34. Eleanor and Park

Eleanor, also known as Big Red (she’s apparently a redhead), is the new “new girl” at Park’s school. I’m pretty sure everyone wants a newcomer to be a hottie, a total babe but Eleanor wasn’t that type – not even close. She was the total opposite. She was awkward and big. She wears clothes girls her age won’t even dare, like large men’s shirt + weird long necklaces + scarves around her wrists. Oh my!!! Fashion suicide... but it’s not like she has a choice because she clearly doesn’t have a single one. BECAUSE SHE’S NOT RICH BUT BROKE. Very. And there’s nothing she can do about that. Yet.

She lives in a tiny house, a block away from Park’s, with her siblings, their mother and their stepdad. Well, Eleanor doesn’t really think of him as her stepdad, they really aren’t close, not after what he did to her a year ago.

On her first day on her new school, she had Park as his seatmate on the bus. Again, she didn’t have a choice; nobody wants to sit beside her. Since then they’ve been seatmates.

Park is half Korean, half American. Her father went to Korea during world war; he met Mindy (Park’s mom) there and brought her home with him. Since then, they’ve been madly in love with each other. Park is so into reading and music. Those are the things they have in common.

One day, while Park was reading on the bus, he was so sure Eleanor was reading his comics as well. He didn’t want to be rude so he’d sometimes look up to her before he flips to the next page. And that’s how it all started...

A lot of things could really happen in a 20 or 30 minute ride on the bus. You could either hate the person forever or you could learn to get to know her, sometimes you’d fall in love with her soul and then you’ll get to see her differently. Like Park to Eleanor.

Park is a sweet, Asian kid. He thinks holding Eleanor’s hand is like holding a butterfly or a heartbeat. He doesn’t like Eleanor, he needs her. Eleanor, on the other hand, thinks he lives for Park. She isn’t even sure she still breathes when they’re apart.

Ahhhhhh!!!! It feels good to be young and in love...... but it’s another thing when you’re young but (not)free and very much in love. They were young but old enough to know that first love might never work but desperate and very much in love enough to try and work things out. I seriously hope they would eventually find their way back into a love that is innocent and true. My heart aches for Park.

Eleanor and Park is one of those books you’d love to read when it’s raining... because of the ending. (but you’ve gotta figure that out yourself, of course) It’s entertaining, very light but very full. It’s mainly about high school romance, how it starts and how it ends. If you miss your high school sweetheart, you’d want to spend a few hours reading this and I promise you, you won’t be disappointed. 

Love,

M x