When
I first picked up Eleanor & Park,
I had no idea what to expect. I then read the inside cover, and when I realized
it was a love story, I must admit, I did not know if I was going to like the
book. I thought that reading the first one hundred and fourteen pages was going
to be tough for me. However, it turned out to be a fun read that I never once
got bored of from the moment I started.
I
was immediately confused at the start of the book when Park seemed to have no
interest at all in Eleanor. The way he was angry with her on the bus the first
time they met made me think there was no way they would come together. I was
surprised by how cruel some of the kids on the bus were to Eleanor. It seemed
that everyone could tell she was possibly “poor,” but that did not hold them
back. Tina specifically got on my nerves. Also, the scene in the locker room
after gym class was difficult to read. I did not like reading that part, but
when I thought about it, I can see the unfortunate reality in these scenes. There
are lots of children
in the United States living in poor conditions, and it can sometimes be
unnoticed by their classmates.
Thinking back when I was younger, there are kids
that would get teased for not having nice clothes or what not. It is a terrible
thing, and for some reason, kids can be picked on for being less fortunate. I
must say that Park is extremely impressive. He is able to look past what he
originally thinks of Eleanor, and see how great she is. I hope that he is able
to help Eleanor throughout the rest of this book if he learns about any more of
her troubles. As I continue to read, I feel like there is a terrible moment of
crisis that is going to come down on Eleanor or Park, and I cannot wait to see
how they get through it!
I especially agree with that last part - that there is going to be some sort of crisis beyond their everyday lives. I found it an engaging and fairly fast read, too.
ReplyDeleteI am also impressed by Park's understandment for this girl and how he is able to see her for who she is, and not just what she looks like.
ReplyDeleteI'm so scared to find out what happens! With all the references to Romeo and Juliet I'm terrified that they are going to die or something. Every moment is on of suspense!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement, I also thought reading 114 pages in such a small time frame was going to be a bit tough for me as well. I also agree kids can be so mean in high school. I do love he way you did your blog, and your writing style.
ReplyDeleteBullying is so sad, and such a hard topic to think about. I like that Park isn't listening to what everyone is saying also, and likes her because he likes her. I hate Tina too. I thought it was going to be a difficult read too, but its pretty good.
ReplyDeleteI don't think its going to end well for them either unfortunately. Know that you mentioned it there are a lot of Romeo and Juliet references.
ReplyDeleteI too found those parts hard to read. The bullying in schools is just so sad. Kids can sometimes be the most cruel.
ReplyDeleteI also thought that this book would be a tough read but it turned out to be the opposite! It's not like a typical love story.
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