Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell

"Eleanor & Park reminded me not just what it’s like to be young and in love (with a girl), but also what it’s like to be young and in love with a book"

-John Green

It's easy to get caught up in the everyday stress of life, especially in college. In high school, I devoured a book every two days; you couldn't drag me away from them. Now, I spend most of my time with my nose in a textbook, and I've lost that feeling of attachment for YA novels.

Eleanor & Park reminded me of what being invested in a characters experience felt like. I found myself unable to put it down. Rainbow Rowell expertly crafted a novel that captures what it is like to be young, vulnerable, and captivated by another person. 

Eleanor and Park as characters display many of the developmental growth patterns present in the adolescent brain. For example, they both look to peers more than adults for guidance and approval. Park initially fears social retribution if he is caught in the presence of Eleanor, a self proclaimed "fat girl" who has curly red hair and oversized clothes. Even as he falls in love with her, Park still has moments where he bases his decisions off of what others will think. Eleanor's situation is deeply complicated by her abusive home life. Her family is impoverished, and she lives in constant fear of her violent step-father. Eleanor puts on a tough exterior, but the cutting words her peers say about her messy hair and thrift shop clothes leave scars that nobody else can see. 

Eleanor does not have strong parental figures to lean on, so she leans primarily on Park, which seems sweet and charming in the YA romance novel, but is far more troubling than the novel makes us think. Adolescents need strong adult role models more than ever, even if they put up an independent exterior. Teens aged 15-16, the ages of Eleanor and Park, are often caught in a stagnant phase, and adult approval weights almost as heavily as peer approval does during this time. Both characters struggle to fit into the social realm, and both need to hear that they are loved by their parents. 

Overall, Eleanor & Park was a very enjoyable read. It opened my eyes to the different types fo abuse my students may face, and how most adults turn a blind eye to it even though the signs are all there. It was also a feel good novel, despite its more intense scenes. Like John Green, this novel reminded me what its like to be young and in love with a book.