This story begins with the arrival of Eleanor, a misunderstood 16-year-old girl with a rough upbringing. On her first day on the school bus, she meets Park, a boy who feels different from everyone else around him. The two end up sharing a seat on the bus, and although they don’t talk to each other at first, Park catches Eleanor sneaking peeks at his comics while he reads them. Soon a relationship is formed, as the two find that they have much more in common than they had originally thought. Unfortunately, life at home takes a turn for the worse for Eleanor, and the young couple is forced to make a decision that could tear them apart forever.
Although this is marketed as a young adult book, it is an excellent read for adults of all ages. Rainbow Rowell does an amazing job of drawing the reader in and making the characters seem very real. I felt like I really knew Eleanor and Park, and their story was one of the best that I have read so far this year. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is available at Acorn as well as through SWAN.