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jesj_10's review against another edition
5.0
The first ever Nicholas Spark book that I bought, Dear John, taught me how powerful love is and that not every one gets a happy ending. The sad ending buff in me actually rejoiced when I finished this book.
frizzylizzy's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
madissonmacisaac's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
_ash0_'s review against another edition
5.0
I loved ‘The Notebook‘ movie a lot and had watched it a couple of times in the past. I had seen the trailer of the new movie ‘Dear John‘, also written by Nicholas Sparks (the same writer who wrote ‘The notebook’). I expected the movie to be good and thought I will watch it. How did I end up reading the book? Hmm.. I was in this bookshop and I did not know which book to pick up. None of them looked interesting and then suddenly I saw this. The summary at the back of the book looked interesting and I thought why not read it.
I had a train to board that day and I was waiting for it. I just read the prologue to pass some time and liked it.I liked the first sentence in the book which starts like this: “What does it mean to truly love another?“. You will eventually find an answer to that
After reading the Prologue, I closed the book thinking that I will read it when I am on the train. But then I got tempted. Why not read the first chapter? Second Chapter? and so on. I boarded the train, came home and was still glued to the book. I had finished 50% of the book in one go that day. It was THAT interesting. The narration was just toooo amazing. Even though there is no suspense or mystery or murder, it still keeps its readers glued to it Isn’t it wonderful? I finally finished it yesterday and felt better. I was so anxious to finish reading it that I skipped my sleep to complete it.
‘Dear John’ is a very touching love story. The main characters are John Tyree and Savannah Lynn Curtis and the story takes place in North Carolina. The whole story is narrated by John and we look at everything from his point of view. John is an army soldier and on one of his vacations, he meets this nice lady Savannah. They are very much different in everything. Savannah is a well-educated girl who has loving parents and is a very helpful and caring person. John and Savannah fall in love but John has to leave her once his vacation is over. He just has Savannah’s letter with him, which starts with ‘Dear John, …’ and that’s the name of the book too They try to keep in touch through mails and phone calls but then things start slipping.
The 9/11 attack takes place at that time and when John returns home from his service, his life gets shattered into pieces. What exactly happens? Find out after reading the book The way it has been written makes all the difference. It’s not a very uncommon tale but I can so easily relate to John and understand what he is feeling. The story was quite predictable but reading it was still a pleasure.
Updated 02/27/2010:
I happened to watch Dear John today. It was a decent movie. The ending in the movie is quite different from that in the book. And also they have changed some characters like Tim and Alan. They have also cut down the parts where John spends a week with Savannah and how they get into fights. But overall it was not at all bad. So I loved both the book and the movie.
I had a train to board that day and I was waiting for it. I just read the prologue to pass some time and liked it.I liked the first sentence in the book which starts like this: “What does it mean to truly love another?“. You will eventually find an answer to that
After reading the Prologue, I closed the book thinking that I will read it when I am on the train. But then I got tempted. Why not read the first chapter? Second Chapter? and so on. I boarded the train, came home and was still glued to the book. I had finished 50% of the book in one go that day. It was THAT interesting. The narration was just toooo amazing. Even though there is no suspense or mystery or murder, it still keeps its readers glued to it Isn’t it wonderful? I finally finished it yesterday and felt better. I was so anxious to finish reading it that I skipped my sleep to complete it.
‘Dear John’ is a very touching love story. The main characters are John Tyree and Savannah Lynn Curtis and the story takes place in North Carolina. The whole story is narrated by John and we look at everything from his point of view. John is an army soldier and on one of his vacations, he meets this nice lady Savannah. They are very much different in everything. Savannah is a well-educated girl who has loving parents and is a very helpful and caring person. John and Savannah fall in love but John has to leave her once his vacation is over. He just has Savannah’s letter with him, which starts with ‘Dear John, …’ and that’s the name of the book too They try to keep in touch through mails and phone calls but then things start slipping.
The 9/11 attack takes place at that time and when John returns home from his service, his life gets shattered into pieces. What exactly happens? Find out after reading the book The way it has been written makes all the difference. It’s not a very uncommon tale but I can so easily relate to John and understand what he is feeling. The story was quite predictable but reading it was still a pleasure.
Updated 02/27/2010:
I happened to watch Dear John today. It was a decent movie. The ending in the movie is quite different from that in the book. And also they have changed some characters like Tim and Alan. They have also cut down the parts where John spends a week with Savannah and how they get into fights. But overall it was not at all bad. So I loved both the book and the movie.
d_hryniuk's review against another edition
3.0
While I used to be a die-hard fan of Nicholas Sparks' novels, this one left me feeling underwhelmed. The plot twists were predictable and lacked the surprise factor that made his other books so captivating. Additionally, some of the characters came across as unrealistic, with their actions feeling too forced or overly simplistic. Despite this, I found myself drawn to John's father and appreciated the growth that occurred in their relationship throughout the book.
Although the romance aspect of the novel was not perfect, it did have its redeeming qualities. The book raises awareness of autism and Asperger's syndrome, providing a deeper understanding of the complexities of these conditions and the challenges they pose for families. The exploration of parent-child relationships and the struggles that come with them was also thought-provoking. All in all, while this novel may not have lived up to my expectations, it still held valuable insights and kept me engaged until the end.
Although the romance aspect of the novel was not perfect, it did have its redeeming qualities. The book raises awareness of autism and Asperger's syndrome, providing a deeper understanding of the complexities of these conditions and the challenges they pose for families. The exploration of parent-child relationships and the struggles that come with them was also thought-provoking. All in all, while this novel may not have lived up to my expectations, it still held valuable insights and kept me engaged until the end.
smuttea_matcha's review against another edition
2.0
I decided to read this book after I saw the trailer and since I heard Sparks was a good author I decided to give him a try. The book started off cliche and it turned me off at first but as I read more and more it sounded more real. I liked it but nothing to the point of OMG! I didn't care too much for Savannah and John's relationship because I liked John's relationship with his father more. That sounded sweeter to me and I didn't like Savannah's character too much but I understood her role. It wasn't all that shocking to me when I found out she married Tim. I wasn't aware of Tim's condition until John surveyed the house and noticed how Tim wasn't there. I don't really like how Savannah left John but I guess it happens - especially for army men. All in all, the book was alright. If you're a die-hard hopeless romantic fan then I guess this book is for you, except you probably wouldn't like the ending too much. But I thought it fit.
traceyanneg's review against another edition
4.0
I figured that with all the hype over this movie, I should read the book. It was good; I read it in two nights, but that was probably more due to insomnia than the quality of the book. It was about a man who meets a woman during his leave from deployment overseas and how their long distance relationship works (or doesn't). Again, it is Nicholas Sparks so there's the star crossed lovers theme.