Rowell, Rainbow; Eleanor & Park - Buddy Read (Start Date: June 16th, 2013)

[Karla]

☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎ wrote: "Karla I had the same issue "

I think (view spoiler)[the three words on the postcard were "I love you", so it's possible to guess that they got back together. I just wanted to hear more about Eleanor's family. I can see how you can guess that the aunt and uncle took them in, but I wanted to hear more about Eleanor's relationship with her mom. (hide spoiler)]

[Karla]

Cynthia wrote: "Kelly wrote: "Chapter 29-40"

Re your comment about bullying - remember the time period this was set in, the 1980s. I graduated in 1985. I can assure you, as someone who was jammed into lockers and..."

I felt the same way Kelly did about the bullying. I kept forgetting that this book was set in the 80s, when I was 7 at the oldest (1989), so I wouldn't know how teachers reacted to bullying.

[Kelly]

Cynthia wrote: "Kelly wrote: "Chapter 29-40"

Re your comment about bullying - remember the time period this was set in, the 1980s. I graduated in 1985. I can assure you, as someone who was jammed into lockers and..."

Ahh, I was thinking it was set more in today's time.

[Cynthia]

I don't think enough emphasis was placed on the time period, so it's easy to forget about it. And it's important to the context. A lot of things that people stand up for now went silently witnessed back then. (view spoiler)[ That's the part that hits me really hard. That an entire neighborhood knew what was going on and was silent. I think people are more likely to step in now, and certainly there are more resources available to help.

When I was in high school, we had to hide the lady across the street and her 2 kids from her husband. He had beaten her and was running down the street looking for her. My dad drove the car around to the house behind us, and we took them over the fence and through yards to get to the car and away. I couldn't understand why we weren't calling the police, but she didn't want us to call. They were all back home the next night and we were supposed to pretend it never happened. It was crazy. (hide spoiler)]

[Kelly]

I think the abuse stuff still happens today but I think people are more willing to help if someone lets them.

[Snowtulip]

Kelly, regarding the clothing (view spoiler)[I think with the golf shoes and mens clothing, she was going to something that was more unique and would hide the poverty as Cynthia mentioned. I know that in my childhood, I had to add some pizazz to my style to make up for my feelings of my second hand clothing not being up to par with others in my class...I think this was Eleanor's pizazz. (hide spoiler)]

[Snowtulip]

The ending (view spoiler)[I was also not a fan of the ending, although I am hopefully for the happily ever after because me and my husband are the result of high school sweetheart romance :D

What killed me with the ending the most is the promise to go to prom together that year, and Eleanor not doing it, it kind of crushed me :( (hide spoiler)]

[Kelly]

Snowtulip wrote: "Kelly, regarding the clothing [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[
I'm fine with that but then she seems to state that she never looks good to Park. So that led me to believe that she didn't want to be dressing that way. It seems like if you're going to add pizazz then you need to actually like adding pizazz.
(hide spoiler)]

[Kelly]

Chapter 41-end
(view spoiler)[
Ok. I like Park's parent's again at least somewhat. At least they seem to rally when they really need to.

I'm glad Eleanor got out, I think she'll be able to have much healthier relationships. Plus her uncle and aunt seem like they're in a healthy relationship so that will be a better model for her. I'd hope that she wouldn't let herself get caught in the same trap as her mom but things happen.

I'm glad Park finally got a letter back from her. It seemed like she needed that healing time.
(hide spoiler)]

Overall, I'm giving it a 3. I didn't really connect with the characters. I liked some of the parts but overall was neutral on the book. I have liked her other books (that I've read) a lot better than this one.

I'll accept that maybe my apathy towards it is that my highschool (late 90's) didn't have any extreme bullying at least that I was aware of. There were some minor things but nothing that consistent. (And I was in computer class, the flag team for the band and honors classes, so prime candidates for teasing.)