Wow! What a message this book gives to those that read it. And I definitely recommend that you do read it. This is by far my favorite Nicholas Sparks book and one that I will keep on my shelf for all time. Like all of his stories, Sparks writes to send out a message and this one is definitely the most important and touching. Read on to discover one of what I think is the best books of all time.


PLOT and CHARACTERS

** This review reveals minor plot detail.

“First you will smile, and then you will cry. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.”...Landon Carter

Sparks begins this book like he does his others that I have read. We start out in the remembrance mode, with a 56 year-old man remembering the events of his late teenage years. This story is told in first person by that same man, Landon Carter.

It is 1958 in Beaufort, North Carolina where Landon has grown up under the influence of his mother because his father was a Congressman that was not home very often. Because of the lack of attention, Landon became somewhat of a “rebel” while growing up.

And then we have Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town’s minister, Reverend Hegbert Sullivan. Jamie is a shy, bun wearing young girl that is not the popular type. She is always seen wearing the same dowdy looking plain outfit and is never without her bible, which was passed on to her from her mother who had died during childbirth.

Not exactly cut from the same cloth, Landon and Jamie would never have believed that their lives’ would intertwine. But they do almost immediately as their senior year in high school begins. Believing Jamie to be the same plain girl that she has been her whole life, Landon is surprised when he sees her the first day of school, in their drama class. He is also surprised when he thinks that she looks almost pretty.

Elected class president, Landon believes that he will have no problem getting a date for the Homecoming dance. Boy, is he wrong! After trying every other available girl in the school, he decides to either ask Jamie or go with his mother. Jamie it is! Even after deciding to ask her, he has a hard time of it. But, he is finally able to. She gives him one condition…she will go as long as he does not fall in love with her! What kind of condition is that? The girl is only asked to go to the Homecoming dance, not get married! But as you read through the remainder of the book, you realize that Jamie may have been plain and boring, but that she is actually quite smart and intuitive.

Landon is surprised when he finds himself wanting to spend more time with Jamie after the dance is over. He is elected to play the lead opposite Jamie in the school play, which allows him to spend more time with her even though his friends make fun of him. Jamie also instills more responsibility and feelings into Landon, when she asks him to spend time with her at the children’s orphanage over Christmas break.

By spending so much time with Jamie, Landon is able to come to some startling conclusions about himself and his life. He is also surprised when he makes the biggest realization of all…one that will definitely change his life forever. Especially when Jamie confides in him her biggest secret.


MY THOUGHTS
Picking up this book more than a week ago, I was expecting a book like all of Sparks others. A beautifully written, but powerful novel that reduces me to tears. That is exactly what I got. It takes a lot to get me to cry, but Sparks manages to do it time and time again. I am actually quite surprised that I didn’t devour this book in one sitting, and definitely would have if I didn’t have to work overtime so much and preparing for my vacation. So I ended up finishing the last part of this book on the plane ride to Pennsylvania the weekend before last. And let me tell you, this is a bad book to read on a plane. I found myself totally choked up and wanting to let the tears flow, but did not want to cry on he plane! I finished the A Walk To Remember in the first half hour of my plane ride and sat back and thought about it for the rest of the ride.

Sparks creates characters that us real-life humans can relate to. He gives them feelings and problems of their own to deal with. By the time you are through with the first chapter, you feel as though you know them personally. Their problems become your problems, their lives’ become you your life. Landon is your typical, rich and popular teenage boy that is ready for school to end and go on with his life. We see here what he what he is and what he becomes. Meanwhile, Jamie is totally different. I was immediately touched by her carefree attitude and almost perfect self. She is not one looking for attention, but she gets a lot more than what she bargains for.

I have never seen the movie so really had no idea what to expect besides Sparks usual work. Now I can definitely say that I will be going to see the movie soon. That is how impressed I was with the book. I only hope that the actual movie is as good as the book! I have seen the trailer for the movie and can say that the story is portrayed as being your typical teenage romance…but it is far from that.

My only problem with A Walk To Remember is that it was way too short. It is a quick read and will only take a few hours overall. But I would definitely recommend that you read this book because it is a really powerful and poignant story about friendship and the beauty of love.


~ Thanks for reading!

Kim


ISBN: 0-446-52553-7
Format Read: Hardcover
Price: $4.95 (Waldenbooks Bargain Book)
Pages: 240


Recommended: Yes