Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell | Book Review

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Reading Group: High School+

Personal Rating: 4 Out Of 5 Stars

Given Summary: Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits-smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you'll remember your own first love-and just how hard it pulled you under.

Cover: The cover depicts Eleanor and Park sharing headphones and listening to music.  I like this cover because it shows them from the back so it's almost like you are a few rows behind them on the bus with the other kids watching them.  Music and sharing was such a huge part of their relationship as well.  They made each other mix tapes and Park lent Eleanor many comic books.

My Review: This book was very sweet.  I liked that they ere two kids who didn't really know where they belong.  Everyone has felt that way at some point and this story showed that not only are you not alone, but there is someone out there who will love you anyway.  This novel also focused a lot on family and how they're not always good families.  Park's family is a pretty typical family.  They love him, but don't really understand everything he does.  They often compare him and his brother.  Eleanor was right to run away from hers.  Her birth dad tries to care about her, but doesn't; her stepdad is an absolute creep; her brothers and sisters are all over the place; and her mother smiles and acts like everything is okay.
When Eleanor runs away she is scared that her aunt and uncle won't take her in.  I can't imagine going to a relative for help and being turned away.  Can any of you?  But that's the life Eleanor knows, people don't want her.  Thankfully, her aunt and uncle take her in and it seem alike they help get the rest of her family away from her stepdad.
Park sends Eleanor letters that she can't bring herself to open, let alone respond.  She misses him so much.  However, at the end of the novel it says that Park gets a letter from her with three words written on it.
Now, I assumed that the three words were I love you because he said it to her so many times in the novel, but she could never get herself to say it back.  Even though it was evident that she did love Park.  However, that is a very vague thing to say.  There are a lot of the three word sentences:

I _____ you

hate

love

miss

need

tolerate

You're the _____

father

best

worst

one

You ___ me

saved

left

need

love

I thought it was fun to think of some three word phrases.  Can you guys think of any?

Smile!  I'll talk to you soon!xxx

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After by Anna Todd | Book Review

After by Anna Todd

Reading Group Rating: M for Mature

Personal Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars 

Given Summary: There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there’s everything AFTER... Life will never be the same. 

Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She’s got direction, ambition, and a mother who’s intent on keeping her that way. 

But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to. 

But he’s also rude—to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before. 

He’ll call her beautiful, then insist he isn’t the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper. 

Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin’s prejudice about nice girls like her? 

Unless…could this be love?


Cover: The cover of this novel is covered in dark blue-green clouds.  The clouds show that a storm is coming and it almost stands as a warning.  However, rain itself is very cleansing and shows rebirth.  So maybe this cover is saying that although a big storm is coming and it may destroy some things, there is also a new start on its way afterwards.

My Review: I did read this novel on Wattpad so I know what happens.  I think that's why I was a little hesitant to to read it again.  It also makes it a little harder to write this review because I have to focus on just this part of the story, even though I know what happens next.
The story itself is great.  I like that they fight and struggle to understand each other, but still love each other.  I mean obviously Hardin is hiding something so he sometimes acts like it and gets mad seemingly out of no where.
I think you also have to give a lot of credit to Anna Todd for this story.  She wrote it chapter by chapter and uploaded everyday (for the most part).  She wasn't able to go back and change anything and she didn't change that much when it was printed into a real book.  It just shows hoe good of a writer she actually is, no matter what people may say about her writing a FanFiction online.
I did notice that during Tessa's first meeting of Ken Scott he is said to have brown eyes, but then later he has green eyes.  I also didn't like how much Tessa yelled.  She's always yelling at Hardin.  Maybe it's because I can't relate to that, I don't scream at people even when I'm mad so I just couldn't take it seriously when she was yelling at Hardin all those times.

Smile!  I'll talk to you soon!xxx

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