Eleanor & Park

By Rainbow Rowell
Lexile = 580

Eleanor and Park is a tale of a boy and girl that you would never really expect to get together and how they do. But I have a complaint about this book, and I would really love to have a conversation with the author, Rainbow Rowell about it. Language. So. Much. F-word. Here's how I imagine that conversation going:

Me: I loved this book, Rainbow. I found the characters so relate-able and endearing. My only complaint is the way they talk! Do you really think high school kids are so crude?

RR: That has been my experience.

Me: Huh... I have to disagree. I think that authors use crude language and other "markers" to show the reader the difference between the good guys and the bad guys. Is there another way to delineate good vs. evil?

RR: I have to be true to my reality. Just because it isn't your reality in Cache Valley, Utah, it truly is mine.

Me: I have heard this will be a movie soon. How exciting!

RR: Well, that isn't happening now. We had trouble writing the screenplay with the studio. I was lucky enough to be asked to write the screenplay (not all authors do this) but we couldn't agree about the writing.

Me: That is exactly my point! This movie would HAVE to have a PG or PG-13 rating in order to pull in your fans as an audience for the movie. The rating system states that only ONE F-word can be in a PG-13 rated movie. After that, it is rated R. Now, we can debate the rating system, but Eleanor and Park could be a terrific movie with less crude language. Maybe movie producers are better at character development without the F-word than you are?

RR: We are done here.

And then Rainbow Rowell walks out.

But. I really did enjoy this book. I hope that there are kids like Park that are willing to take a second look at a girl that appears to be so different from other girls. Eleanor is a survivor and Park ends up being her lifesaver in the cruel world of high school. I have heard there will be a sequel, which I will look forward to. But be warned about the language here. I like the book trailer HERE.