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A review by livlosiewicz
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
(4.75/5 Stars)
Seventeen-year-old Ronnie Miller hasn’t spoken to her father since he left their family three years ago. This summer, her mother insists that she and her little brother Jonah spend their summer not at home in New York City, but in North Carolina with their father. Ronnie isn’t just reluctant, she’s angry. Though her father was once her piano teacher, she quit the piano when he left, and the two of them no longer have anything in common. But the summer is full of surprises- Ronnie meets Will, a boy who makes being stuck in North Carolina more than bearable, and the new pace of life shows her that there is a lot she didn’t know about her father...and a lot she didn’t know about herself. This is a coming of age story and a summer romance novel all in one, detailing a young woman’s first encounter with love, heartbreak, and forgiveness.
Pros:
•This was such an enjoyable read. I loved the characters- unique enough to make us love them, cliche enough to allow us to get to know them right away without thinking too much. Jonah is the CUTEST and the star of the show and I loved every page he was on. The pace of this book was fast and fun, thought not super suspenseful or anything. I had trouble putting it down and drawing myself away from the characters. It also definitely made me feel things and I cried through the whole last chunk
•I loved the combination of the love story with the story of Ronnie and her father. It allowed the book to have the easy, joyful feel of a love story while also having added meaning AND allowing us to get to know Ronnie as a separate person from Will. I would love to read more books like this with a sappy love story AND something more meaningful.
•I found it really sweet and touching to see how each of the characters dealt with grief and challenges- we see it in Will’s relationship with his sister, Steve’s turn to religion, and Steve and Ronnie’s relationship with music
Cons:
•per its genre, there are some parts of the book that are a little cheesy. Ronnie and Will’s relationship was a little “love at first sight”-y, although we are given reasons that they’re drawn to each other, so it’s not too bad. Some of the dialogue feels a little awkward or contrived as well, but it didn’t take much away from the book.
•I wish a little more of the book was dedicated to Ronnie’s relationship with her dad- it was there, but it could have been a little more present and made the book a little more meaningful.
Recommendation: I recommend if you’re looking for an easy, enjoyable read/romance novel that still has substance to it. This is the perfect combination of feel-good romance and feel-SOMETHING meaningful book- I cried a lot but also smiled a lot. I wasn’t sure how this would hold up, re-reading it about ten years later, but I found the teenage romance to be really refreshing- adult romance novels always add in unnecessary sex scenes and throw in out-of-place proposal scenes to “prove” the love was real. This love story was simpler, and I loved that. Avoid if you don’t want a love story, if you don’t want something sad, or if you hate reading about religion (I thought it was tasteful and minimal enough, but Steve seeks solace from the bible).
Seventeen-year-old Ronnie Miller hasn’t spoken to her father since he left their family three years ago. This summer, her mother insists that she and her little brother Jonah spend their summer not at home in New York City, but in North Carolina with their father. Ronnie isn’t just reluctant, she’s angry. Though her father was once her piano teacher, she quit the piano when he left, and the two of them no longer have anything in common. But the summer is full of surprises- Ronnie meets Will, a boy who makes being stuck in North Carolina more than bearable, and the new pace of life shows her that there is a lot she didn’t know about her father...and a lot she didn’t know about herself. This is a coming of age story and a summer romance novel all in one, detailing a young woman’s first encounter with love, heartbreak, and forgiveness.
Pros:
•This was such an enjoyable read. I loved the characters- unique enough to make us love them, cliche enough to allow us to get to know them right away without thinking too much. Jonah is the CUTEST and the star of the show and I loved every page he was on. The pace of this book was fast and fun, thought not super suspenseful or anything. I had trouble putting it down and drawing myself away from the characters. It also definitely made me feel things and I cried through the whole last chunk
•I loved the combination of the love story with the story of Ronnie and her father. It allowed the book to have the easy, joyful feel of a love story while also having added meaning AND allowing us to get to know Ronnie as a separate person from Will. I would love to read more books like this with a sappy love story AND something more meaningful.
•I found it really sweet and touching to see how each of the characters dealt with grief and challenges- we see it in Will’s relationship with his sister, Steve’s turn to religion, and Steve and Ronnie’s relationship with music
Cons:
•per its genre, there are some parts of the book that are a little cheesy. Ronnie and Will’s relationship was a little “love at first sight”-y, although we are given reasons that they’re drawn to each other, so it’s not too bad. Some of the dialogue feels a little awkward or contrived as well, but it didn’t take much away from the book.
•I wish a little more of the book was dedicated to Ronnie’s relationship with her dad- it was there, but it could have been a little more present and made the book a little more meaningful.
Recommendation: I recommend if you’re looking for an easy, enjoyable read/romance novel that still has substance to it. This is the perfect combination of feel-good romance and feel-SOMETHING meaningful book- I cried a lot but also smiled a lot. I wasn’t sure how this would hold up, re-reading it about ten years later, but I found the teenage romance to be really refreshing- adult romance novels always add in unnecessary sex scenes and throw in out-of-place proposal scenes to “prove” the love was real. This love story was simpler, and I loved that. Avoid if you don’t want a love story, if you don’t want something sad, or if you hate reading about religion (I thought it was tasteful and minimal enough, but Steve seeks solace from the bible).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer