About This Book
Reach for this book when your teenager is navigating the intensity of a first relationship or feels like an outsider in their own community. Set in 1986, it follows two high schoolers who bond over music and comics while dealing with vastly different domestic lives. It masterfully explores themes of belonging, the safety found in friendship, and the heavy weight of family dysfunction. While it captures the sweetness of young love, it also addresses the harsh realities of poverty and emotional abuse. It is an ideal choice for mature teens ready to discuss how external circumstances can impact personal growth and relationships. Parents should be aware that the story contains significant depictions of domestic volatility and verbal harassment, making it a poignant starting point for conversations about healthy boundaries and seeking help.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
1. DISTRESS: Readers will likely experience distress regarding Eleanor's home life. Her stepfather, Richie, is a looming, terrifying presence who creates a climate of fear. Specific scenes of him screaming, the children huddling in silence, and the discovery of his lewd, threatening messages written on Eleanor's schoolbooks are deeply unsettling. There is also persistent, cruel bullying from peers involving sexualized taunts. 2. CONVERSATION: Parents should be prepared to discuss domestic abuse and how it affects every member of a household. Specifically, be ready to talk about why Eleanor's mother feels she cannot leave and how a child can seek safety when they feel threatened at home. Additionally, be prepared to discuss the anti-Asian slurs directed at Park and his mother, and how these reflect both the 1980s setting and the specific prejudices the characters face.
Ideal Reader
A 15-year-old reader who feels like an outlier and appreciates realistic, character-driven stories that don't shy away from the darker parts of growing up.
Parent Prep
Preview the chapters where Eleanor discovers the writing on her books to understand the level of psychological harassment she faces. Seeing Eleanor's mother choose her abusive husband's presence over her children's safety is heartbreaking and may be difficult for parents to read.
Age Experience
Younger teens (14) often focus on the romantic 'ship' and the 80s nostalgia. Older teens (17-18) are more likely to pick up on the nuances of the power dynamics and the tragedy of Eleanor's lack of agency.
What Makes It Special
It avoids the 'happily ever after' trope of many YA romances, offering instead a gritty, honest look at how first love can be both a life-saver and something that is eventually outgrown by necessity.
Read plot summary
Eleanor, the new girl with wild red hair and eccentric clothes, and Park, a quiet boy who tries to stay under the radar, form an unexpected bond on their daily bus ride. Their relationship evolves through shared cassette tapes and X-Men comics, providing a sanctuary for Eleanor, whose home life is a minefield of poverty and her stepfather's volatile, abusive behavior. Park’s stable, Korean-American family provides a stark contrast, highlighting the complexities of socioeconomics and support systems. As their love deepens, the external threats from Eleanor's home life escalate, leading to a high-stakes conclusion where Park must help Eleanor escape a dangerous situation.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Why do you think music and comic books were so important for Eleanor and Park's connection?
2
Eleanor often feels like she doesn't deserve Park's kindness. How does her home life influence the way she sees herself?
3
Compare Park's parents to Eleanor's mother and Richie. How does their family environment change the way the two protagonists navigate the world?
4
At the end of the book, Eleanor sends a postcard with only three words. What do you think those words were, and why did it take her so long to write?
5
How does the 1986 setting (lack of cell phones, the culture of the time) change the way the characters communicate compared to today?
