Review: The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

I just want to begin with a note that this is my first book review. As I don’t have experience with reviews, it may divulge more than you’d want to hear about the story, so please proceed with caution (however, I did try to make sure I didn’t reveal any significant plot points).

When I first began reading The Last Song, I was a little disappointed by, what I deemed, the mundanity of the story. I had read several books that were much more engaging, deep and stylistically complex. I mean, this was the great and beloved Nicholas Sparks! (Mind you, this was the first book I’d read by him, so I didn’t have much experience with his novels… I’ve been a little delayed in jumping on that bandwagon.) The man who wrote stories that could break and warm your heart, or so was the impression I had of him as an author.

But as the story progressed, I realized I had misjudged it… Very much like the main character had misjudged all that she knew to be true. Characters that struck me as shallow and stereotypical in the beginning evolved into much more: complex and human. They all made mistakes, felt regret, and more importantly, felt love and forgiveness. Well, some more than others, but even those (or rather, that one) who didn’t represented another end on the spectrum of humanity.

The main character – Ronnie – had a transformation from sullen, overdramatic, rebellious teenager to sophisticated young woman with wisdom beyond her years and no care for the insignificant banalities that used to define her life. And though I was able to intuit that something was wrong with Steve, I was not at all prepared for the whammy I was met with.

Needless to say, I spent nearly all of the last 100 pages of the book in tears. As soon as I would regain my composure and deem myself ready to read on, I would be met with a line or piece of dialogue that set me off again. Sparks is gifted at tugging at your heartstrings, I’ll give him that. Still, it was refreshing to have felt something. I find most books cannot do that for me, though I still thoroughly enjoy reading them. Not only that, but I couldn’t help questioning my own relationships – with my family, with friends, with a spiritual being, and with myself – as the story progressed. And even though getting through those last 100 pages was incredibly difficult, almost unbearable at times, I’m so glad to have finished and experienced this novel. It has taught me something I long forgot: to jump into each book with no preconceptions.  Otherwise, prepare to be surprised.

Perhaps I will watch the movie for the sake of comparison. Should I?

If you like Nicholas Sparks, see also: Lurlene McDaniel.