Book Review: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

 

Bono met his wife in high school, Park says.
So did Jerry Lee Lewis, Eleanor answers.
I’m not kidding, he says.
You should be, she says, we’re 16.
What about Romeo and Juliet?
Shallow, confused, then dead.
I love you, Park says.
Wherefore art thou, Eleanor answers.
I’m not kidding, he says.
You should be.
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. (Description from http://www.amazon.com)

My thoughts:

I heard a lot of buzz about a YA book that takes place in the 80's and I knew I had to read it. I found it in our library system and got it on Saturday morning. I finished it on Saturday night.    My kids like to say I am stuck in the 80's.  I probably am. This book just cemented it. You don't have to have been in high school in the 80's in order to enjoy this book, but it was sure fun reading about some things that defined that decade, such as: U2, a Walkman, and mix tapes. Brought back a lot of memories.

Rainbow Rowell is a great writer. The book is told through alternating points of view. I really enjoy when an author does this and does it well. Because Eleanor and Park come from different places, both literately and figuratively (Eleanor in a dysfunctional family- Park has a loving family), it made a lot of sense.  She was able to capture all of their feelings, hopes and dreams.  She had me hooked from the very first chapter where Eleanor gets on the school bus and no one will give her a seat. Ugh. It was so real and my heart broke for her.

The story takes place in 1986. I was 16 and in high school in 1986. Although I did not date in high school, if I did happen to have fallen in love in high school, I would have wanted it to go something like this. Slow in the beginning and bittersweet in the end. If you are a fan of a coming of age story, you need to read this.

 Eleanor and Park is a sweet romance book for teens and for adults who can remember what it was like to be a teen and fall in love.
 
Perfection. 

Highly recommended!

Looking forward to reading Attachments, also by the same author.

And maybe a sequel?

Book Reviews!

I just finished two great Young Adult novels. One was the final book in a trilogy. The other was the second book of a trilogy. I was so happy with both of them!

The first one was Shades of Earth by Beth Revis



 Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

FUELED BY LIES.
RULED BY CHAOS.
ALMOST HOME.
(Description from http://www.amazon.com)

My thoughts:

Finally! A Young Adult trilogy that holds it's own from the first book to the last. I have read quite a few trilogies where the first book starts out so promising and the series just seems to lose it's steam during the second and third book. So congratulations to Beth Revis for a great finale. I don't want to say much about the plot, because it would be filled with spoilers and I don't want to do that.  Let's just say that this Centauri-Earth is filled with a lot of things that are not quite what they seem. This is the type of book that has a lot of twists and turns and will keep you guessing until the end. It also happens to be a great series for someone who is not a huge science fiction fan.  The plot elements are not too complicated that you can't follow.  Now, my friend Rebecca and I have had a lot of conversations about what we thought was going to happen in Shades of Earth, and we were both completely wrong!  Thanks to her for allowing me to borrow her book. If you don't have a great friend, find a library. Don't miss this one!

The second book was Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi



It's been months since Aria learned of her mother's death.

Months since Perry became Blood Lord of the Tides, and months since Aria last saw him.
Now Aria and Perry are about to be reunited. It's a moment they've been longing for with countless expectations. And it's a moment that lives up to all of them. At least, at fi rst. Then it slips away. The Tides don't take kindly to former Dwellers like Aria. And the tribe is swirling out of Perry's control. With the Aether storms worsening every day, the only remaining hope for peace and safety is the Still Blue. But does this haven truly exist?
Threatened by false friends and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night? In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and sci-fi elements to create a captivating adventure—and a love story as perilous as it is unforgettable. (Description from http://www.amazon.com)

My thoughts:

Under the Never Sky was one of my favorite books of 2012. I was looking forward to the sequel and hoped that it lived up the to the first. It was brilliant. As discussed before, second books in series often suffer from that second book slump and are just a filler between the first and last book. Not this one!  Although the world building is unique in it's own way, the book is very character driven and that is probably why I loved it.  There are a lot of interesting relationships; brother/sister (Perry/Liv) lover/lover (Perry/Aria), best friend of lover/lover (Roar/Aria) which are very well-developed and interesting to read. I especially loved the friendship between Roar and Aria. There was a point where I thought maybe there might be something more between them, but was happy to find out I was wrong. If you read Under the Never Sky, you need to read Through the Ever Night now. If you have not read either, you need to do so soon. Looking forward to Into the Still Blue, which is expected to be published in January 2014. Highly recommended!

Book Review: Kepler's Dream by Juliet Bell

A young girl makes her fractured family whole again with the help of a very special book

When eleven-year-old Ella's mother has to be hospitalized to undergo a dangerous cancer treatment, Ella spends the summer at "Broken Family Camp" with her eccentric grandmother, whom she's never met. The situation is hardly ideal for either of them. Ella is scared her mother may die, but her grandmother seems to care more about her library full of books than she does about her very own granddaughter.

But when a rare and beloved book, Kepler's Dream of the Moon, is stolen from her grandmother's amazing library, Ella and her new friend Rosie make up their minds to find it. Finding the beautiful book her grandmother loves so much could even be the key to healing Ella's broken family.

An affecting and beautifully written story of family, forgiveness and the wonder of the stars, Kepler's Dream is a sparkling and memorable debut. (Description from http://www.amazon.com)

My thoughts:

I have really tried to search out and read some excellent Children's Literature lately. Why? Well, last year I read far too few.  Lots of Young Adult, lots of Adult Fiction, too little Juvenile Fiction.  Second, I want our library book bag to be filled with some good stuff. Lately my boys have been reading a lot of graphic novels/Wimpy Kid/Big Nate which is fine once in a while, but I want them reading novels. If I have read it, it always seems easier to talk it up. Kepler's Dream has been on my radar for a while and I finally found it on the shelf. The big hurdle in recommending the book to my own children is the fact that the main character is a girl. Not an easy task.

I really enjoyed it. More than I anticipated. The book is marketed as a mystery. I am not a huge mystery reader, but it had a great balance between a mystery and a family story, and that is probably why I liked it.  The missing book was almost secondary. The story was so well-written and it is always nice to read a book that has some smartly written girls. Ella has a good kind heart, she is charming and has a great sense of humor. She is placed in a difficult situation and navigates through it bravely.  I really enjoyed seeing how the relationship with her Grandmother (The GM) evolved from the beginning of the story until the end.  Her Grandmother is a bit of a pip in the beginning but redeems herself in the end. 

I would recommend this book for ages 10 and up. Without a whole lot of action, it would be appropriate for a child who likes a book that has a lot of feelings. Since I can't see my boys reading it, I will book-talk it to my nieces... I know they will enjoy it.