Book Review A
Walk to Remember by Nicolas Sparks is truly one of the sweetest
books you'll ever read. The story takes place in Beaufort, North
Carolina during the late 1950s, when Landon Carter was 17 years old and
a senior in high school. Landon wants nothing more than to hang out with
his friends and just get through high school. He signs up for drama
class, thinking it'll be the easiest class he could possibly take. Drama
class isn't as easy as he imagines, once he gets roped into doing the
Christmas play with Jamie Sullivan. Landon grew up with Jamie, the
minister's daughter, but was never really friends with her. Jamie is
regarded as an outcast, as she always carries around her Bible and never
seems to be interested in the same activities as her classmates. She
prefers going to the orphanage to help the kids and reading her Bible to
socializing and going to the movies. Jamie asks Landon to take the part
of the lead in the play, as no one else can do it. Landon is hesitant,
thinking he'll be teased to death by his friends, not to mention how
boring it'll be. The play is very important to Jamie and not wanting to
hurt her, he reluctantly agrees to be in the play. During the course of
the play, Landon spends more and more time with Jamie and realizes she's
not as different as he thought she was. Jamie has the same hopes and
dreams that Landon has. He finds himself falling for her, but Jamie has
a secret that will dramatically affect both of their futures.
In the prologue, Nicolas Sparks
promises the reader, "First you will smile, and then you will cry- don't
say you haven't been warned". He fulfills that promise, displaying vivid
emotion throughout the book. Landon's struggles to get along with Jamie
and find his place in the play are laced with humor. Landon has no
choice but to take Jamie as his date to the Homecoming Dance. He can't
help but be amazed at how cheerful Jamie remains even when the dance
goes sour. Tragedy strikes Landon and Jamie as Jamie's secret slowly
takes her away from him, leaving Landon powerless to stop it.
A Walk to Remember is a
dramatic romance story that will mainly appeal to girls in their teens
and older. The ending is very sweet and romantic and people have been
known to cry at the end.
A Walk to Remember shines with emotion as Nicolas Sparks takes
you through Landon's journey. It's a bittersweet story with a tragic end
that you won't soon forget.
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