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Rowell, Rainbow; Eleanor & Park - Buddy Read (Start Date: June 16th, 2013)
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19. Fight about Tina again. Is Eleanor deliberately doing this because she is afraid that the relationship will end soon anyway when Richie finds out?
20. The gym clothes in the toilet I found so soul destroying. I loved DeNice and Beebi though ; great that she has friends to stick up for her eventhough I'm not sure Eleanor sees them as friends. Do you think if she confided in them more it would make her school and home life easier? Less lonely?
21. I was so shocked to discover it was her stepfather who wrote all those horrible things on her books. I tried to go back through the book to see when the writing on the books started, but I couldn't find the part (times like this I wish I had it on my kindle!) as I suspect it may have been after Park visited the house. What do you think?
22. How did you feel about her deciding to "stop" with Park? The postcard with three words? (boy I hope those words were 'I love you') Her abrupt parting with Park seemed to match the abrupt ending to the book.
23. (Question from Publisher): Steve says that he's Park's friend—is he a true friend? Are Steve and Tina good guys or bad guys in the story? Do you think Eleanor and Tina could ever be friends?
24. (Question from Publisher): How would Eleanor and Park's relationship be different in 2013? How would mobile phones, digital music, and Internet access change their situation?
25. Do you agree with Eleanor running away and leaving her siblings? Is there anything she can do to help them?
26. How did you rate the book? I found this whole section so emotive and draining that I apologise if I missed some important points with these questions. I'm just still swimming in the book. Are there any other points/questions you would like to put to the group?
June 19 - Chapters 31-39 Such a quick section, only a few questions :)
15. I was so surprised when Richie gave the kids Chirstmas presents, and especially giving Eleanor $50. Did it change your opinion of him? What did you think of her gesture giving the money to her mum?
No, it didn't change my opinion of him. I like that she gave the money to her mom since she probably needed it more. He didn't seem to get her mother a Christmas gift.
16. Park's mother seems to have understood her own discrimination and genuinely likes Eleanor. How do you feel about the progression of the relationship between Eleanor and Park's family?
I like that they are trying to give her an option to staying at her house. They are trying to make her feel safe and she needs that from someone.
17. I loved the makeover scene! And Park wearing eyeliner! Do you think it was romantic that he decided to wear eyeliner, or is he just trying to find a way to express himself?
I think he is in a rebellion phase himself. He thinks his father doesn't get him, so he is going to look however he wants. I don't see it lasting with him, though, since he wipes it off as soon as he gets home.
18.It seems only a matter of time until Richie goes crazy when he discovers Eleanor's "box of treasures", or her boyfriend, or both. Are you optimistic for the ending?
Not optimistic at all.
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15. True, I didn't even 'click' that the mum wasn't given a gift
17. Yes he and his father seem to be at odds a little. I also wondered if it was his admiration of Eleanor that had him wear makeup because she is always wearing crazy things and doesn't care what people think (well that is his impression anyway)
18. :(
6. My superpower would be invisibility!7. Totally agree. This feels like a real love story. I do find it only slightly irritating that sometimes they are too adult like in their conversations, but overall the timidity of it all is fantastic.
8. The father situation was so strange to me. He goes to this length to get a hold of her...so she can babysit his fiancee's kid? And then swings by to just give his other kids rides around the neighborhood. So weird.
9. I'm a little confused about the money too. I do think it's a control thing, and I also think he just loses it as fast as he makes it by going to the bar. Then there's nothing left for the family. I feel like he took the kids to the movies just to try and one-up their dad, even if it took all the rest of his money.
10. I was also glad Park stuck up for her. It was an important moment for his character, even though we still see some of the old Park come out from time to time. I do worry that Eleanor will push him away - Park's a saint for putting up with her!11. I never had one, but my mom did when we were really little, and one of my friends had one. I thought they were so comfortable! If they weren't such a pain in the ass, I'd want one.
12. I wonder if she did make that up. It felt to me like maybe someone was coming to collect money from Richie, or maybe a drug deal gone bad. We know Richie smokes pot, but there hasn't been a lot of mentions. Maybe this is building up to some bigger confrontation? I was also horrified by the cops' behavior, though not surprised.
13. Seeing Mindy and how she acts to try and fit in and her emphasis on appearances makes it easier to understand Park's view on life. I do think Mindy is a bit harsh, but I think she's one of those women that just doesn't understand why anyone would want to not be a girly-girl.
14. I'm also wondering where we're headed. We know from the prologue that Park and Eleanor don't have a HEA, but they've weathered some pretty tough spots already. What will their big fight be about?
Almost done!15. I was very surprised that they got Christmas presents. The $50 seemed very generous, especially $50 from 30 years ago! I HATED that her mom took the money, though. She's so selfish.
16. I think Mindy seeing Eleanor's family in the grocery store really hit her with how lucky she is. I like that Park's family recognizes that Eleanor has a rough life. The moment with his dad asking her to come over for dinner always was really touching.
17. I love that Park is opening up from his shell a little bit and being who he wants to be. I don't always get the sense that he really understands Eleanor as much as he thinks he does, but his perception of her still manages to be a good influence on him. I also think he was trying to make a point with the eyeliner, and it worked!
18. Oh boy. I'm getting more anxious the closer I get to the end. I only have about 50 pages left and I can't wait to zoom through them tonight!
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6. I always wanted that, but a friend convinced me that Jedi powers are more useful...lol
8. Just a selfish ass really!
12. I guess this scene is to give us a sense of how dangerous Richie can be (and that the cops aren't much use). Added to the helplessness of eleanor's situation for me
15. I wondered if Eleanor would've been able to spend it knowing how much they struggled just with necessities. I thought it was very mature of her to give it to her mum. Who is just as selfish as her dad it seems!
16. Yes that was lovely. Interesting that Park seems closer to his mum, but it is his dad who seems to understand and have more empathy for Eleanor
18. It is hard to stop reading this as you get closer to the end!
June 20 - Chapters 40-end19. Fight about Tina again. Is Eleanor deliberately doing this because she is afraid that the relationship will end soon anyway when Richie finds out?
Teenage jealousy.
20. The gym clothes in the toilet I found so soul destroying. I loved DeNice and Beebi though ; great that she has friends to stick up for her eventhough I'm not sure Eleanor sees them as friends. Do you think if she confided in them more it would make her school and home life easier? Less lonely?
No, I think because of their personalities, confiding in them might make her home life worse. Although, maybe it would bring better cops to the house. That could help things out.
21. I was so shocked to discover it was her stepfather who wrote all those horrible things on her books. I tried to go back through the book to see when the writing on the books started, but I couldn't find the part (times like this I wish I had it on my kindle!) as I suspect it may have been after Park visited the house. What do you think?
I didn't go back to check, but I think you might be right. I think he knew she wasn't going to Tina's but couldn't prove it.
22. How did you feel about her deciding to "stop" with Park? The postcard with three words? (boy I hope those words were 'I love you') Her abrupt parting with Park seemed to match the abrupt ending to the book.
Long distance relationships are hard especially as a teenager. I think she regretted being so abrupt with him but was trying not to prolong the hurt. I also hope those three words were 'I love you'. I liked the ending because although the teens were broken up and terrible things happened to make her run away, it left you with hope that eventually everything turned out OK. She got to stay with her uncle, her mother and siblings disappeared but Ritchie stayed in town, and that one anonymous postcard had me hoping that they were all together but not letting anyone know where exactly they were because of the abusive stepfather.
23. (Question from Publisher): Steve says that he's Park's friend—is he a true friend? Are Steve and Tina good guys or bad guys in the story? Do you think Eleanor and Tina could ever be friends?
I don't think they are necessarily supposed to be good/bad guys, but give more depth to the main characters. There needs to be something in the background to make their reactions feel real to the reader. A lot of Eleanor complaining about how bad school is without reasons for it would get very boring. I am not sure if Eleanor and Tina would ever be friends, but I don't think they would end up as enemies given time.
24. (Question from Publisher): How would Eleanor and Park's relationship be different in 2013? How would mobile phones, digital music, and Internet access change their situation?
It would be much easier to run away or get someone to help.
