I thought I was not a big fan of romance novels, and maybe I am really not, but there is something about Eleanor & Park that makes me question that. I hate to be a spoiler, but I need to say I was almost ready to send a not-so-gentlemanly message to Rainbow Rowell, the author of this amazingly cool YA novel, for holding me in disbelief, expecting and hanging over the cliff for so long!
This heart-warming and heartbreaking story gives us memorable characters in painstakingly real situations, with sixteen-year-old Eleanor and Park in the lead. Eleanor, a red-haired social misfit in totally wrong clothes, and Park, the cutest Asian guy ever coming from a perfect family. They are so different and unlikely to function as a couple, as one, and yet they keep fighting and beating all odds, becoming a perfect match in all their imperfections! There is where lies the true charm of this novel!
I might not make much sense to you (blame it on the excitement which still lingers under my skin) but it will all make sense to you when you grab that book and start reading it. It's great stuff! Don't miss it!
BJ