The book eleanor & park turns out to be a young romantic love story. This story doesn't resemble the type of love you would find in a book like The Notebook, but a shy love. You get the sense that both Eleanor and Park are middle school students, where a relationship consists of seeing each other at school and occasionally hold hands, at least that was my experience. Eleanor and Park are both high school students that haven't matured in the "dating" segment yet. The story line mostly bounces back between home, the bus, and school for the two. It's easy to sense that the home life for Eleanor is not particularly one anyone would fancy. A low income, a horrific stepfather, and constant bullying pushes Eleanor to be distant from anyone around her, until she gets to know Park.
      What is amazing is that Park was just another one of those seemingly mean kids in the beginning of the story, especially to Eleanor. When Park let Eleanor sit next to him on the bus they continued to sit together for weeks to come, at first they were just strangers but eventually grew found of each other eventually leading up to Park telling Eleanor he loves her....
      Since the story mostly only bounces between home, the bus, and school, the story line can get a little repetitive. What does pull you into the story is the continuous events that evolve the feelings of Eleanor and Park for each other. Some parts of the book will end with a cliff hanger, making you itch to read more!
http://www.shmoop.com/eleanor-and-park/love-quotes.html
http://www.rainbowrowell.com/eleanor-park/
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/books/review/eleanor-park-by-rainbow-rowell.html