Eleanor & Park

by Rainbow Rowell

Omaha, Nebraska. 1986. Park is a misfit—he loves comic books and punk music. His mom is Korean, and his dad isn’t.

Then comes Eleanor. . . new kid on the bus. Big red curls and a curvy body to match. And the craziest clothes Park has ever seen.

Neither Eleanor nor Park live charmed lives, but Eleanor’s is really the pits. Park is her savior, her champion. Ah, young love!

I think this novel is a victim of its own hype. It’s a nice romance for young adults. Eleanor and Park are quirking and charming.

But Eleanor’s problems are really dark, and frankly, the writing doesn’t ring true for me. It’s worth the time to read, but it really isn’t all that. Heck, even the eighties references aren’t all that good.

6/11/13