Book Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park

By Rainbow Rowell

Release Date: February 26, 2013

Source: Publisher

Summary: TWO MISFITS. ONE EXTRAORDINARY LOVE. 
It's 1986 and two star-crossed teens are smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you'll remember your own first love--and just how hard it pulled you under.

 A cross between the iconic '80s movie Sixteen Candles and the classic coming-of-age novel Looking for Alaska, Eleanor & Park is a brilliantly written young adult novel.

Review: Oh wow, am I obsessed with this book! I was obsessed with it as soon as I saw the cover and now that I've read it, I can't stop thinking about it. Seriously, this one is hands down my favorite read of 2013 so far. 

Eleanor has had a rough life, and moving to a new school to live with her mom, siblings, and awful stepdad doesn't help things. Being a red-headed, slightly chubby teen in the 1980s is hard for Eleanor, but she takes life by the horns and is who she is, which involves crazy outfits and a hard-headed attitude. Park, on the other hand, is used to laying low with his music and comic books. So when Eleanor comes on the bus with nowhere to sit, he finally gives in and let's her sit by him. And that one moment pulls Eleanor and Park into a misfit love story neither of them will ever forget. 

Holy cow, how could this book be so good? Everything about it was so adorable and quirky, yet serious and completely connectable at the same time. The Goodreads synopsis says think 16 candles and those 80s movies embody this book perfectly. I love how this took place in 1986 because that just added to the charm of Eleanor and Park. Their characters are just so cool that I wish I could know them in real life. I would love to see Eleanor's outfits and listen to Park's music. Why can't they be real?

Not only does this book have a fun side, but it deals with serious issues that force you to keep on reading and reading and reading. I honestly could not put this book down because I had to know what would happen next with Eleanor's family and Eleanor and Park's relationship. There is absolutely nothing perfect about either of the characters, but that's what makes this book so perfect. They are so broken and flawed that they're impossible not to love. 

Can I rave any more about this book? The cover is adorable, the characters are lovable, and the story is so perfect and addictive that you will be thinking about it long after the last page. Why does it have to be over? I would love to know what happens next for Eleanor and Park and I would absolutely freak out if the author wrote another one. Either way, you all have to read this book right now! There's so much growth and love in this book I just want to hold it tight and never let go. Haha, so read it now! I'm begging you!