Reading Blog Post 18 - Starting Fresh

I really don't want to start a new book, I want to stay with Eleanor and Park in their little world forever and ever and ever, but things must go on. I know I said that I may do a summary of the book in my last post, but I feel like I would just be repeating what I've already said. By the way. If you are thinking about reading Eleanor & Park, then I would suggest not reading my previous posts. I just feel like they give too much away and for that I am sorry, but I just had to lay my feelings out about the book somewhere, so I figured that would be the best place!

I have now just started reading Looking for Alaska by John Green. I've decided to read this only because The Fault In Our Stars has received way too much publicity and I already know what will happen so I just don't really want to get the big hype about it, but I've really wanted to read this one for a while so I thought I'd give John Green a try. So far I don't exactly LOVE his writing style. I feel like it's incredibly pretentious and everything that he writes is so cliche, but I will bear with it because I'm only on the eighth page. The thing about John Green's writing is that I feel like every line is supposed to be perfectly placed and so, like, over dramatic, I guess. I just don't like the thought of people getting so googly eyed over things when it's the same thing over and over again.

So far I do not know a lot about Looking for Alaska, except for the fact that whoever Alaska is hasn't been introduced and Miles is the name of the character who is telling the story. I don't know much about Miles except for the fact that he's kind of non relatable because, well, I don't know. He just seems over thought as a character. It's just too over the top so far. I like thinking deep, but this isn't deep, it's like dragging on the same thought in an essay you just want to get over with.

Reading Blog Post 17 - The End

I can't even write this right now. I'm like this with every book, I think, but for some reason this ending was just so unexpectedly sad. The way it was written was so emotionally involved and I just can't even describe to you how emotionally involved I was with these characters. Even if this book ended with a happy ending I would just simply be sad that it was over, but this was excruciating and on my part, the biggest tear jerk-er I have ever read, so thank god I was not in school for the end of this book because I was crying for a solid half hour at least. I can't even say the ending was bad or left me feeling unfinished, which I guess is good, but it's also not good because it just makes me feel more like this is real life than just a book. But! I really do like that the last line is, "Eleanor hadn't written him a letter, it was a postcard. Just three words long." which you would probably assume to be a pretty pathetic and not to mention cheesy ending, but it's not! Because you don't know what she wrote. She might have written, "I love you." which is the obvious, but she also could have written, "Park, just stop." or maybe, "I'm coming home." Probably not the last one, but it's the most hopeful! Anyway, I really would like to think it was, "Park, just stop." Because even though that is horribly harsh and just brutal, I don't really think Park would take it that way. In the book it says he smiled when he read it. So maybe it was that and he's just like Oh, Eleanor. You know? Like all reminiscent and stuff, or just happily thinking of her voice or her pessimistic personality that Park seems to smile at. Whatever it is, I can only hope that they will reunite because they are just perfect.

Perfect.

One more thing before I leave, I should probably tell you what actually happens in the book. Well I told you in my last post about Richie's anger towards Eleanor. But let's just say that Eleanor takes extreme lengths to get away from him. I just don't want to spoil it for anyone reading it. But I will tell you one thing. I can't believe I'm choosing to share this part over any part about Eleanor and Park as a whole, but I think it's because you really have to read the book to understand why I'm crying over a line that reads, "'You,' he said, putting his arms around her and promising himself that it wouldn't be the last time, 'are the bravest person I know.'" You just have to know the situation and everything that's happened so far to feel the real impact of the story. One thing that I think is a huge impact, like really impact full is when Park is going to drive Eleanor to Minnesota at two in the morning and Park's dad catches him, but he doesn't get mad, he just tells Park to go and actually gives him money. This  shows how much he cares for Park because Park and him don't have that great of a relationship, but he knows how bad Eleanor's step-dad is so he is so caring for Park. I just love it!

Well come back next week to this blog and I will probably do a summary review of the book. But maybe not. Anyways come back because I will have something new to read. I don't want to read something new though. Maybe I'll re read this book until I die. It's that good! I strongly strongly strongly encourage you to read it!

 

Reading Blog Post 16 - Changing of the Characters

Eleanor.

Eleanor is herself. She doesn't even know who she is, or I get the feeling that she doesn't. She thinks she is just a normal no good person, but she is far from it! She thinks of herself as fat and messed up, I feel like that's all she thinks of herself as and she really really shouldn't! Sure, she's got weird clothes and hair that draws attention from two rooms away, but it's just who she is. She has such a loud personality that is incredibly adorable, but not in an adorable way. I like it because the author does not make Eleanor out to be sweet when she's around Park, or even a good person, but Park is still in love with her and I love that. In reality, Eleanor is all about making herself feel comfortable. She is portrayed to others as not really caring about much, kind of lost in the shadows, but she's also a target to many people. Eleanor is a mess and it's not like some beautiful mess, it's like really bad. But it sure makes for a good story, because she's actually the most real character that I've ever seen in a book.

