Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

I finished this book in one sitting. I didn't even realize that I was about three more pages away until I finish this book. I did not want it to end because I wanted to know more about what happens to Park and Eleanor (that b*tch!). But when I reached the last page, I just want to throw it in the wall because the ending was the most disappointing ending I have ever read. Don't get me wrong, this is a painfully beautiful book, for someone like me who is very hard to please with contemporary novels, this one is getting on a par with my favorite contemporary, Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.

This is quite a popular book. I just kept on seeing it in bookshelves and then disappearing, and then re-appearing again, and then disappearing. For the time being when it was still sold-out everywhere, I bought Fangirl by the same author. It was quite okay but I was kind of looking for more Rainbow Rowell because I did enjoyed Fangirl enough to make me curious about the author's other books.

So when I finally found the last few remaining stocks at my favorite National Bookstore, I immediately ran towards it before anyone else could get their filthy hands on it. I read it yesterday and finished it also yesterday, so I practically read this the entire day yesterday just because I had nothing else better to do and it was really "unputdownable" so yeah...

If you haven't read this and don't want to be spoiled (if ever you do intend on reading this), then go away. Go back once you've finished it and we can chit-chat. If you've read this, then we are probably not sharing the same sentiment here because Eleanor is one of the most repulsive fictional characters I've come across with in a long time. I mean we all know that yeah she might be obese, live in a rambleshack of a home with a messed up family, but really, do you have to be that apathetic about people (specifically park) trying to make your life a little bit better?

She doesn't even talk about her problems. She likes keeping it to herself and then she complains all the friggin time in her head. And that ending where park drove him miles away to her uncle yet Eleanor did not even seem to give a crap makes it really frustrating. Park should not have given the effort. Nope. He should have just looked for other better options. Eleanor is one good example of how having a broken home makes you a broken person but gawd, do you really have to imbibe the negativities and lack appreciation? What a git.

This story kind of reminds of 500 days of summer, except summer was not living in a desperate home. But Summer and Eleanor are subliminally very much THE SAME. Not good examples of how to treat men who are worthy enough of one's love. Men who are very different from the rest of the typical male.

Read this book and again and tell me you love Eleanor. Convince me.

Nevertheless, I give this 4 out of 5 stars.

Enough said.