I went into this book thinking it would just be a love story, but it’s so much more than that. It also deals with subjects like bullying and acceptance and abuse with a lot of sensitivity.
Eleanor and Park as a love story itself didn't set my heart pounding, but it was very sweet nevertheless and also kind of slow-moving (this is a good thing - instalove is a bugbear of mine). They seemed to know that first love rarely lasts but they give it a shot anyway. I liked them as a couple - they were very sweet - but I felt they were strong enough characters to keep the story interesting even without the romantic element.
And can I just say: Rainbow Rowell's writing *sighs*. Seriously, how many authors come up with a paragraph like this:
Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.
And how about this:
Holding Eleanor's hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive.
Awww!
9/10