Park.

Park is nonchalantly unattainable. Nobody would like to admit that they actually like him or think of him, but I really can't help thinking that they do. It's like that one person that you're just happy that talked to you because it makes you feel like your known. only, Park isn't popular or cool, he just has an essence that everyone wants to be around. I like Park because he doesn't know how to deal with Eleanor and sometimes is rude to her without knowing it, but at least he thinks. He tries to save Eleanor and he tries to make her feel better. I really really like that Park even likes Eleanor because it's so cute how he wants her to know every little thing about him!

Reading Blog Post 15 - A Series of Mostly Unfortunate Events

Okay, okay, okay. Boy, do I have a lot to tell you guys. I haven't written about the actual plot of the book and an excruciatingly long time, so I have a lot to share. I think where we last left off is right where everything started to get all over the place. I mean the whole book is a roller coaster of emotions every second, but these things are big things and they're happening.  

Okay, so I thought I wrote about this already, however looking back at my recent posts I realized I have not! So. Let me tell you about what happened to Eleanor in gym class a couple of weeks ago. Tina stole her gym clothes! Well she didn't steal them, really, just tried to flush them down the toilet. That's all. I am beyond angry if you can tell. Seriously, who does that? I mean I get that Tina is one of the antagonists. Maybe she's just jealous of Eleanor and Park, but that's horrible. Especially, since Eleanor has almost no clothes, period. Now she has to go with one less whole outfit. You know what makes me angrier than anything? She flushed her strawberry vans down the toilet. Eleanor loved them, more than anything. Well not Park, but still. It makes me so angry. That's the first dilemma, especially since she had to walk all the way from the gym to the guidance office, in a red  and white striped polyester gym suit like thing that they have to wear for gym class. Ugh.

Okay, let's get a little happier. The next thing that happens is that Park gets his driver's license! Very exciting, right? It is! It is because Eleanor and him finally get to go on a date! They go downtown to all of Park's favorite record stores and comic shops. one line that struck me as super funny in this little scenerio was, "He kept pretending that they were on a real date, and then he'd remembered that they were" (Rowell, 269). That's so cute! They are on a real date! Go them.

I love this picture to the left. It totally sets up what Eleanor and Park's styles and vibes are. For example, Eleanor looks super annoyed and kind of insecure. That's exactly what I would use to describe her. Park looks kind of chill and protective of her in a nonchalant way; just kind of there. Which is how they are protrayed! It's a bit funny because when I think of them, I think of Eleanor as this big character that has a lot of emotions and feelings and personality everywhere and Park is kind of a nobody, but in a big way. Well I shouldn't say that. He is so charming and just has a smirking personality, if you get what I'm saying. Anywho, I love this picture because it really gives the vibe that they are together and yeah, they aren't perfect, but they're going to stick it out.

Okay, ready to feel a lot of stress and panic? Well get yourself ready. When Eleanor comes home that night, she crawls up into her top bunk and tries to fall asleep when she notices a torn up comic book at her feet. She automatically blames Ben, her brother, for the mess, but then her eyes adjust and she realizes that what has actually happened is that her stuff is just thrown everywhere, ripped to shreads. All of her comics books, her makeup, her books, and her box is empty. The box she keeps everything worth keeping, is empty. On the lip of it is written, do you think you can make a fool of me? this is my house do you think you can hore around my neighborhood right under my nose and i'm not going to find out is that what you think? i know what you are and its over (Rowell, 268). That came from Richie, Eleanor's horribly ugly hearted step father. You guys don't get it I don't think. Eleanor and Park just came home from their first real date. Everything is happy and I'm on cloud nine reading it, and then this happens. I feel like it's me in that position! Eleanor runs out of her house and you know what is just a little weird, but sort of hopeful?

Eleanor runs into Tina. Tina helps Eleanor. Plot Twist. Tina lets Eleanor stay at her place until her step dad cools down. Now I really hate Tina, but you have to admit at that point there is some good in her, and I think this will be kind of an understanding between them. I think it's kind of sweet. I don't know, well that's all for today, but i will have more next week, probably better things too! I can't wait.

