Friday 26 July 2013

ELEANOR AND PARK: A YOUNG ADULT NOVEL BY RAINBOW ROWELL

Hi, welcome back,

I have just finished  a wonderful young adult novel  called Eleanor and Park, written by Rainbow Rowell. This novel is a modern-day  Romeo and Juliet,  which take place in the year 1986, in Omaha Nebraska.  


AMERICAN AUTHOR: RAINBOW ROWELL

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NOVEL : ELEANOR AND PARK

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REVIEW:

Eleanor and Park is a story of friendship, love and many other issues mixed into the pot. The union of two social  misfits, Eleanor nicknamed "big red," due to her full figure and flaming red curls, and Park, who is from a mixed racial family, his mother Korean, his father white.

The story is told from a two-point  perspective, Eleanor's and Park. 

Eleanor has just returned home after a year's absence, reunited with her family. She lives in a small crowded house without any privacy, sharing a bedroom with her brothers and sisters. Eleanor is careful to avoid her step-father, a verbally abusive controlling bully.

Park comes from the ideal nuclear home; his parents' happily married, living in a nice modest house with all the amenities. He doesn't long for material needs, but for his father's approval.
 
Their relationship spans over a school year, beginning on the bus ride to and from school. They soon become aware of a common interest they both share, a passion for comics and music. In the weeks to follow, they begin to notice the most minute details of one another, feelings neither has had before.  

Over time what started out as friendship turns to love, a first real relationship for both. As with any relationship, they too face criticism, fears, hidden secrets and new feelings and discoveries.  
Doors are opened; new emotions explored, and challenges faced.
 
 Eleanor and Park starts out slowly, but then without warning grabs you and takes you along for a fast unexpected ride. 

Rainbow  Rowell touches on many issues, from bullying to abuse all while Eleanor and Park find themselves in a new relationship.  She doesn't shy away from hard issues, instead hits them head on. She has a keen insight  into the lives of teenagers, their emotions and feelings, which are evident in her novel.

I would highly recommend Eleanor and Park to readers ages 14+.

Other books by Rainbow Rowell:

Attachment: an adult novel
Fangirl: young adult novel coming out September 2013
Landline: young adult novel coming out 2014

Happy reading,
Bye
Rosalyne