Young love is the most beautiful kind of love. 
 As Orson Scott Card said in his introduction to Ender's Game: "Why else do we read fiction, anyway? Not to be impressed by somebody's dazzling language - or at least I hope that's not our reason. I think that most of us read these stories that we know are not 'true' because we're hungry for another kind of truth: The mythic truth about human nature in general, the particular truth about those life-communities that define our own identity, and the most specific truth of all: our own self-story." 
 Orson Scott Card was right. We read fiction because we feel that it's our story. It's our truth, somehow, and we relate to it like it's our own. I had my share of young love, although not as wild or as scary as Park and Eleanor's is. But this story was so well-written, so beautifully painted, that it had me feeling all sorts of emotion for the characters: disgust for Richie, anger (not pity) for Sabrina, and some sort of empathy towards Park's mom and dad. I felt how deep Park's love for Eleanor was, because I know that that kind of love exists. And I felt Eleanor's terror, because I also know that people like Richie exist. 
 I was almost scared to get to the end of this book because as beautiful as young love is, we also know that it's the most tragic. It almost never ends beautifully. It just ends. Stops. And if I just wasn't keen on knowing if Park and Eleanor did end up together, then I wouldn't have finished it. I wanted so bad to just stop at the hand holding and the kissing and the hugging, and the second base. Anyway, I did finish it, and I'm glad I did because it wasn't as sad as I expected it to be. It was actually kind of refreshing, and open-ended. We are all left to guess what Eleanor's three words are (but our guesses are the same, right?) and what the future holds for her and Park, but it's ok. 
 I also have to praise Rainbow Rowell's style. Normally when someone uses the sun as something to describe or represent a guy, I'd cringe in disgust. But Rowell has a way of doing it and getting away with it. Or maybe because it's young love, and it's forgivable. 
 Noah and Allie may have found their greatest rival in the "Favorite Fictional Love Team" category. ;)