Why the Hype?: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Just the facts:

Overall:  2 Stars

Addiction Level: I read it when I had spare time.

Believe-ability: It was believable.

Dystopia Factor: Eh. It’s “normal” life.

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            I’m not sure where to start with this book. It seemed to have rave reviews and since I’ve been reading a little bit of realistic fiction I thought I’d give this a try. I was aware that there was quite a bit of colorful language (over 200 swear words, according to this article. It also includes an interview with Rowell on the subject.) before I started and that it was being accosted by those who find joy in banning books. (This, regardless of the way I feel about this book, is not something I support at all.) What I found, however, is that first impressions stick with you, even when you try to lay them aside.

            My first impression of Eleanor & Park was disgust at the amount and variety of vulgar language. (Rowell supports her use of profanity in the above mentioned article, but as a reader I don’t really agree with all she has to say.) I really hate it when authors use profanity and particularly a lot of it. I find that it distracts from the story. Every time I came across string of curse words I was immediately pulled out of the story world and I had to try to force myself back in. It felt like I was involved in some stupid tug of war. Story world versus reality. Reality was pretty strong, by the way.

            After I got past the constant tug of war (which nearly made me quit the book) and finished the story I was mostly dumbfounded at the praise Eleanor and Park’s love story had received. Honestly, I didn’t find it that wonderful. There are plenty of amazing depictions of falling in love in young adult literature. This was not one of them. And that’s saying something – I’m a bit of a sucker for a good love story. (I’m very happily married to my high school sweetheart, at that.)

            What I found most enjoyable about Eleanor & Park was actually Park’s family. (Not the aim of the story I’m sure.) I really enjoyed the relationship that Park’s parents have. Park may have found them embarrassing, but what would the world be like if more parents were in love like they were? Children need the example of their parents to show them what love really is. And it’s good for children to see their parents show affection towards one another.

            Lastly, I will say that there was one scene in the book that really moved me. About half way through the book, Park’s mother comes to him seeking his forgiveness for how she had been treating Eleanor. I loved how, even though it was difficult for her, she realized that her behavior toward Eleanor was not what it should have been and it pains her to realize this. She is very open and honest during this exchange and it quickly became the best part of the book for me. 

Not What I Was Expecting: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Just the facts:

Overall: 3 Stars

Addiction Level: I read it when I had spare time.

Believe-ability: It was believable.

Dystopia Factor: Eh. It’s “normal” life.

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            A Monster Calls is more of a short story than a novel and it follows a thirteen year old Connor as he deals with the emotional impact of his mother’s cancer treatments. Connor is being picked on at school, dealing with a messed up family life, and experiencing a recurring nightmare when a new monster begins to visit him each night. This monster, however, is unlike his nightmare because Connor discovers that the monster is real and not a figment of his imagination. The monster makes a bargain with Connor that he will tell him three stories but that Connor will in turn tell him a story when the time comes. Connor never really agrees to this, but the monster carries on as if he did.

            I feel like I should say this book definitely could fall under the category of “cover deception”. Yes, I know you should never judge a book by its cover, but that’s easier said than done. I certainly was not expecting a hybrid realistic fiction/ fantasy novel. A pure fantasy novel, sure, but not the realistic fiction part of it.  It caught me off guard but I continued with the story because I have been reading a little realistic fiction lately. We have to try new things, yes?

            Although I thought the story was a little obvious (kids dealing with major illnesses seem to be pretty popular right now) there were some things I really liked about the book. First off, the book has some wonderful illustrations throughout. I read the eBook version and wished I would have had a hard copy so I could enjoy the illustrations more (they turned out ok in eBook form, but it’s just different than print). And secondly, I really enjoyed some of the writing. I don’t usually include many quotes in my reviews, but there were a number that stood out to me in A Monster Calls.

Stories are wild creatures, the monster said. When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak? (pg. 35)

It is a true story, the monster said. Many things that are true feel like a cheat. Kingdoms get the princes they deserve, farmers’ daughters die for no reason, and sometimes witches merit saving. Quite often, actually. You’d be surprised. (pg. 44)

“Son,” his father said, leaning forward. “Stories don’t always have happy endings.” This stopped him. Because they didn’t, did they? That’s one thing the monster had definitely taught him. Stories were wild, wild animals and went off in directions you couldn’t expect. (pg. 83)

            A Monster Calls isn’t necessarily a very surprising book or adventurous one, but it was worth the read, especially considering how short it was. Plus, Patrick Ness is a fantastic author. If you’ve read The Chaos Walking trilogy then you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Will the Deception Ever End?: Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

Just the facts:

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Addiction Level: I read it every waking moment.

Believe-ability: It was believable.

Dystopia Factor: Eh. It’s “normal” life.

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            Ketchup Clouds is not set in a dystopian world. It is not set in a fantasy world with sword play and action. In fact there really isn’t any action. I guess what I’m saying is that it’s just YA fiction. Plain ‘ole fiction. I read it. And I really, truly liked it. Ketchup Clouds is obviously a huge deviation from my normal reading habits and I can’t really tell you what drew me to it. I guess the snippet from the first chapter is what got my attention. Attention enough that I actually requested it from the library to find out what happens. And so, in lieu of actually giving you a quick summary of the plot I’m going to give you the same snippet that drew me in, in hopes that you’ll find it intriguing too.

Dear Mr. S. Harris,

            Ignore the blob of red in the top left corner. It’s jam, not blood, though I don’t think I need to tell you the difference. It wasn’t your wife’s jam the police found on your shoe.

            I know what it’s like.

            Mine wasn’t a woman. Mine was a boy. And I killed him three months ago exactly.

             Ketchup Clouds really has a lot going for it. The story brings to light a whole slew of issues from family relations to love and more, but by far the one that stands out most to me, is the power of lies and deception. So many of the issues that arise in the book can be traced back to deceit and by the end I wondered if Zoe would even be writing to a convicted murder if not for the deception that she allowed in her life.

            As much as this story made me wrestle with the daily choices we all make, my favorite aspect of the book has nothing to do with the challenges that Zoe faces. In fact, my favorite part of the book is the relationship that grows between Zoe and Stuart. You might not think that this is very special, but I assure you it is. I don’t think many authors can make a relationship happen between two characters when we NEVER have a response from Stuart. He is such a major character to me and yet he never actually participates in the story. He doesn’t have so much as one line to contribute and yet I often found myself thinking about him, wondering what reaction he might be having to reading Zoe’s letters, and trying to figure out if he even cared. Pitcher effectively uses their relationship to create an even bigger story than it seems, or a story within a story, if you will.

            I’m clearly not well versed in the area of “just plain” YA fiction so I don’t have much to compare Ketchup Clouds to, but it is a definite recommendation from me. I think I will even pick up other books from Pitcher because I enjoyed this one so immensely.