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September 28, 2014
I read this as an eBook because I know it’s popular and because I snagged it at a relatively good sale price of $4.99. I did very much enjoy “The Fault in Our Stars” and these two books are often times mentioned as being in the same mold, so that added to my interest as well.
“E & P” takes place in ‘86 and is about a couple of 16ish year olds finding a connection with each other even though both of them are well outside of the popular circles at their school. Park is a tall, skinny, half-Korean kid who loves punk/alternative music and comics. Eleanor is new to the school, has an extremely troubled home life, is a plus-sized girl and dresses in wildly combined second hand clothes. The two youngsters are randomly brought together on their school bus ride and from that small bit of daily contact, true first love blooms - despite all kinds of forces working against them.
Honestly, I have to give this book a bit of a shrug. Because I didn’t care for the ending. And because it’s full of bullying, cursing, an abusive parent, and several other heavy elements that just weighed the whole thing down. Eleanor is almost constantly tormented at school and at home - most mentally/emotionally, but also somewhat physically. The writer seemed to really over-emphasize these elements to create an uncomfortably tense reality in the book and for me, this took a lot away from my enjoyment. Oh and there’s some sex in it. The book is surprisingly light and careful in the sex areas, yet there is not much left to imagination. Mostly touchy-feely stuff and then both Eleanor and Park’s mental and verbal reactions to their hook-up sessions. Still, I have to think that a lot of parents would want to know their kids are getting a bit of sex-ed as “E & P” discover each other.
On the positive side, the book is really great during the cute parts when the kids fall for each other and these scenes do create, in the reader, some nostalgia for puppy love. Park is a good kid, I liked him, and Eleanor is a deep, complex, mostly likeable character too - so the reader pulls for them both to win out in the end. Also, Ms. Rowell is definitely a really good writer so I had no problems with her craft.
Overall though, the book was just so heavy and I felt that the overly troubling parts of it washed out the good parts.
I did, however, have a couple good takeaways from “E & P”.
Parents should absolutely be reading what their kids are reading. We need to know what’s in popular YA books because a “favorite book” can certainly have a very profound effect on a young person and shape their thoughts and/or behavior for quite some time. According to Amazon, “E & P” is intended for ages 13 and up. Yikes. There is so much cussing in it! Really awful words too. And the bullying towards Eleanor is harsh. Plus her home life is frighteningly rough. I have to think that if a parent let their 13 year old read this, and then found out later what it’s really like, I think they’d be shocked. On the flip side, reading this book together and talking through the language and how these bad things in the story can happen in real life could be a very rewarding and enriching experience. Like I said before, the cute parts when the two lovebirds fall for each other are nice and sweet and enjoyable. But there’s plenty of nastiness in the book to sour all the romance.
Quick fact - if you go to Amazon right now and read the top “most helpful review”, you’d be grossly underestimating the truth about “E & P”.
The other takeaway I had is a cold feeling of “Is this what life is REALLY like...in all of the high schools....everywhere?” Double yikes. I wonder how my wife and I can ensure that our kids are safe and that they prosper in this type of environment. The story does take place back in ‘86 so perhaps things aren’t quite as bad now. And the setting is Omaha, NE so maybe the author just has a bad impression of that area, for one reason or another. Then again, we now live in 2014 and beyond where social media is omnipresent and there’s CONSTANT communication amongst youngsters - for better AND for worse. So perhaps things are way more awful now. I don’t know the answers to these questions and thoughts. So I guess I’m glad books like “E & P” exist since they force me to challenge my tranquility.
In conclusion, “E & P” is written well; has two good, intriguing characters and overall, the story definitely makes the reader think. But the text is raw pretty much all the way through from front to back so I certainly recommend it only to older, emotionally mature high schoolers. And I can’t overemphasize the fact that you, as a parent or caregiver or gift-giver or whatever, should without a doubt read this one first so you know what’s being absorbed by our youth. This could help transform a potentially shocking and disturbing experience to a positive, enlightening one - for both you and the young person.
