Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell is a story of teenage life, plain and simple. It’s also a love story, but mostly it’s just normal, everyday, mundane and terrible, teenage life. It was an incredible read.
What a beautiful rendition of a not so shiny life with not so shiny kids. One kinda overweight; one half Asian. Both dealing with different things on the same side of the tracks. Drawn to each other because of circumstances not beauty and instant love. It all felt so real and perfect in its non perfection.
We get both perspectives, flipping back and forth from Eleanor to Park. Hearing the same things from both brains with different interpretations was like a revelation and confirmation all at the same time. Park thinks Eleanor is touching him gently because she doesn’t want him as much as he wants her. Eleanor is touching him gently because she doesn’t want to do it wrong. These little moments were so brilliant in their simplicity.
With a stunning not-so-perfect ending and very straight forward, teenage-esque writing, I have to say I really enjoyed this book. It was real. Really real.