Here's another blog I found on blogspot that gave a review on eleanor and Park that I think pretty much sums up the excitement for this book. I will link it here: http://asthecrowefliesandreads.blogspot.com/2012/11/book-preview-eleanor-park-by-rainbow.html

Reading Blog Post 14 - Book reviews for Eleanor & Park

While in class this week, we have been doing a lot involving columnists and column writing. This is what got me to thinking that I should probably find a column about Eleanor & Park and respond to it. So that's what I'm doing! I found one article on Eleanor & Park right away when i saw on nytimes.com. I will link it to the bottom of this page so you can read what I have left out of this post.

What I love about this article is that the author of it happens to be John Green, which as anybody knows these days has grabbed the hearts of almost everyone -except me. Not saying that he's a bad author, I just don't understand how a book like The Fault In Our Stars can get so much praise and i blame this on a bunch of teenagers that have never read anything better, but I am looking forward to reading Looking for Alaska, which is the next book I will read, also by John Green. In this article John Green says, and I quote, "Park’s parents — two of the best-drawn adults I can remember in a young adult novel — serve as evidence that sometimes love conquers the world, and Eleanor’s family is a reminder that sometimes it doesn't." I really like that he points out that Park's parents are really well portrayed because I really do agree and I wish more books that I read did this. You get to know Park's parents better than Eleanor and Park's friends and i think that this is something that Rainbow Rowell, the author of Eleanor & Park, does extraordinarily well.

Another thing I'd like to point out during this article is this quote: "It is. “Eleanor & Park” reminded me not just what it’s like to be young and in love with a girl, but also what it’s like to be young and in love with a book." I like this quote, because even though I am not a grown adult and cannot relate to how it is to be young because I am young, I still think it's a really great thing for a person to read and it reminds me of how in love you can be with just one book. You fall in love with all of the characters except the ones that are the enemy, and to them you just want to do bad things, because the protagonists are your friends now and even though they don't know you, you are in love with them and want to fight for them. Right? That's how I feel. Well I hope you take the time to click the link and read the article because maybe you will be more interested in reading Eleanor & Park. It really is such a good book.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/books/review/eleanor-park-by-rainbow-rowell.html?_r=0

Reading Blog Post 13 - Relating Eleanor and Park to Fahrenheit 451

I assume that many of you came to this post and just kept scrolling. I know, Fahrenheit 451, a lot of people hated it, some loved it, I have a little love and hate for it. Today I'm going to show you some similarities and differences between the two books. They are total different plots and characters, but to my surprise I did find a lot that was similar.

The whole point,, I think, to Fahrenheit 451 is breaking away from the norm and doing what you believe is right. The same is true for Eleanor and Park. In Fahrenheit 451, Montag is frusterated with the people. He doesn't understand the blunt uninterest that everyone has for everything important to him, but he also does not know quite what he's doing either. Either way, he's out of his comfort zone. In Eleanor and Park, Park and Eleanor are going out of their comfort zones. They are finding love in each others individuality and their pure longing for one another no matter what anybody thinks about them. This is how all three characters are similar. Sure, Montag is definitely more of a stick, while Eleanor and Park are moe causal about it, but I believe that if the author's writing style was not involved, they could all be friends, striving towards the same thing!

Reading Blog Post 12 - About the Author

So I feel like lately I have just been dragging on and on about the book. Not in a bad way, but that may get a little boring for some readers so this week I'm going to give you all a little background information and also give some information about the author's view of the story.

First I'm going to start with a Q&A session on publishersweekly.com (I will link the exact page at the very bottom of my post if anybody wants to read the whole thing for themselves.) One question on this question and answer interview that was also a burning question in my mind is: "Emotions run high in this novel. Is it realistic?" And i really can't say that Rainbow could have answered the question any better. She replies with: "I feel like it’s realistic. I feel things very intensely. And I also think that real life is more romantic if you allow it to be, if you don’t act like it’s immature to get excited. I want to consume love stories, but 90% of them feel totally inauthentic. When I watch a romantic comedy, I feel like they’re selling something that doesn't exist. Two beautiful, but extremely unpleasant, people are terrible to each other for an hour, accidentally kiss, then decide to like each other during an extremely vague montage. That isn't how people fall in love." I absolutely love that she says that she doesn't act like it's immature to get excited because with this book that's exactly how I feel writing it down for you guys. I feel extremely immature talking about it, but when I read it, it's really quite authentic, so I really like how she includes that you shouldn't think it's immature because it is real. 

Now about that name that the author has. Rainbow Rowell. Most people think that she's picked it for herself, when in reality she's found it more of an obstacle than anything. She says that in her early stages she was a columnist for a newspaper and it was a real struggle for her to be taken seriously, especially when she started writing fiction, people thought it was childlike. Now she thinks of it more as a statement for herself. It's definitely a statement name.

Here's the link: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/55711-q-a-with-rainbow-rowell.html