"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 sixteen."
"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, ELEANOR AND PARK 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.
I'm sorry to have to be so down about this book, but truthfully, it DID make me feel down. I'm one of those people that likes to read books that are uplifting or take me away to some place more enchanting and inviting. E & P was just downright depressing at times. My goodness. Don't read it if you've already gone through/are going through your own messed up life. You'll just fall victim to even more self hatred and loathing.
I just couldn't connect to any of these characters. ESPECIALLY the emo stuff. I was never one of those kids. Why purposely make yourself standout with abnormal clothing choices and lots of black eyeliner when your family's issues already separate you from everyone? It can't be comforting. But misery loves company, I suppose.
Eleanor is known for being "different," but yet she gets with this guy who's slightly popular. She's literally the new girl on the bus whom no one wants to socialize with, and she gets the "cool" guy? Yeah, no. That doesn't happen in real life.
E & P just meanders around from one sad thing to another, and I could hardly stand it. Although Sunil Malhotra's impersonation of Park's Asian mom's voice was entertaining. When he read Eleanor's lines, though, ugggggghhhh. Stop with the soft-spoken thing. She's Eleanor. Red, curly-haired, self-proclaimed "fat", doesn't-care-about-fitting-in Eleanor. I hardly think that's what she'd sound like. So it was pretty hard to listen to him reading her parts.
I highly recommend this book if you're into reading depressing things that ruin your day and put you in a bad mood. Might even make you feel better about your life. As for me, give me a sweet love story now! Or something funny to read, stat! Gah. I'm getting a tiny bit depressed just thinking about this book.
Rating:
About the author:
Rainbow Rowell is the author of ATTACHMENTS. She has two novels coming out in 2013 -- ELEANOR & PARK in February and FANGIRL in the fall.
Rainbow lives with her husband and two sons in Omaha, Nebraska. Right at this moment, she is probably arguing with someone about something that doesn't really matter in the big scheme of things -- or trying to figure out how Sherlock faked his death.
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Here are the books we're teasing this week:
Title: The Bitter Kingdom Author: Rae Carson Series: Fire and Thorns, book #3 Publisher: Greenwillow Books Publication Date: August 27, 2013 Source: received from publisher via Edelweiss Purchase:Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The epic and deeply satisfying conclusion to Rae Carson's Fire and Thorns trilogy. The seventeen-year-old sorcerer-queen will travel into the unknown realm of the enemy to win back her true love, save her country, and uncover the final secrets of her destiny.
Elisa is a fugitive in her own country. Her enemies have stolen the man she loves in order to lure her to the gate of darkness. As she and her daring companions take one last quest into unknown enemy territory to save Hector, Elisa will face hardships she's never imagined. And she will discover secrets about herself and her world that could change the course of history. She must rise up as champion-a champion to those who have hated her most. Riveting, surprising, and achingly romantic, Rae Carson has spun a bold and powerful conclusion to her extraordinary trilogy.
Hector roars, flying through the dark at my attacker. Together, they crash to the ground, and Hector pounds him with fists, over and over again.
-- Loc 1599, 30% of galley
He has not stopped grinning like a little boy about to open his Deliverance Day gifts. He leans closer until our lips are a finger's breadth apart. He brushes a strand of hair from my neck, and I shiver. "If we were alone right now," he says, "I would..."
"I would let you."
-- Loc 1912, 36% of galley
So, I wasn't supposed to read this yet. But I couldn't help myself once I read The Shattered Mountain for next week's Short Story Sunday post. I knew better than to even enter this world because I wouldn't be able to control the urge to read this book next. Oh, well. What's done is done, right? And it's not like I'm not enjoying myself. Though, I'm still not ready for this series to end. :0(
Also, I couldn't help myself with the teasers...I needed to showcase both sides of Hector: Elisa's fierce protector and her even fiercer lover. *swoons*
"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 sixteen."
"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, ELEANOR AND PARK 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.
"Nothing before you counts," he said. "And I can't even imagine an after."
She shook her head. "Don't."
"What?"
"Don't talk about after."
"I just meant that... I want to be the last person who ever kisses you, too.... That sounds bad, like a death threat or something. What I'm trying to say is, you're it. This is it for me."
This is cute, but I don't remember being like this in high school...lol.
What are you teasing this week? Share it in the comments or leave a link so we can visit!
"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 sixteen."
"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, ELEANOR AND PARK 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.
So, everyone and their mama has loved this book. And friends kept telling me that I had to read it, that it was the quintessential young adult contemporary. I'll give you that it was a pretty great story, but I don't think it was the quintessential anything. It was just a story about a boy and a girl from different backgrounds, trying to make their love work in a world that seemed set against it.
From all the quotes I've seen from this novel and all the gushing around the internets, I expected this to be a sweeping romance that would blow all others away. So, in my mind, I'm comparing it to that of Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace in The Fault in Our Stars. (Fair or not, I can't help it...that book was bursting with the feels and I couldn't stop thinking about it for days.) Eleanor & Park was cute and witty, but the romance just didn't envelop me the way I had been hoping it would.
Which isn't to say it was off-putting or anything. It was terribly realistic and reminiscent of the trials of first love: the awkward interactions in the beginning, that first electric touch, the [sometimes clumsy] first kiss, that sense of urgency. That was all there and it felt genuine. What was blossoming between these two characters felt right, even as they learned each other's hope and fears and secrets. But as they were discovering just how much they meant to each other, I felt like they should have meant more to me...and they didn't. I just never quite connected with either Eleanor or Park. Maybe it was the fact that one hid from conflict while the other was more likely to provoke it. These two were virtually polar opposites, and somehow they found a way to escape into each other. I get it. I almost buy it. But I still don't feel it.
I chose to listen to the audio of E & P based on a friend's recommendation, and though I don't believe I've heard either of these narrators before, I can honestly say they did a bang up job. Each portrayed the emotion and rawness of the characters with ease, and their voices matched what I would have picked for the snarky Eleanor and the more mild-mannered Park. The dialogue flowed seamlessly and made for a pretty realistic portrayal. I'd definitely recommend the audio myself, as it enhanced my overall enjoyment of the novel greatly.
From starting a new school and making friends, to bullying, to home life (good and bad), to young love, Eleanor & Park covered nearly every facet of life at that tender age. It's poignant and heart-breaking but also hopeful. It was a powerful story, one that transcends the decade in which it was set, and although I didn't fall in love with the story, I did enjoy it immensely. The writing was sharp and clever, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.
Rating:
About the author:
Rainbow Rowell is the author of ATTACHMENTS. She has two novels coming out in 2013 -- ELEANOR & PARK in February and FANGIRL in the fall.
Rainbow lives with her husband and two sons in Omaha, Nebraska. Right at this moment, she is probably arguing with someone about something that doesn't really matter in the big scheme of things -- or trying to figure out how Sherlock faked his death.
I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
{Audiobook} {Mendy} Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Narrator: Rebecca Lowman & Sunil Malhotra
Series: n/a
Publisher: Listening Library
Publication Date: February 26, 2013
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
"So did Jerry Lee Lewis," Eleanor answers.
"I’m not kidding," he says.
"You should be," she says, "we’re sixteen."
"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, ELEANOR AND PARK 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.
I'm sorry to have to be so down about this book, but truthfully, it DID make me feel down. I'm one of those people that likes to read books that are uplifting or take me away to some place more enchanting and inviting. E & P was just downright depressing at times. My goodness. Don't read it if you've already gone through/are going through your own messed up life. You'll just fall victim to even more self hatred and loathing.
I just couldn't connect to any of these characters. ESPECIALLY the emo stuff. I was never one of those kids. Why purposely make yourself standout with abnormal clothing choices and lots of black eyeliner when your family's issues already separate you from everyone? It can't be comforting. But misery loves company, I suppose.
Eleanor is known for being "different," but yet she gets with this guy who's slightly popular. She's literally the new girl on the bus whom no one wants to socialize with, and she gets the "cool" guy? Yeah, no. That doesn't happen in real life.
E & P just meanders around from one sad thing to another, and I could hardly stand it. Although Sunil Malhotra's impersonation of Park's Asian mom's voice was entertaining. When he read Eleanor's lines, though, ugggggghhhh. Stop with the soft-spoken thing. She's Eleanor. Red, curly-haired, self-proclaimed "fat", doesn't-care-about-fitting-in Eleanor. I hardly think that's what she'd sound like. So it was pretty hard to listen to him reading her parts.
I highly recommend this book if you're into reading depressing things that ruin your day and put you in a bad mood. Might even make you feel better about your life. As for me, give me a sweet love story now! Or something funny to read, stat! Gah. I'm getting a tiny bit depressed just thinking about this book.
Rating:
Rainbow Rowell is the author of ATTACHMENTS. She has two novels coming out in 2013 -- ELEANOR & PARK in February and FANGIRL in the fall.
Rainbow lives with her husband and two sons in Omaha, Nebraska. Right at this moment, she is probably arguing with someone about something that doesn't really matter in the big scheme of things -- or trying to figure out how Sherlock faked his death.