25. Do you agree with Eleanor running away and leaving her siblings? Is there anything she can do to help them?
I think running away like she did and going to her uncle was probably the only way she could help them. The police had believed the lies when they came and her mother was not strong enough to get away by herself. If she stayed, she would be in no position to help them on her own without backup from anyone and she didn't have a strong support system there. I think the saying 'you have to be able to help yourself in order to be able to help others' is very appropriate in this situation.
26. How did you rate the book? I found this whole section so emotive and draining that I apologise if I missed some important points with these questions. I'm just still swimming in the book. Are there any other points/questions you would like to put to the group?
I rated it 5 stars and it is one of my favorites this year.
19. That might be part of it. But she also has such poor self esteem. 20. I wondered why she ddn't try to befriend them. She eats with them every day and they invited her out, but nothing ever came of it. I think Eleanor knew that she couldn't leave the house anyway. It had to be really worth the wrath.
21. I bet that's right. Or maybe after she starts spending so much time with "Tina."
22. I can sort of understand it from a self preservation standpoint but boy was it still a shitty way to end things. I saw in a review the thought that the 3 words were "I miss you" which I think makes sense too. It could be either. Do you think this ending is supposed to give us hope?
23. I think Steve and Tina probably think they are Park's friends. Tina is more of a villain than Steve, who ultimately seemed harmless. I could never quite figure out why they both liked Park so much, but not enough to leave Eleanor alone. Or was Tina just acting out of jealousy?
24. Eleanor would have been even more isolated and outside the social in crowd. The balance is that she wouldn't have been able to be cyberbullied since she wouldn't have had computer access at home.
25. I think she did what she thought she had to do. I like to think that her decision resulted in a better situation for the kids because they finally left Richie.
26. 5 stars! It was very emotional and made me tear up in quite a few places. Great book.
Mod
22. I liked the ending too. Like life, it was left with possibilities. The whole book she never told park 'I love you' which is why I can only assume they were the three words on the postcard. I'm glad you thought the same as me, that the mother and the kids left the house (and Richie). I have read some forums over the last few days where people are unsure about that
24. That's true. I also wonder if the bullying would have escalated ("cyber bulying")
26. Escellent, I'm so glad you enjoyed it :) Thanks for joining our discussion!
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20. Yes, I think you're right. If she was friends with them she wouldn't have had as much time to spend with Park as she can't invite them over!
22. I think so. Remember, whenever Park told her "I love you" she never responded in kind. That's why I'm quite sure that is what she wrote. It is nice to imagine they find a way to catch up again :)
23. I agree and Tina was jealous I think.
25. I hope so!
26. Wasn't it just! That whole last section I was holding my tears at bay. Thanks for joining the discussion :)
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Chapter2
There are so many good quotes in this book!
So many 80s references, you were bound to find one sentimental! lol
Agree about Park's parents, and I hadn't thought about Korea being unusual (as I live in an area which has alot of Koreans!), but you are right, it is unusual in, particularly, YA fiction.
Chapters 7-14
I thought Eleanor's wardrobe was more a reflection of her limited options. All her clothes are just picked out for her by her mother from goodwill, so I guess she tries to add some individuality with the scarves etc. She also said she wasn't treated like this at her old school, so maybe the style came from where she lived before
I like the writing style too. Especially how simply subtle changes in emotions and moods are described.
I saw a list today posted from Amazon that this book is one of there top 10 so far for 2013. Just FYI:)
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I'm starting this tomorrow. Hopefully someone wands to discuss or read along with me! (:
I read it a few months ago but I can come back and chat
I'm got finished the part when Eleanor went over to his house. I felt bad for both of them in a way. Bad for him because he wanted her to be liked but didn't knew if she could be. But also bad for her because she can't justbe herself.
I listened to this one on audio, and it was great!Eleanor is her own worst enemy, but I feel so bad for her. Her home life is terrible.
i might as well answer some questions. I'm just going to answer the ones recent to my reading. Chapters 14-20
6. E&P like the idea of flying as their superpower. What would you like?
I think the ability to read minds would be cool, but I've also thought about being able to learn perfectly. Like a perfect memory that encodes everything you take in.
