Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park

by Rainbow Rowell

'Reminded me not just what it's like to be young and in love, but what it's like to be young and in love with a book' John Green, author of The Fault in our Stars

Eleanor is the new girl in town, and she's never felt more alone. All mismatched clothes, mad red hair and chaotic home life, she couldn't stick out more if she tried.

Then she takes the seat on the bus next to Park. Quiet, careful and - in Eleanor's eyes - impossibly cool, Park's worked out that flying under the radar is the best way to get by.

Slowly, steadily, through late-night conversations and an ever-growing stack of mix tapes, Eleanor and Park fall in love. They fall in love the way you do the first time, when you're 16, and you have nothing and everything to lose.

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, Eleanor & Park is funny, sad, shocking and true - an exquisite nostalgia trip for anyone who has never forgotten their first love.

Reviewed by jesstheaudiobookworm on

4 of 5 stars

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4.5 stars
In retrospect, this was quite possibly my favorite read of September! Beautifully told; it’s amazing that a book that addresses such a triggering topic (abuse) could still give me the “warm fuzzies”. Rowell does an excellent job of using the beauty of the main characters’ unlikely friendship to balance the harsh reality of familial neglect and abuse. I liked this so much better than Fangirl. Rated 4.5 because the ending felt rushed and lacking at the time of reading (I wanted more!), but I’ve come to terms with it now.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 14 September, 2015: Finished reading
  • 14 September, 2015: Reviewed