A Walk To Remember

I was twelve years old, standing in the library of the beach house my family had rented for the summer when I found this book.

A Walk To Remember, Nicholas Sparks, was the first book to bring me to tears, and the first romantic book to cross my path. It is a truly beautiful story that will touch even the coldest of hearts. Try as you might, this is a story that will linger with you always.

The plot: Seventeen year old Landon Carter never expected to fall for Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the local Baptist Minister. She's all sweetness and purity, whilst Landon is exceedingly ordinary, preferring the company of his 'cool crowd' of friends. Thrown together by the Christmas play, Landon finds himself falling in love with the last girl he would have expected. But Jamie has a secret, and it will have a heartbreaking result.

The good bits: The love story. Nicholas Sparks has a way of taking what should be an ordinary story and making it magical. The characters are vivid and each of their journeys is heart wrenching. I love the simplicity of Sparks' writing style as well; in its simplicity this book is complex, it is emotive, powerful, honest and, most importantly, relatable.

The bad bits: Sometimes it's a little difficult to relate to the ethereally perfect Jamie, but the effort is well worth it. The reader cannot help but love Jamie. The style in which the book is written is a little difficult to get used to, Landon is quite repetitive, saying 'if you know what I mean.' But this adds to the charm of Landon's character, giving him a real voice.

The audience: Any woman that believes is love will adore this book. Tears will fall, rest assured, and a seemingly simple story is weaved by a master of romance.

The rating: 4/5

*Recommendation: Watch the movie starring Shane West and Mandy Moore. Moves me to tears, each and every time!