If you decide this one is for you, then I say - Happy Reading!
“E & P” takes place in ‘86 and is about a couple of 16ish year olds finding a connection with each other even though both of them are well outside of the popular circles at their school. Park is a tall, skinny, half-Korean kid who loves punk/alternative music and comics. Eleanor is new to the school, has an extremely troubled home life, is a plus-sized girl and dresses in wildly combined second hand clothes. The two youngsters are randomly brought together on their school bus ride and from that small bit of daily contact, true first love blooms - despite all kinds of forces working against them.
Honestly, I have to give this book a bit of a shrug. Because I didn’t care for the ending. And because it’s full of bullying, cursing, an abusive parent, and several other heavy elements that just weighed the whole thing down. Eleanor is almost constantly tormented at school and at home - most mentally/emotionally, but also somewhat physically. The writer seemed to really over-emphasize these elements to create an uncomfortably tense reality in the book and for me, this took a lot away from my enjoyment. Oh and there’s some sex in it. The book is surprisingly light and careful in the sex areas, yet there is not much left to imagination. Mostly touchy-feely stuff and then both Eleanor and Park’s mental and verbal reactions to their hook-up sessions. Still, I have to think that a lot of parents would want to know their kids are getting a bit of sex-ed as “E & P” discover each other.
On the positive side, the book is really great during the cute parts when the kids fall for each other and these scenes do create, in the reader, some nostalgia for puppy love. Park is a good kid, I liked him, and Eleanor is a deep, complex, mostly likeable character too - so the reader pulls for them both to win out in the end. Also, Ms. Rowell is definitely a really good writer so I had no problems with her craft.
Overall though, the book was just so heavy and I felt that the overly troubling parts of it washed out the good parts.
I did, however, have a couple good takeaways from “E & P”.
Parents should absolutely be reading what their kids are reading. We need to know what’s in popular YA books because a “favorite book” can certainly have a very profound effect on a young person and shape their thoughts and/or behavior for quite some time. According to Amazon, “E & P” is intended for ages 13 and up. Yikes. There is so much cussing in it! Really awful words too. And the bullying towards Eleanor is harsh. Plus her home life is frighteningly rough. I have to think that if a parent let their 13 year old read this, and then found out later what it’s really like, I think they’d be shocked. On the flip side, reading this book together and talking through the language and how these bad things in the story can happen in real life could be a very rewarding and enriching experience. Like I said before, the cute parts when the two lovebirds fall for each other are nice and sweet and enjoyable. But there’s plenty of nastiness in the book to sour all the romance.
Quick fact - if you go to Amazon right now and read the top “most helpful review”, you’d be grossly underestimating the truth about “E & P”.
The other takeaway I had is a cold feeling of “Is this what life is REALLY like...in all of the high schools....everywhere?” Double yikes. I wonder how my wife and I can ensure that our kids are safe and that they prosper in this type of environment. The story does take place back in ‘86 so perhaps things aren’t quite as bad now. And the setting is Omaha, NE so maybe the author just has a bad impression of that area, for one reason or another. Then again, we now live in 2014 and beyond where social media is omnipresent and there’s CONSTANT communication amongst youngsters - for better AND for worse. So perhaps things are way more awful now. I don’t know the answers to these questions and thoughts. So I guess I’m glad books like “E & P” exist since they force me to challenge my tranquility.
In conclusion, “E & P” is written well; has two good, intriguing characters and overall, the story definitely makes the reader think. But the text is raw pretty much all the way through from front to back so I certainly recommend it only to older, emotionally mature high schoolers. And I can’t overemphasize the fact that you, as a parent or caregiver or gift-giver or whatever, should without a doubt read this one first so you know what’s being absorbed by our youth. This could help transform a potentially shocking and disturbing experience to a positive, enlightening one - for both you and the young person.
If you decide this one is for you, then I say - Happy Reading!