Tolog Review: Eleanor and Park

Eleanor and Park 
by Rainbow Rowell 
reviewed by Courtney Rasic 

As teens we feel our lives are hard all the time and nothing in this world could make it better. Eleanor Douglas has to live in a small room shared with her four other siblings and live with an abusive stepfather who has no respect for her. On the other hand, Park Sheridan is convinced he doesn’t fit in, is not loved by his family, and nobody truly understands him. Their lives are harder than we could imagine. Although Eleanor and Park may have different background stories they are two of the same. 

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell teaches that out of all the bad things in life like abuse, bullying, and poverty something beautiful can come out of it: love. Rainbow Rowell draws our attention towards the labels and the social factors that shapes these two strangers to become uniquely alike and share many common interests. Eleanor and Park then start spending a lot of time together and enjoy each other’s company. As the book continues on, a lot of events through high school makes life even more complicated for Eleanor and Park. 

This book was truly inspiring for me to read about the struggles that Eleanor and Park had to face every single day. So many teens today face the same conflicts of being judged because you were heavy, you didn’t have the nicest clothes, or because you have emotional family trauma. Rowell writes with so much intensity and meaning in every word, you feel what the characters feel as if you were in that moment. She uses all the conflicts and obstacles thrown at her characters to prove that true love cannot be beat and shall never die no matter how far apart they may be. The words are filled with so much passion and powerfulness that you never want to put the book down. Her writing is so intoxicating that even when you are so positive your predictions are right, Rowell throws in a suspenseful twist that will never disappoint. This book is one of my favorite novels and should be read across the nation for it’s insightful view on life, love, and how to survive what life throws at us.