Book Review Discussion: Eleanor by Johnny Worthen

Book: Eleanor by Johnny Worthen
Genre: YA paranormal
Rating:★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
For: Utah Book Month
From: bought at LTUE this past year

Short Synopsis: Eleanor is just trying to be a normal, ordinary high school student. She takes care of her mom who is dying of cancer. She loves a boy that has just returned after living away for a few years. But as the story goes along, we learn gradually and bit by bit that she is anything but ordinary. When this boy, David, is threatened by a bully at the school, Eleanor takes matters into her own hands. Rumors began to fly about her. First she is shunned, then she is revered. The community basically doesn't know what to think of her. But things just keep getting worse until she feels like she has no choice but to run away.

My Response: I'm not sure I have words to describe this reading experience. The story is quite slow-moving and yet it doesn't take long for you to feel attached to this girl. For much of the story we get clues that something strange is going on with her, but it's not until nearly the end that the whole truth comes out and I can't say what that is without spoiling of course, but let's just say I was fascinated! Like, of the wait, what? variety! And the boy in this story is simply awesome. What a fabulous kid he is! The writing is very simple yet powerful. Emotional without being in your face and over the top.

Bottom Line: I wasn't sure how this book would go down, but in the end, I loved it. There's a sequel called Celeste which I'm anxious to get my hands on and a third book will be out next year called David. I will be reading them all.

Let's Talk About: What do you think about the slow reveal? Leading the reader on and  making them guess stuff until the very end? Do you like this, or does it make you crazy? In this book, I liked it.

Other Reviews:

I spent a morning reading Eleanor in one delicious gulp; yes, it’s that good. From Lehua Parker

I can honestly say that Johnny Worthen has created in Eleanor one of the most multi-faceted (on a few levels one might not suspect), conflicted, and beautiful characters that I have ever read. From Fiction Vortex

If you like weird and amazing stories with a lot of twists and turns, and if you want to feel the emotions that your characters are going through, this is the book for you. From The Book Bird

It’s not a sweet and sappy love story, though there are romantic elements to it – and has a lovely level of creepy scary to it, just enough to keep the reader guessing. From All Things Urban Fantasy