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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
i loved the twists and turns of this book. when i picked it up i never would’ve expected it to be a mystery/stalker story but i guess the universe knew i would like it when i just randomly bought it at savers. i thought it was a romance but it was a great surprise when the author threw a little mystery into the plot. not to mention i did cry at the end of the book and i haven’t cried from reading in a minute. the one complaint i have is that honestly it didn’t have a lot of romance to me, i feel like mike and julie’s relationship was a rushed aspect of the book. it took them 4 years to go on one date and it’s expected that they have sex and say i love you after a week and a half? that part was kinda stupid to me like i feel like it would’ve taken them longer to get comfortable. overall i liked the read, especially then second half of the book when the plot really speeds up. but i would definitely say the book is more of a mystery/thriller than a romance novel. and as a thriller, i loved it
The first half of the book was the romance; the second half is the stalker. The guardian, based on the title, should have woven the two halves together, but does not. He plays a minor role for most of the book. A different author may have earned more stars, but this isn't the quality I expect from Sparks (this is unfair, I know). For those of you who are new to Sparks, read The Notebook or The Wedding next.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was one of the better Sparks books I've read so far. Or at least I like it better. Just like in Safe Haven I really enjoyed his psycho character. He should include them more often in his books. In contrast I found the main characters Julie and Mike pretty boring and bland (and they also acted stupid sometimes). The fact that I detest the name "Mike" isn't helping either. The best character was hands down Singer . And Officer Gandy was probably Sparks' most realistic male character ever.
Plot was conventional, but pretty suspenseful and I could barely put it down at the end.
Overall, I'd give this book 3.5/5, but will round it down because of it's boring main characters.
Still, I'd love to read more thriller/romance books by Sparks. (Thrrilomance?)
Spoiler
Killing off a pet? Not cool Mr Sparks!Plot was conventional, but pretty suspenseful and I could barely put it down at the end.
Overall, I'd give this book 3.5/5, but will round it down because of it's boring main characters.
Still, I'd love to read more thriller/romance books by Sparks. (Thrrilomance?)
Actual stars 4.5
Hallelujah! This was a really thrilling story by Nicholas Sparks. At first I thought it would be like every other story I know by the man and I looked forward to reading it. Eventually the storyline turned out to be a little bit different from what I'm used to when reading Nicholas Sparks books. But non the less I really liked it. I think it's a real recommendation if you like a story that involves love and a thrilling storyline. And that's all I'm gonna say about it because else I'm afraid I will spoil the story for you!
Hallelujah! This was a really thrilling story by Nicholas Sparks. At first I thought it would be like every other story I know by the man and I looked forward to reading it. Eventually the storyline turned out to be a little bit different from what I'm used to when reading Nicholas Sparks books. But non the less I really liked it. I think it's a real recommendation if you like a story that involves love and a thrilling storyline. And that's all I'm gonna say about it because else I'm afraid I will spoil the story for you!
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
2.5? 3?
Good book, but definitely a book of it's time. I enjoyed it over all but there were so many stereotypes and cliches it was annoying at points. I liked the ending, though. There was one point were Julie doesn't tell her boyfriend something and it leads to an argument. At first I was annoyed by the lack of communication and her boyfriend blowing it out of proportion, but then they had a chance to calm down and communicated and it was resolved in a mature manner. I did like the relationship between Julie and the man she choices. If you read the synopsis then the book is rather predictable, but if you go in without reading it, thinking it's going to be a fluffy romance, then you'd really be surprised. The man trying to kill people is noted to be "crazy" and I do believe he is mentally ill in some way, but I find it hurtful that bad guys are always mentally unstable in some way. I think it can have a bad effect on those who do suffer from mental illnesses. That's not a critique of this book necessarily, just an over all pet peeve of mine. With that being said, I feel like the main character handled the situation well, and realistically. She went to the cops. Take notes people, if you get stalked, go to the cops. A few jabs were made at feminism and feminists but I can't decide if I should let it slide as just a joke because Mike did it more than once.
Also, I kept getting confused with all the names starting with J. Julie. Jessica. Jennifer. I can get two of them having the same letter, but that cop kept throwing me off, man. I was like, "wait, who has a gun? Ooooh, the cop. Okay." Confusing.
BUT, it was enjoyable, fast paced, and a different book than I usually read. So,if you like contemporary romances with a twist, this is the book for you!
Good book, but definitely a book of it's time. I enjoyed it over all but there were so many stereotypes and cliches it was annoying at points. I liked the ending, though. There was one point were Julie doesn't tell her boyfriend something and it leads to an argument. At first I was annoyed by the lack of communication and her boyfriend blowing it out of proportion, but then they had a chance to calm down and communicated and it was resolved in a mature manner. I did like the relationship between Julie and the man she choices. If you read the synopsis then the book is rather predictable, but if you go in without reading it, thinking it's going to be a fluffy romance, then you'd really be surprised. The man trying to kill people is noted to be "crazy" and I do believe he is mentally ill in some way, but I find it hurtful that bad guys are always mentally unstable in some way. I think it can have a bad effect on those who do suffer from mental illnesses. That's not a critique of this book necessarily, just an over all pet peeve of mine. With that being said, I feel like the main character handled the situation well, and realistically. She went to the cops. Take notes people, if you get stalked, go to the cops. A few jabs were made at feminism and feminists but I can't decide if I should let it slide as just a joke because Mike did it more than once.
Also, I kept getting confused with all the names starting with J. Julie. Jessica. Jennifer. I can get two of them having the same letter, but that cop kept throwing me off, man. I was like, "wait, who has a gun? Ooooh, the cop. Okay." Confusing.
BUT, it was enjoyable, fast paced, and a different book than I usually read. So,if you like contemporary romances with a twist, this is the book for you!