7. So many beautiful quotes in this section like "Holding Eleaor's hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive". I think what I am enjoying about this romance is that it feels "real". It isn't like typical YA books where they instantly fall in love for no discernible reason other than grey eyes, flowing locks and nice muscles. Do you agree?
I like this pairing for the same reason. I also like that there are challenges for both. Often YA books have some crazy other world setting, but there aren't that many challenges in the relationship.
8. Her father seems almost as bad as Richie but for different reasons. He has 4 kids he hasn't seen in a year?! What did you think of him calling out of the blue like that?
I thought it was kinda low. I was annoyed that he didn't even give her the full 10 dollars.
9. I was a bit confused that Richie took the kids to the movies and eats steak, but they can't afford toothbrushes and soap? Or do you think Richie just doesn't proide them with essentials as a way of control?
I think Richie has some money. But it probably goes for food or pot. I think he was trying to prove something when the kids were all taking about their dad and how they road around with him.
I agree that the writing is beautiful, and not your typical YA book. I think their relationship is pretty normal, and I like that it isn't love at first sight. The slow build is part of what makes it awesome.Also, Richie is terrible. Not that it makes her dad a good person, but Richie is way worse in my book.
(view spoiler)
Michelle wrote: "I listened to this one on audio, and it was great!Eleanor is her own worst enemy, but I feel so bad for her. Her home life is terrible."
I agree, but I also think that she doesn't have a great example when it comes to relationships. We saw how Park was willing to put his arm around her athis house, but she didn't want to. His parents show a lot of affection and it doesn't sound like her mom and step dad do. So, I think in some ways she is doing the best she can. In looking at her ability to achieve in school, I think she is doing better than a lot of people in her situation.
I wish that Park would ask more questions, or the counselor would reach out more?
Yeah, the slow build up is great. Also, I like how Romeo and Juliet was mentioned because E&P are the total opposite and those differences are really highlighted. For example, it is a slow romance, and they don't always know how to say what they are feeling.
I started this book and I only got up to the part where her dad asked her to come over to babysit and of her mom had an issue with it. I can see there are going to be some crazy things coming out of this book.
I'm on the waitlist for this book at the library. Shouldn't be too long. I'm up next.
I just finished. I have to say, I thought there was a lot of tenting leading up to the end and there were a lot of challenges along the way. But something about the ending seemed missing, or incomplete. I dunno, it seemed rushed and anticlimactic. Had I known what was coming, I would have stopped 20 pages short. It was really a disappointment because it left me not loving the book, and I tend to judge books based on the end. What did everything think?
I do have to admit, I was surprised about (view spoiler). Did anyone see it coming?
Cynthia wrote: "I'm on the waitlist for this book at the library. Shouldn't be too long. I'm up next."I've just started this today, so I'll be around to discuss it with you.
Kelly wrote: "Chapter 18-28 I'm a bit confused as to Eleanor's state of dress. ..."My impression (view spoiler)
Michelle wrote: "I listened to this one on audio, and it was great!Eleanor is her own worst enemy, but I feel so bad for her. Her home life is terrible."
I have to agree. She always puts herself down and her family life is so sad.
I love the writing. It isn't like other YA books. It has a growth to it. The story shows how real people live and the problems real people have. I like how different it is and how the characters have a different life style and how the differents are different too. Eleanor's mom (view spoiler)
Richie is (view spoiler)
Where Park' parents are(view spoiler)
Karla wrote: "I'm up to chapter 17, Eleanor's dad just asked her to come over to babysit. I like the book, so far. I like how Park and Eleanor bonded over comic books and music. Park is a sweet guy, even if he d..."I was curious about that too. It didn't make sense why the neighbors house.
Cynthia wrote: "I'm up to Chapter 27..."Cynthia it does make you feel there sadness.
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 dumped head first into trash cans, that there was nothing done about school bullying.
Nothing But Reading Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
The Birth of Venus (other topics)A Discovery of Witches (other topics)
Eleanor & Park (other topics)
1. That is on my TBR. and how cool that the setting may be familiar then!
3. Same here
4. Lol!
5. That is a good point, it is all very subtle