For many of us here at Clark, being the melting pot that we are, this pairing is not really unconventional or unexpected. If there’s one thing unique about us Chargers it’s our ability to look past what movies like Clueless and Mean Girls have once deemed “weird”. For us, relationships outside of the typical football player-cheerleader romances aren’t unexpected.

 

For Eleanor and Park, however, love was not what they saw coming.

 

 

In Rainbow Rowell’s quirky new novel, Eleanor and Park, two “misfits” find their lives intertwined despite all that could get in the way. At first glance, this novel seemed like the cliche high school love story that makes many cynics want to gag.

 

 

Set in the 80’s, the definition of “misfit” was quite clear. Without the nonconformist ideals we have in today’s society, Park and Eleanor were social outcasts and came from backgrounds on different ends of the spectrum.

 

 

Eleanor is full-figured, a redhead, and the “new girl” at school. Park is biracial and likes to keep to himself. So when they meet on the first day of school, it’s obvious that their personalities would crash.

 

 

When Park brings comic books on the bus to avoid Eleanor, the two (ironically) end up bonding over their favorite comics and music. In the midst of the romance that’s obviously about to come, Eleanor and Park have their own problems to deal with.

 

Eleanor comes from a poor family of four siblings, a hardworking mother and an abusive stepfather. On top of the problems at home, she’s being harassed by the most popular girl at school (surprise!) and an anonymous bully has been tormenting her with sexually explicit messages.

 

 

Park must deal with being the black sheep of the family, and though his problems are unlike Eleanor’s, he learns what it means to stick up for yourself and the people you love.

 

 

When Eleanor learns the true identity of her anonymous bully, she’s forced to run away from the only home she’s ever truly known - Park.

 

 

This book does not necessarily fulfill one’s intellectual or philosophical hunger, but it definitely displays love as it is - hard.

 

 

Predictable as it may have been in the beginning, I was still stunned by the raw and authentic depiction of what it means to choose between what you love and what’s good for you.

 

 

The ending of this book was not the most fulfilling, but it was bittersweet and realistic.

This novel reminded me of the faces I see everyday around Clark’s hallways. By this, I don’t mean redheads and Asian boys. This novel reminded me of the diverse group of people we see everyday. We see people with stories to tell - stories that will surprise us, but in the end teach us something worth knowing.