It's hard for me to explain my thoughts on this book...do I think the writing was good? 

 Yes, there was some really gorgeous prose in this book - I cannot deny it that. 
Was this book enjoyable though?

Not really - the prose wasn't enough to make this book feel any less ike a slog to get through. Ithink decisions in how the book portrayed certain distressing situations were also not to my taste. 

So it ends up as a middling 3 stars - I think the topics tackled in thhe book are so real and so important and the dilemmas Eleanor grapples with have a poignancy and evoke so much heartbreak from me.
 
A solid 3 stars from me.