Eleanor & Park: A Review

3.5/5 stars actually.

When I first heard about this book, I was so excited it was already in my Christmas wishlist. Who wouldn't love the innocent, catching cover plus the promising premise? Incidentally, I got this book just last week as a gift out of monito/monita in our school's Christmas party. 

All I could think about the whole time I was reading this: Ahhh, the feels.

I couldn't remember how many times I giggled and smiled to Eleanor and Park most-of-the-time-awkward-sometimes-sweet interactions.

But then again some things had me bugging and prevented me to rate this book a perfect 5 stars.

First thing I noticed was the third POV which to say I was fairly disappointed. Why? If you were going to write a she-said-he-said novel why talk in third person? Because of that I wasn't able to fully know the main characters more. Yup, I felt related to their stories but I didn't felt that Eleanor or Park could be a friend of mine (like all the books must achieved).

Next was the blatant curse after curse after curse. Which perhaps I wouldn't mind if I didn't see it almost every page. Yeah, I think cursing is generally usual but the author didn't have to depend on it just to convey a very strong emotion.

The racist statements. Really? Minus points to that.

The setting, 1986, Omaha, Nebraska. While I didn't know where this place is, obviously, I didn't exactly know too how that year went but this book was a revelation to that. The music, bullying, pain-in-the-ass stepdad and the fashion getup. Thumbs up to that!

The characters:
Eleanor--- red-haired, plus-sized (look at the picture of the author at the back of the book. *sigh* Couldn't she think of other MC besides herself?), always-bullied girl with a weird fashion taste and weirder family. Yeah, I could put up with that. Tho her sometimes immaturity and shallowness made her less reliable as the main character. One example was the little, she-started-it, where-it-came-from fight with Park. Totally Mary Sue.

Park--- a cute Asian kid with a good taste in music and a wealthy family. When Eleanor first describe him, I thought "Finally a change in the YA novel." We have to admit that he and Eleanor were one of the oddest (and not just because of their physical flaws) characters ever written. But I really like Park and I wouldn't mind if I'll meet someone like him. Park is so cute I wished he was near me when I was reading this book so I could pinch his cheek.

Their love story:
This was the winning point. I love their two-against-the-world story. Although I think their from-strangers-to-lovers relationship was a bit abrupt, I loved that the author shows what it was reallylike to be in love for the first time. The bliss. The giggles. The fights. Even the risks of it. The school bus definitely represents their love story.

The ending:
The twist of all the twists in the story. Couldn't it be more heartbreaking? I have to say that was totally unexpected but remarkably enough to close this novel.

All in all:
Fine. Could have been in my favorite-books shelf tho their are a lot of buts.It would have been a very beautiful novel if not for the author's lack of grasp and more-tell-than-show style and unstable plot. So I think it deserves 3 stars from me (it's still a 'i liked it' rate, right?:)).