"I don't like you, I live for you"- Eleanor & Park By Rainbow Rowell

 This past week I read what will probably become one of my favorite Young Adult novels. Let me introduce you to Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell.

Now I had only heard about this book before from this lovely book report from foreveryoungadult.com but I could tell just from that report that I would like it. What I did not expect was just how much I would love it! It has easily risen up into one of my top ten young adult novels, and that's really saying something because I read, and love, a lot of young adult fiction.

Eleanor & Park is about two misfits who meet on a school bus. Initially they do not even speak to each other, but as they sit next to each other everyday, their relationship grows and blossoms into something more through the mutual love of comics and music. Set in 1986, there are walkmans galore, big hair, and some old school bands that are definitely still relevant.

Also Rowell put together playlists for both Eleanor and Park if you want to browse through a great collection of songs both older and new.

What really got me though about Eleanor & Park was the description of the building feelings between Eleanor and Park, from sharing comics, to the first time they hold hands. Rowell uses these moments to electrify the prose and bring the reader into the minds of both of our leads. For example,"Holding Eleanor's hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive."

So of course I knew that I had to feature this book on my new blog! Everyone must know just awesome it is! And in keeping with the new tradition of the blog I have dressed up in my interpretation of both Eleanor and Park!

First I've got Eleanor:

Tank: American Apparel
Plaid Shirt: Walmart
Shorts: Goodwill
Purse: Spanish Leather Store
Shoes: Sister's Vans
Jewelry: Various places

The first time Park sees Eleanor walk onto the bus, he comments on how strange her clothes are. Through out the book she wears neckties as bracelets and hairbands, shirts that look like they were her father's, jeans from Goodwill, and tons of random jewelry. She even mentions a beat up pair of vans so of course I had to steal my sister's. The rest is basically what I have had lying around and I just knew would work perfectly for Eleanor. Too bad I don't have my red hair any more! That would have been perfect! And of course I had to add headphones because music is so important to the growth of Eleanor's character and her relationship with Park.

Now we've got my Park outfit:

Top: BP at Nordstroms
Jeans: Citizens Against Humanity
Shoes: Converse
Hat: Target

Eleanor mentions that Park is always dressed in black, so of course I had to go with my black jeans! I also tried to get a boyish look that actually make me look like a guy and I think I pretty much succeeded. I decided to go with not a totally black outfit (which I'm sure Park would have preferred) 1. because it was crazy hot and sunny outside and 2. because and all black outfit is usually kind of boring in pictures. I had to add the headphones here too because music is as important as breathing to Park.

Ultimately I legitimately LOVED this book. There was a realistic nostalgic quality to it that encourages you to think of your own first encounter with love and also really pulls you into the lives of the characters, no matter how painful their lives become.

Now for some fan art