I have never written a book review before, so here it goes:
The ebb and flow of young love is masterfully brought to life through two teenage misfits who find each on the school bus.
Eleanor is a plus-sized high schooler with crazy red
hair and a penchant for wearing creative outfits. Everything about her stands out
which she loathes. Park is a quiet kid who loves comic books and punk music.
Eleanor’s decision to sit with Park on the school bus is one that ultimately changes
her life and gives her the courage to proactively face her demons. As
in many love stories, it is not love at first sight for Eleanor and Park. Over
time, they grow to appreciate their differences and help each other
through the difficulties of life and love.
While the story is a teenage love story, deeper themes
are present throughout the tale. Dysfunctional families, child abuse, and
bullying are handled in a convincing way that never feels exploitative. The
moments of fear and sadness (there are a few) feel genuine. The characters are three dimensional with
flaws. The alternating point of view between Eleanor and Park allows the reader
a chance to see both characters grow and mature over the course of the novel. Twists
and turns, some unexpected, set the story apart from standard YA love stories
and make for a fast-paced read.
An entertaining, oftentimes heartfelt young adult
novel with realistic characters and situations that will appeal to readers of all ages.
Great review! I loved this book. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me remember what it's like to be a teenager. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteI agree. This is a story that is going to stay with me for a while. I read it last semester for a class and it reminded me of what it was like to be a teen so very long ago. It also played on my emotional strings, Tina.
ReplyDeleteNo worries, you just wrote a great review. I had never written a book review before this course either. I don't read many YA novels, though I have to admit your writing & others have won me over, this book is on my to-read shelf, when I have extra time. On a side note, the cover art is nice, I am guessing that it reflects a memorable part of the story?
ReplyDeleteThis is a great Kirkus style review! This book was an option for a class that I took last summer (Youth Materials) and I did not read it then, but it has been on the periphery of my radar for a while. I appreciate the way you convey the authenticity of the book, and the way it accurately portrays the difficult subjects discussed in the book. I know it has been popular with teens and I can see why - I'm sure every teen could find something to relate to when discussing the many challenges of growing up as a kid in this day and age. This review is thoughtful and persuasive - thank you for writing it!
ReplyDeleteI love your review, I also did a review of this book. I liked that you included some of the themes in this book. It may be helpful to choosing a book if you were looking for something with those themes.
ReplyDeleteI love your review and now I am even more driven to read this book, which has been hanging out in my to-read list for quite some time.
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