When Ronnie is forced to move from New York to North Carolina to spend the summer with her father, the last thing she expects to happen is to enjoy herself. This notion is solidified when a girl she'd thought she had befriended betrays her and gets Ronnie in trouble with the law. But then Ronnie meets Will, and everything - including Ronnie - changes. Enjoying the summer may not be as difficult as she had expected. Even her father isn't as bad as she had remembered him being three years ago, the last time she spoke to him. But then Ronnie's world is rocked once again as she uncovers a secret her father had been hiding - one that will change the family's dynamics forever.
I'd seen the movie before I read this book, but didn't remember much about it other than it had been enjoyable to watch. At times, I felt the same about this book. It didn't take long to get into, although I could never say that it captured my full attention. I did remember the news Ronnie's father was hiding from her, so I was anticipating that throughout the entire book. From the point where it was actually revealed and on, I didn't enjoy the book anymore. It was, simply put, depressing, and I just wanted to reach the end so I could move on to another, hopefully happier, novel. Yes, I understand the point of the story, the life lesson, and I did appreciate Ronnie's character evolution, but I think there must be better ways to express these without leaving the reader feeling down every time they pick up the book again.
I was hoping for a good romance between Ronnie and Will, but I didn't get that either. Everything felt too rushed, which I hate in fictional love stories. The author has as much time as needed to build up to a satisfactory relationship, but in this case, Nicholas Sparks didn't take it. There was the instant connection, which I can deal with. But then it seemed like there was no real reason for their interest, and the book took very little time to actually describe their dates or other alone time spent together. Even the break-ups, which were eventually fought past, felt empty and without reason. I was happy that the pair ended up together at the end, but I think that had more to do with someone being there for Ronnie than me actually liking them as a couple.
One thing that I did enjoy was the character development. I did not initially like Ronnie, and I don't enjoy reading about a character I don't like. However, thankfully, she changed, as did her father and Will. I felt that, since the book spanned months, the evolution felt natural and realistic. It did not detract from the original characters at all, which I also appreciated. Each character had a certain speech pattern that was recognizable, and quite different from other books I've read. Usually I can't tell one character from another just by reading their sentences; I was able to in this novel, however, which I very much enjoyed, since it lent a lifelike quality to the situations.
I can't say that I really liked this book, or would actually recommend it to anyone, but I can say that I'm glad I read it. As I said before, I did appreciate the overall message and the familial bonds that strengthened over the course of the story. I don't think I'll actively seek out any other Nicholas Sparks books though. I would give this novel a rating of three stars. The writing and characters were good, but I didn't enjoy the storyline enough to appreciate them fully. Readers who enjoy family drama, teenage rebellion, and simple love stories would enjoy this book.
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