Eleanor + Park = Soul Mates

Eleanor and Park is an exceptional novel that really grasped my attention right from the start. Eleanor is a misfit at her new school, and while she acknowledges this she is content with being herself (smart, witty, quirky, etc.) However, it wasn’t until she met Park that she realized that there are truly good people in the world. She had it so rough at home, and she couldn’t even escape the horrors at home because of being bullied by her own classmates, but found comfort at Park’s house. I believe this novel strongly mirrors the realities of life because there aren’t necessarily completely happy endings. Sure Eleanor gets away from her horrible stepdad, but it also means she has to be far away from the love of her life. It’s realistic because it tells us the story of a teenager who has to endure her parents’ divorce, abusive stepdad, and submissive mom. Unfortunately for some teenagers, these experiences are a reality. It’s realistic because Eleanor chose to move far away to escape these awful conditions instead of staying for a boy. It’s a love story on another level. Sure, they love and care about one another, but they haven’t completely lost sight of what is important in their own personal lives. Both Eleanor and Park agree that it is best for Eleanor to leave for her safety, and I feel that in a less realistic novel the lovers would choose to do something ridiculous like ‘run away together’. I like the reality of this novel. I like how at certain points I could relate to the characters. I loved the different perspectives. To be able to know what Park was feeling in a certain moment, and what Eleanor was feeling in another was such a great way to convey their love for each other. This wasn’t just a book about high school love, rather it felt like it was more about soul mates. People who are each other’s best friends and will always look out for one another. It’s beautiful, tragic, exciting, and heartbreaking all at once. I was so disappointed when I finished it because I didn’t want it to end. I hope one day Rainbow Rowell writes a sequel.