Eleanor and Park By: Rainbow Rowell (Part 4)

Of all the books on the list, I chose this one because, first of all, I already owned this one, and second of all, it's an amazing book. It's the kind of book that is so realistic it hurts, and yet, so beautifully written in its own captivating way that it takes you by surprise. I think a lot of times when people say books take us to another place they always assume that other place is always going to be a place where everything is okay, but this book doesn't sugar-coat the realities in life and that's why it really drew my attention and quickly drew me in. After reading this novel, I did make a few personal connections, one to the way Eleanor dresses, “Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.”-Rainbow Rowell, Eleanor and Park. This quote shows that Eleanor didn't dress like everyone else and I can relate to that in some ways because I would rather be looked at as dressing to look like art, and bringing out some emotion in people, than dressing to fit in. Also, the way Eleanor lives for Park, is relatable because I think we all having something or someone that we learn to live for and so that's also a relatable aspect of the book. I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it to anyone who would want to read a book that was more realistic to the way teenage romances and everyday lives can be. This is for people who enjoy books that are more raw and real than a fairytale type book.

Eleanor and Park By: Rainbow Rowell (Part 3)

My quote from Eleanor and Park is: “I don't like you, Park," she said, sounding for a second like she actually meant it. "I..." - her voice nearly disappeared - "think I live for you."
He closed his eyes and pressed his head back into his pillow.
"I don't think I even breathe when we're not together," she whispered. "Which means, when I see you on Monday morning, it's been like sixty hours since I've taken a breath. That's probably why I'm so crabby, and why I snap at you. All I do when we're apart is think about you, and all I do when we're together is panic. Because every second feels so important. And because I'm so out of control, I can't help myself. I'm not even mine anymore, I'm yours, and what if you decide that you don't want me? How could you want me like I want you?"
He was quiet. He wanted everything she'd just said to be the last thing he heard. He wanted to fall asleep with 'I want you' in his ears.”   -Rainbow Rowell, Eleanor and Park


I picked this quote because it shows how Eleanor truly feels about Park and how Park loves her too. How they survive on one another and have a love that is deeper and more accepting than some people will ever have. This quote shows how sometimes words can be more intimate than a physical gesture might ever be and that's why I picked this quote, it's the kind that makes you think. Not just about the book, but about your life too, your love, what gives you the feeling that Park gives Eleanor.

Eleanor and Park By: Rainbow Rowell (Part 2)

In this story, the book is structured with different perspectives. The perspectives being Eleanor's and Park's. Some chapters have both, and some just have one and it's a very interesting way to write, I think. The characters are getting more complex. You are learning more about why Eleanor is so different. Why her clothes are so different (and more manly) then the other girls, why she has a shy but tough exterior and why she is so insecure about everything. You also learn why to Park, the little things Eleanor does can be so cute, why she can also be so aggravating. Park comes from a middle-class family where his mom expects all girls to be sugar, spice, and everything nice. Yet, Eleanor comes from a poor, abusive, and tough family where everything she does is wrong. Park and Eleanor are also starting to be more public about their relationship and while some people are okay with it, others aren't so much. The kids on the bus, aren't so okay with it, to the point of giving Eleanor so much crap about it, Park gets in a fight with the most moronic (and also the biggest) kid on the bus. While Eleanor's friends are okay with it, her stepdad isn't but Park's dad is.