Eleanor & Park
It's another school year for Park and all wants is to remain under the radar. However, when Eleanor boarded the bus, his life was about to change.
Eleanor, the big girl with crazy red hair, is not only the new kid, but the prime target for any bully, especially Tina and Steve. As Eleanor searched for a seat, no one was willing to give her one. Out of frustration, possibly pity, Park let her sit to next to him. However, he was far from a gentlemen because before offering her a seat, he cursed at her and looked away. Life for Eleanor is very similar to the incident on the bus. After moving to a new home, Eleanor has to endure her stepfather, who she does not get along with and 4 younger siblings. Eleanor has never had her own room and all she has to her name are a few items that managed to make the move.
Life was miserable and the only way should could control herself is to bury herself in books and music. Park really didn't mean to be cruel to Eleanor. In fact, Park has his own issues such as being bi-racial, having a younger brother who is taller than he is and his uber macho father who can't seem to leave Park's oddities alone. Park has always felt he could never fit in so he put up with the ignorant remarks and the stereotypes. Although he yelled at Eleanor, the first time they met, they have been able to form an understanding through comic books, mixed tapes and short, quiet conversations. All of which lead them to, inevitably, fall in love.
However, Eleanor doesn't know how to explain to Park how terrible her home life is and that their relationship has to remain a secret. For Park, it's only a matter of time before he explodes because he wants more than anything to protect Eleanor.
The two average teens have their own share of problems, but all of those memories and pain disappears when they are together. Park admits to Eleanor that he needs her because she is the only person who understands him. For Eleanor, Park is the escape she needs because he is the only person who sees beyond her size and hair colour. Although, Park has what Eleanor does not – a stable home life. Due to Eleanor's abusive stepfather and abused mother, she cannot have luxuries such as comic books, music or even a toothbrush. She cannot be honest with Park because she is ashamed of her situation. Granted, she loves her siblings more than anything, she wants nothing more but to get away from it all and Park gives her that chance by letting her live in his world, even if it's for a moment or two. Eleanor and Park have discovered what it means to be alive and themselves when they are together.
I fell in love Park when he ended up beating up Steve for insulting Eleanor; it's not every day your boyfriend risks suspension, a swollen eye and a broken nose to defend your honour. It was at that point Eleanor realised that someone as cool as Park could love her and maybe, just maybe, that life would give her a break. Sadly, life is never that simple, especially when the people that were supposed look after her are abusive, submissive and dismissive. I wanted nothing than to crawl into this book and hold onto Eleanor and her siblings because all of them deserved so much more. It is unfortunate that children do not get to choose their parents.
Eleanor & Park is the type of book where readers will want curl up on my couch and devour it because everything in this story is real; teens and adults know what it's liked to be love, to be bullied, to feel scared and to feel that things seem hopeless. At the same time, this book shows what it's like to be crazily happy. It is a story of first love – but like Romeo and Juliet, there is an immense amount of heartache too.
