A Walk to Remember

Author: Nicholas Sparks

Just for reference, I'm going to try REALLY hard not to compare the book to the movie (which is one of my favorite movies ever!).  But I just have to say before I start, that they're really different and I recommend everyone who loves the movie to also read the book. 

This was also the first book I've read by Nicholas Sparks and I was pleasantly surprised. For some reason, I had this image in my mind of a super sophisticated piece that you'd have to dig into to actually understand any of it (why I had this thought, I have no idea!). And while I like books that make you think, I hate having to analyze symbolism and all that stuff, because I like reading for pleasure, and that just reminds me of the weird books we read in school. =D However, the book was easy to follow and seemed really relatable, even though it took place in the 50's, so a few things seemed weird to the modern perspective. But it was good, since that's how it was supposed to be. 

It was also really cute, as you would suspect. A few points were cheesy, but I thought it was ok, because it wasn't overdone. I also liked how there were a few funny moments, not in what actually happened, but in the things that Landon said. I thought that the author made a really good choice in making the novel in first person, as it provoked a more emotional response, from me at least. You got to really relate with Landon and what he was going through, first with being almost forced to be friends with Jaime, then eventually falling in love with her, and finally dealing with her illness. I thought the novel was extremely touching, and I was completely absorbed in the book the entire time.

The only thing I would have wanted would have been for it to be longer. I don't usually buy books that are under 250 pages (this one happened to be 207, and I actually borrowed it from my best friend) because I read them really quickly (as you can probably tell, if you looked at what time I wrote the last post). While I didn't think that there weren't enough details, I think that it could have easily been expanded on, although, if I think about it, adding more fluff could actually detract from the book. It was relatively straightforward, which I think is something you don't get a lot of nowadays. So, the shorter length was probably the best choice, and I think Nicholas Sparks made a good choice with that, as well.

So, overall, I think it was a great book, and I highly recommend it! What do you think? Leave a comment or email me at Kristi_Reads@yahoo.com and talk about it! Well, I think I've decided to read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, followed by Sharon Lathan's continuation series, since I got the third novel, and, I'm sorry to admit, I may have forgotten what happened in the very last book. Oops. So, a reread is always good. And once I finish the whole thing, I'll make sure to put a review of the newest book in Lathan's series, My Dearest Mr. Darcy, since it's the only one I haven't read (and, if you've read my previous posts, I only review books after I read them the FIRST time).

Anyways, thanks, as always, for reading!

Love,

Kristi