Take a story's temperature by studying its tone. Is it hopeful? Cynical? Snarky? Playful?
Vivid, Youthful, Realistic
Teenagers often experience things intensely, especially emotions. It's kind of like going through life the way Eleanor thinks Park looks in his eyeliner—with the "volume turned up" (35.150)—and Rowell's tone reflects this. Eleanor and Park describe things vividly, using memorable phrases and plenty of humor and spirit. Even though Eleanor, in particular, deals with unbelievably tough situations, her voice always has a wry, intelligent spark.
Check out one of the ways Eleanor tells Park she likes him:
"And you look like a protagonist." She was talking as fast as she could think. "You look like a person who wins in the end. You're so pretty, and so good. You have magic eyes," she whispered. (19.358)
She doesn't just come out and say it—she busts out similes, ramping up her declaration both in terms of descriptive language and strength of feeling. It's young love at it's most, well, vivid.
The realistic tone shines through in all of the darker moments. As much as Rowell imbues Eleanor and Park's relationship with the optimism and adoration of the best teenage romances, so, too, does she let the violence and fear of Eleanor's home life stand stark and true. Though she doesn't dig into all the details—Richie's more violent tendencies are largely implied instead of left on the page—the ways in which he haunts Eleanor's home life are as real as they come.