5 Stars 
 "Nothing before you counts," he said. "And I can't even imagine an after." 
 This book is exquisite, heart warming, honest, lovely. 
 This book has stuck with me since the moment I finished reading it. There's nothing else to say except that I completely loved it. There is something so truthful about it - it just reaches in and takes a bit of your soul. It follows the perfectly ordinary life and love of Eleanor and Park. Park is a young guy, growing up, trying to find himself, but from a good family. Eleanor is the new girl in town but she's from a not so great family. 
 Eleanor says that Park is her champion, but really, for me, Eleanor is the champion of this book. She is so many wonderful things - brave, smart, funny - a feisty feminist. Rowell has crafted her in such a genuine way, she feels like she must be a real person, for all her idiosyncrasies. 
 I spent this entire book with a goofy smile on my face - I laughed out loud so many times I was getting funny looks. 
 I know a lot of people think the ending leaves something to be desired - but I think it's perfect. 
 I would recommend this to fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and John Green.