Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

198 reviews

katie0528's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Me to myself: "You know, this week has been tough. Let's treat ourselves with a light teen romance."
Y'all, this was not that. 

The last time Eleanor made her stepfather mad, her mom sent her to a friend's house to stay for a "few days" until he cooled down. In reality, they moved and didn't contact Eleanor for a year. Now reunited with her mother and siblings, she starts at a new school where she meets Park, a quiet Korean boy who likes comic books and punk rock. As they ride the bus to and from school every day, a friendship and eventually a romance begins to bloom. But romance is hard at 16, especially when Eleanor has an alcoholic stepfather and is being bullied by popular girls, while Park has a father who doesn't undetstand him and his mother who doesn't understand what he sees in Eleanor. But first love is alluring, and the pair will do whatever they must to make it work. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Abandonment

remindmetoread's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

First read 2015.
This book was wonderful. Every sentence put butterflies in my stomach. Pretty much. I feel like Rainbow Rowell captured the first love experience so well. A lot better than Romeo & Juliet. It's so fantastic. So cute. So everything. I was feeling so nostalgic because I've never read a book so relatable of young love. I felt like Eleanor & Park understood me and it was so beautifully written.

Update: I stand by my original review. I still felt the same feelings reading this book 9 years a part. It just really takes me back to being in love in high school. I know there's problems in this book with race, but I really just chuck it up to the time period. The author is a white woman, so I did question if it's her place to create a perspective of a half-Korean family. Were there sensitivity readers? Is this a good representation of a Korean woman marrying a white man who came to her country for war? All that was in the back of my mind, but when I don't think too hard about it, I just love what Eleanor and Park are able to make out of their situations. It just felt so high school. How did Rainbow Rowell capture it so well? How could she transport me like that? Not that I had the exact experiences of Eleanor. It was just the feelings. It triggered giddiness for me. I was overwhelmed with heart eyes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Violence

Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia

rageandresist's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I first read this when I was 16. A fresh coming-of-age story for my age. I loved how simple yet deep the story was. But now looking back at it, there are so many questionable views on racism and body-image; how Rowell has failed herself to highlight both issue inclusively. Instead, she somehow depicts Eleanor, as a white girl, in a position where she wishes to be other minority group just so she can feel belong with the person she likes. It's also full of ableist takes and fat-phobic hatreds toward Eleanor herself; which is too cruel for a girl that age. I mean, that's what most of us would see in reality, but why could not Rowell turn the loathes in the most body-neutrality tone as possible instead of romanticizing her sufferings to be considered as something "valuable" first? For short, it's full of white gaze and the romanticazion of self-hates.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

manudonato's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Violence, Blood, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

katmystery's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book wrecked me. I've enjoyed Rainbow Rowell's other works, but nothing hit me as hard as Eleanor & Park. It was messy, devastating, beautiful, and real, and I want nothing but the best for these characters after the final page.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Homophobia, Pedophilia, and Suicidal thoughts

relapsedheretic's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I read this again every few years, and every single time it never fails to make me both laugh and cry

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Pedophilia, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Blood, and War

lindsaykjones's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A modern day Romeo and Juliet set in the Uber romantic city of Omaha. It’s the story of Eleanor, a high school girl trying the best to fit in despite of her poverty and very broken family, and Park, a Korean boy navigating the demands of his family and its expectations. Both find each other and their high school romance becomes all-consuming, until the limits of their families force them apart. 

This story was so beautiful, and compelling, but it has very strong themes of bullying, poverty, and abuse (of all kinds). Parts were hard to read but I’m very glad that I did. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia

lisewolters's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming and Bullying

Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, and Violence

Minor: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Abandonment, and Alcohol

sydneyray521's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

andreaandre02's review against another edition

emotional funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, and Abandonment