HMB’s Book Club {July Review}

July has come and {almost!} gone, so it’s time to review our latest Book Club choice!  You chose Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, and I hope you’ve had time to finish up – because we’re ready to discuss it!  Bre’onna and I will share their thoughts, and it’s your chance to comment below and let us know what you really think.

Warning :: Reviews may contain spoilers!

HMB Book Club

:: Bre ::

I loved this book.  I was going into it expecting something like The Fault in Our Stars because that’s just what I think of teen love stories – but this is totally different.

Granted, my nerd tendencies probably played a lot into it because I have read The Watchmen graphic novel and I have loved the X-Men since 4th grade.  So maybe I just liked the punk vibe Eleanor & Park gave off.

Rainbow Lowell wrote it very simply, but it wasn’t a simple story.  You remember what it’s like to deal with high school…even if you don’t have to deal with the awful step-dad Eleanor had. At first I didn’t get why it was set in the 80’s, but if it was current times then their communication issues would have been solved with simple Facebook stalking or an email.

Overall, I give it 4 out of 5 sippy cups.  Written well. Easy, summer read.  Good story.  I honestly don’t remember young adult books being so interesting when I was a young adult.  I mean, y’all remember Fear Street and Christopher Pike right?! I’m not saying this has turned me into a YA fan, but I have already gotten the hardback of Lowell’s new book Landline!

:: Heather ::

I’ll agree with Bre’s 4 sippy cups.

I really didn’t know what to expect when starting to read Eleanor & Park, but I’d heard such great reviews on it that I knew I couldn’t pass it up.  Unlike Bre’onna, I haven’t read any comics, and I’m not a huge X-Man fan. But I was still able to connect to the characters without any issue.

I did like that the characters were flawed.  Eleanor was chubby with frizzy red hair and eclectic style.  Park only skated by with the cool kids because he’d known them his entire life.  I loved that Park was Eleanor’s safe place when she was stuck in an abusive home.  I loved even more when his parents started to connect with Eleanor {even his mom’s attempted makeovers}.

One of my favorite parts of the book?  When Park puts the neighborhood bully Steve in his place.  And I also enjoyed that Steve and Tina were a part of Eleanor’s rescue at the end, showing that they did have a kind side.

Overall, it was a smooth, easy read – and it affected me without making me sob uncontrollably.

 

Chime in, Houston!  What are your thoughts on Eleanor & Park?

 

Once you’ve shared your thoughts in the comments below, take a minute to vote for our next read!  As always – we’re letting you decide what our next book will be.  Check out the books by clicking on the Goodread’s links, then be sure to vote below!

August Options…

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover.  Fiction.  320 pages. {Releases August 5th}

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker.  Fiction.  262 pages.

** WINNER :: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.  Fiction. 369 pages. **

Friendship by Emily Gould.  Fiction.  272 pages.

We’re going to leave voting open for a week.  Then, we’ll announce the book and give you a few weeks to read it – perfect timing as school is just about to start. Don’t worry, we’ll check in from time to time to make sure you’re on track.  Then we will once again post our feelings and open up the discussion!

You can connect with the HMB book club at any time!

Heather :: Twitter | Goodreads

Bre :: Twitter | Goodreads

HMB :: Twitter | Facebook

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Heather M
Heather graduated from Houston Baptist University where she met {and later married} her husband Ben. They moved away from the city so this small town girl could feel at home, but still have access to the beach and to all H-Town has to offer. She's a full-time working mom to their daughter {March 2012} & son {September 2016} and often blogs about her experiences with severe preeclampsia and the NICU. She loves sangria, a good book, Texas Country music...and her three fur babies. Connect with Heather on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

2 COMMENTS

  1. I LOVED Eleanor and Park and can’t wait to read more from this author. At times it was hard to read about Eleanor’s terrible homelife, but it made me appreciate my easy childhood and be happy that Park and her found each other. I’m so happy you all are hosting this book club because I probably wouldn’t have tried this book otherwise. Can’t wait for the next book to be announced!

  2. Oh girls! I’m not sure just what it was, but this book didn’t do anything for me. I read most of the time while up nursing at night so maybe it was because I was so tired. I don’t know. I feel like it dragged on and I couldn’t get behind the characters. Sure, my heart ached for Eleanor, and yes, I was rooting for the two of them. It might just be the writing style that made it slow. I did like how the chapters alternated between characters. I just read Wonder whose storyline is nothing like this book but similar in rotating character narrators. Can’t wait to see what book is next.

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