Saturday, February 15, 2014

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - OPTIONAL


Rowell, Rainbow Eleanor & Park 325 pgs. St. Martin's Press, 2012. $18.99. 

Language: R (120 swears 62 Fs); Mature Content: PG13 (teen drug and alcohol use, intimate situations, sexual references) Violence: PG13.  

16-year-olds Eleanor and Park are an unlikely couple.  Eleanor's shattered home, scary-mean stepfather, and low self-esteem make her an unlikely candidate for girlfriend. But quiet pensive Park starts out as a welcome school bus seat partner and grows into champion and first love.  

Against the backdrop of 1986 Small town Nebraska, Rowell tells a love story that is gentle and sweet and memorable.  The swearing is completely out of control which prevents me from even thinking about recommending this to middle schoolers, but if your high school library patrons can manage the language, this intense Printz honor book will get talked about. 

HS OPTIONAL Lisa Librarian.

No comments: