Eleanor & Park- Rainbow Rowell

When you pick this up to read, remember that it is a YA novel. Teens have a different way of thinking than adults. I've read a few reviews about the quick all consuming love being over the top. Do you remember when you were a teen? I do and I'm pretty sure I was positive that I thought I would marry and be in love with a person forever. Remember, writing names all over your things and being convinced this was it? I know, I'm young but it's the exception, I've found the person I'm going to marry. It happens all the time with teens! I really enjoyed this book. I think for me it was more about the bullying part. Poor Eleanor has to go through some really horrible events because of bullying. Not only that, she's also being bullied at home by her step-father. I was trying to get through this book so quickly because I had this bad feeling about what would happen. Thankfully, the author didn't take it there and this girl got out of a bad situation. Even though, this fictional character was lucky, there are thousands of girls who are not as lucky. What Eleanor found with Park was pretty beautiful. In the book she says that he saved her life. I honestly, think that he did. Sometimes we just need one thing to hold on to and Park was that for Eleanor. A girl who is made fun of because she is "weird" but no one knows that the reasons she has patches all over her clothes is to hide the holes. The reason her hair is a mess is because she has to use dish soap or tick and flee shampoo. Sometimes she doesn't get a bath because she has a tiny window to bathe when she gets home and before her step-father does. The reason she wears the same clothes is because her family is dirt poor and can't even afford food. All these reason she gets made fun of and bullied are totally out of her control. I think it's good that teens see this. Maybe it will make them think twice about teasing someone because of the way they look. Maybe it will teach kids that sometimes there is much more than what meets the eye.