Monday, January 27, 2014

Rainbow Rowell Appreciation Post

Can we just take a second?  Rainbow Rowell just won a PRINTZ HONOR for Eleanor & Park.  SO WELL DESERVED, I can't even begin to describe my love for that book.

Let's backtrack-  Rainbow Rowell (yes, that's her real name) has written Attachments, Eleanor & Park, and Fangirl.  Her next book, Landline, will be released in July...and I want need it now!  Some people got copies at ALAW14 and I'm so jealous it's just sad.




She is the best contemporary YA author that I've ever read.  I'm so grateful for books like Eleanor&Park, where the writing is so rich, complex, and meaningful.  She's not afraid to explore uncharted areas of YA and write what's real.  

I'm honored to have been able to meet her, and I hope I'll be able to see her again sometime in the future.  She is such a genuine person, who truly cares about each and every one of her fans.  I'm so proud to be one of her readers.



To close off this post, I'll add my reviews of Fangirl and Eleanor & Park...if you haven't already read these, you must!
Fangirl by: Rainbow Rowell
I read Eleanor & Park by: Rainbow Rowell a few weeks previous to reading Fangirl.  I was super excited to get my hands on Fangirl and immediately delved right in. 
I read it straight through. 
The book was so compelling, the characters were so interesting, and the plot was spot on.  Cath and Wren are twin sisters.  They’ve been practically inseparable since birth, but Wren breaks the news to Cath that she doesn’t want to room with her in college.  Cath is absolutely distraught.  She withdraws from other people and cages herself in.  Cath won’t go out, won’t interact with anyone other than the sparse conversations between her and her roommate.  I’ve never seen social anxiety done better.  Cath tries to escape from it all through her Simon Snow (Harry Potter-y book series that Cath loves) fan fiction.  There are many bumps along the road, and the reader is able to experience everything with Cath.  I felt like I was in the story, interacting with the characters, and feeling the same emotions Cath was.
Once again, Rainbow Rowell drew me in with the different kind of romance.  Rowell is able to keep the reader on the edge of their seat right from the start.  The writing is free from clichés, and very intense.  I give it 5 out of 5 stars.  





Eleanor & Park by: Rainbow Rowell
I picked up Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor & Park per John Green's amazing recommendation.  This was one of the best decisions I could’ve made.  Rainbow Rowell has a gift.  She is able to undo some of the most iconic clichés in our society and recreate a brand new story.
Eleanor & Park follows two teenagers in high school.  They come from extremely different backgrounds and situations.  Park travels in themiddle of the pack.  He doesn’t stand out, but no one DISLIKES him.  Eleanor, on the other hand, stands out like a sore thumb.  She has bright red hair and isn’t skinny like all the other girls.  She’s picked on and generally disliked.  Eleanor and Park practically come from different dimensions.  At first glance, they don’t have a chance, but as you delve deeper, things change.  They gradually grow closer through sharing comics and mix tapes.  This is far from a normal YA romance novel.  Rainbow Rowell molds amazing characters.  Both Eleanor and Park were so realistic.  I swear, in the majority of YA fiction, the female characters are always drop dead gorgeous and stick thin.  She showed that a girl could be beautiful in her own way, no matter what her size or shape was and through those insecurities.  I love Eleanor and Park for that.  It defied all stereotypes, and was a refreshing and new take on romance.
Eleanor & Park is a must read if you are a fan of…well, books.

5 comments:

  1. Hey, I just wanted to let you know that your "overview" of the book Fan girl is incorrect. Cath is the one that is distraught because Wren doesn't wanna room with her in college. Wren is not the anti-social one, cath is. Wren is the complete opposite of antisocial!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I accidentally switched their names...
      Thanks for reading.

      Delete
    2. No problem, I just didn't want you to have the wrong information up! Sorry if it seems bitchy, love your insta and this blog btw! <33

      Delete
    3. No of course not! Haha, I'm glad you caught that. Wow that means a lot. Thank you for following both!

      Delete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete