theme in them. I just don't like it when it is the main focus. If it weren't for the sub-plots to this story I probably would have enjoyed it even less. Those other plots? Well they aren't nice, but they give the story an edge and a realism you can't help but feel empathy for. From Eleanors messed up home life and insecurities to Park's almost perfect home life but teen angst-type personality.

I fell in love with parts of this novel, not all of it. I would have cried, but I am not a crier (I didn't even cry at Bambi). I just felt the pain and also the joy you were meant to feel - not just as a reader but someone who was a 16 year old girl. My life wasn't as disastrous as Eleanor's, but the fact I know there are people who go through what she does and worse is what makes this story raw and touching.

Park is also the type of guy who listens to the music I did as a teenager and dresses similar to the way I dressed, and the boys I fancied did. Oh and the whole Asian thing that Park mentions in one part of the book (towards the end) - I have a thing for Asian guys so I could have mentioned plenty of names. Although I don't think I would have helped much.

So yeah. This book was good. And I would read it again, or if there was a epilogue or something to this novel. But it's not the type of book I'd add to my favorites list. ...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Anna rated it really liked it

Super cute story.

I love the quirkiness, I love the cute factor....and I just love the fact that it was easy to fall in love with this book.

I think everyone can understand the difficulties of fitting in at high school. Everyone, down to the prettiest cheerleader has some obstacles at some point in high school, so had it harder than others. I was my own kind of outsider...I was obsessed with fitting in with the smart kids....I entered every academic competition (even though my strength was basical ...more

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Oct 18, 2013 Lisa rated it really liked it

Shelves: i-own-this

Well, this books came highly recommended by John Green and other noteworthy names. And yes I did read as breathlessly as I expected to, with such a book.
And I only have one negative thing to say. I thought the ending was disappointing. Maybe that's wrong. I was disappointed by the ending. Maybe other people liked the ending. I didn't. Some parts were a little unrealistic. I would have liked for the author to set up the ending a bit better. Like commit to where it was going.

Aside from that, I ab ...more

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Oct 08, 2013 Talia Dominguez Castro rated it it was amazing

Shelves: zread-in-2014

omg i loved this book! ! Eleanor & Park is about two different kind of people coming from two different life styles how they got to be in a relationship! Eleanor made me realize that there is so many broken homes out there in real life and broken lifes that is not just fiction like in this story! this book is just amazing, it was really interesting to be in their world and see how their relationship blossomed little by little until sadly the love bubble bursted! it is just so bittersweet!

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Sep 11, 2013 Nikita rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-favorite

WOW!!! This book was amazing!! I loved all the character and the story was just so sweet. I loved the simple yet powerful the relationship was of both Eleanor and Park. The story is about first love, and the ups and downs of falling in love.

This book is sweet, sad and funny. It is everything you would want in a book.

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May 10, 2013 Meredith rated it it was amazing

HANDS DOWN THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ AND I KNOW IT WILL STAY UP AT THE TOP OF MY LIST OF FAVORITES!
I would not mind reading it again!
After I finished I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened.
I Hope that Rainbow makes a sequel!
I am for sure going to read her other book!
She is an amazing author!
...more

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