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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
I would have given it a 3.5, but not a 4, so I settled on 3. I've had this book sitting on my shelf for years and finally decided to give it a read. I enjoyed A Walk to Remember and Message in a Bottle and their movie adaptations, but this one didn't make it to that point, so I wondered if I would like it as well. I liked it, but definitely not as much as the others. Having lost my Mom at a young age and having my Dad's personality change afterwards (not to the drinking and violence stage), I could really identify with Jonah. Losing a parent is not easy and it wasn't easy to read the story. I struggled through that part. Around the middle of the story, I got a little bored and annoyed with it. Before the plot twist was revealed, I had figured it out, but it was pretty obvious. There were parts of the end that I thought were a little dramatic and unrealistic, but I did like the ending and the final choice of the protagonist. Had I not witnessed firsthand the anger my Dad had when my own Mom died, I would have thought the character was a little over the top, but I think it probably was pretty realistic. All in all, it was a pretty good book. Not my favorite Nicholas Sparks story, but not bad. I'm going to have to look for something a little happier to read this time though because that one kind of got me down, despite the ending.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another great book by Nicholas Sparks! I love every single one of them! You can't go wrong no matter which one you pick to read.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
At the time, I really remember liking this a lot. And it's a good book. But then, of course, I start reading all the Nicholas Sparks books only to realize that they are all the same book...
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I don’t normally read books that are lighter “beach reads” like this that don’t explore either the emotional or psychological aspects of the characters’ psyches in depth so I’m biased in my rating. If you’re looking for a “beach read” that doesn’t make you think, I suppose this fits the bill. It also doesn’t fully hold up plot-wise in 2025 given what is now openly known about police brutality and emotional manipulation/abuse in intimate relationships. The main character did not take any ownership for his behavior and how he treated his girlfriend while grieving.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Stalking
His books never disappoint me. I’m a sucker for romance novels.
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced