A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

In 1958 Landon Carter is a shallow but well-meaning teenager who spends most of his time hanging out with his friends and trying hard to ignore the impending responsibilities of adulthood. Then Landon gets roped into acting the lead in the Christmas play opposite the most renowned goody two-shoes intown: Jamie Sullivan. Against his best intentions and the taunts of his buddies, Landon finds himself falling for Jamie and learning some central lessons in life.

Like most everyone, I enjoy me some Nicholas Sparks (please don't take that in a bad way!), but I found myself having not read one of his most famous. I got this book from one of my mom's book sales for 25 cents and hadn't read it yet, but I knew I had to because of everybody's love for it, including Palak, who doesn't read romance. Boy am I glad I read it.

If you've seen the movie, you know what its about, but most of the movie is different from the book. The book is more innocent and heart-warming. So please don't start trusting movies to be like the books. Usually Nicholas Sparks' books are more adult and contain violence and sex, but this book is like the only one that is appropriate for all ages. It is just pure, simple, young love (and besides, it takes place in the 50's when people were less frisky).

Landon is an interesting narrator because he is so plain and simple. A lot of books I've been reading have boys with supernatural powers or so many layers that you have to dig into them with a shovel, but Landon is so normal, it's almost comical. Sure he likes to look at girl's legs, he freaks out when he doesn't have a date to Homecoming, and he falls in love with Jamie without even realizing it. There is no love-at-first-sight,  no consummation of love, and there is no perfect ending, but to someone who immerses herself in fantasy-romance, this is a smack in the face and a breath of fresh air all at once. It's absolutely amazing to me that Nicholas Sparks can capture such compassion into a drama-free and subtle novel.

Please read this, and no the movie is not enough! Even if you think romance novels are weak and yucky, just try it. You can't hate something you haven't tried; I mean just look at Palak! Overall, I'm just in awe at Mr. Sparks for the talent that he has for capturing hearts, young and old, time and time again.   Plot: 4.5/5 stars     Cover: 3/5 stars    -Katie