Find Rainbow:
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Tumblr
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Teaser Tuesday #59: The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson & Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Author: Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns, book #3
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: August 27, 2013
Source: received from publisher via Edelweiss
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Elisa is a fugitive in her own country. Her enemies have stolen the man she loves in order to lure her to the gate of darkness. As she and her daring companions take one last quest into unknown enemy territory to save Hector, Elisa will face hardships she's never imagined. And she will discover secrets about herself and her world that could change the course of history. She must rise up as champion-a champion to those who have hated her most. Riveting, surprising, and achingly romantic, Rae Carson has spun a bold and powerful conclusion to her extraordinary trilogy.
So, I wasn't supposed to read this yet. But I couldn't help myself once I read The Shattered Mountain for next week's Short Story Sunday post. I knew better than to even enter this world because I wouldn't be able to control the urge to read this book next. Oh, well. What's done is done, right? And it's not like I'm not enjoying myself. Though, I'm still not ready for this series to end. :0(
Also, I couldn't help myself with the teasers...I needed to showcase both sides of Hector: Elisa's fierce protector and her even fiercer lover. *swoons*
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Narrator: Rebecca Lowman & Sunil Malhotra
Series: n/a
Publisher: Listening Library
Publication Date: February 26, 2013
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
"So did Jerry Lee Lewis," Eleanor answers.
"I’m not kidding," he says.
"You should be," she says, "we’re sixteen."
"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, ELEANOR AND PARK 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.
This is cute, but I don't remember being like this in high school...lol.
What are you teasing this week? Share it in the comments or leave a link so we can visit!
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
{Audiobook} Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Narrator: Rebecca Lowman & Sunil Malhotra
Series: n/a
Publisher: Listening Library
Publication Date: February 26, 2013
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
"So did Jerry Lee Lewis," Eleanor answers.
"I’m not kidding," he says.
"You should be," she says, "we’re sixteen."
"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, ELEANOR AND PARK 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.
So, everyone and their mama has loved this book. And friends kept telling me that I had to read it, that it was the quintessential young adult contemporary. I'll give you that it was a pretty great story, but I don't think it was the quintessential anything. It was just a story about a boy and a girl from different backgrounds, trying to make their love work in a world that seemed set against it.
From all the quotes I've seen from this novel and all the gushing around the internets, I expected this to be a sweeping romance that would blow all others away. So, in my mind, I'm comparing it to that of Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace in The Fault in Our Stars. (Fair or not, I can't help it...that book was bursting with the feels and I couldn't stop thinking about it for days.) Eleanor & Park was cute and witty, but the romance just didn't envelop me the way I had been hoping it would.
Which isn't to say it was off-putting or anything. It was terribly realistic and reminiscent of the trials of first love: the awkward interactions in the beginning, that first electric touch, the [sometimes clumsy] first kiss, that sense of urgency. That was all there and it felt genuine. What was blossoming between these two characters felt right, even as they learned each other's hope and fears and secrets. But as they were discovering just how much they meant to each other, I felt like they should have meant more to me...and they didn't. I just never quite connected with either Eleanor or Park. Maybe it was the fact that one hid from conflict while the other was more likely to provoke it. These two were virtually polar opposites, and somehow they found a way to escape into each other. I get it. I almost buy it. But I still don't feel it.
I chose to listen to the audio of E & P based on a friend's recommendation, and though I don't believe I've heard either of these narrators before, I can honestly say they did a bang up job. Each portrayed the emotion and rawness of the characters with ease, and their voices matched what I would have picked for the snarky Eleanor and the more mild-mannered Park. The dialogue flowed seamlessly and made for a pretty realistic portrayal. I'd definitely recommend the audio myself, as it enhanced my overall enjoyment of the novel greatly.
From starting a new school and making friends, to bullying, to home life (good and bad), to young love, Eleanor & Park covered nearly every facet of life at that tender age. It's poignant and heart-breaking but also hopeful. It was a powerful story, one that transcends the decade in which it was set, and although I didn't fall in love with the story, I did enjoy it immensely. The writing was sharp and clever, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.
Rating:
Rainbow Rowell is the author of ATTACHMENTS. She has two novels coming out in 2013 -- ELEANOR & PARK in February and FANGIRL in the fall.
Rainbow lives with her husband and two sons in Omaha, Nebraska. Right at this moment, she is probably arguing with someone about something that doesn't really matter in the big scheme of things -- or trying to figure out how Sherlock faked his death.
Find Rainbow:
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Tumblr
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starryeyedjen
- I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
View my complete profile