Eleanor & Park

“Nothing before you counts. And I can’t even imagine an after…”

I always believe in destiny. I always believe that in this wide world with billions of people, someone out there is actually meant for you. People always tell me that love is a choice. You got to choose someone to love and be with you for the rest of your life. But still I believe that love is a destiny. On the right time, someone who’s right for you will come in to your life and take your heart forever. It’s just a matter of time.

I was completely bored in my room when I decided to ask my classmate, Kara, to suggest a good book to read in any genre. She suggested several books to me. I asked whether I already read Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. I said not yet. She then insisted to read it because she really liked it. Due to his enthusiasm with the book, I decided to read it. I first looked in google what this book is all about. Of course I didn’t dig in to the whole story since I don’t what spoilers.

The story was all about two teenagers who were completely opposite. Eleanor was fat, with red hair, and wore boy clothes. She just moved in to his stepdad’s place together with her mother and four siblings. Eleanor’s life was a complete mess since her mother met her stepdad. On her way to school, Eleanor rode the school bus where in she met Park. Park is a half Korean, half Irish who has a complete and happy family. However, Park struggled to be someone he is not for his father to like him. Their common interest in music and books made these opposite ends meet. They fall in love with each other like there’s no more tomorrow despite what other people thought of them. However, their love story was greatly challenged when Eleanor needed to live away from Park in order to get away with his stepdad.

Well, Eleanor & Park is my new favorite book now. It was beyond amazing. It was more of a teenage love story. It’s all about family, life, and how parents’ separation affects their children a lot. What I like about this book also is that it was different from cliche love stories where the famous guy falls in love with a pretty nobody girl and they live happily ever after. In this story, Eleanor is not famous and she’s not one of the it girls in school. Park is not famous too, he was even an Asian which is interesting since not all American books involve Asian protagonist.

After reading the book, I totally had a book hangover. I can’t stop thinking of Eleanor and Park. Their story and what could be the possible thing that happened next keep on running in my mind. Even in my sleep, I always dream of them reading comics in the bus and listening to music. At first I thought I won’t like this book since it was written in third person (I like to read books in first person), but I was completely a judgmental reader. The narrator brought me in the world of Eleanor and Park and I think I stuck in that world.

The book made me believe in destiny more than before. As a hopeless romantic, I hope to meet someone like Park somewhere on this planet. Someone who will love you for who you are. Someone who won’t let you change yourself for others. Someone who’s willing to do everything for you. I won’t spoil you happened in the ending. Go read it for your self 🙂