Review of A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks; Warner Books, New York, NY: 2009.

Last weekend I stayed in and did not go out as I usually do. Instead I grabbed a book. Three days later I put the book back on the shelf feeling a bit empty. A week later, I still cannot decide how I feel about it.

Generally I draw more toward memoirs, non-fiction, and mystery/suspense books, yet this was my second reading of Sparks. A few years back, I had read The Rescue mainly because the protagonist was a firefighter. The romance piece was secondary but like high school drama I got caught right up in it.

The book, A Walk to Remember, is Nicholas Sparks' 3^rd novel. Again I just got wrapped up in it. I felt guilty when I put a break in the binding, but it served as a great bookmark. Sunday morning I had to get up early, and my eyes were stinging all day. When they finally relaxed, I went right back to the book like an addict.

Nothing in particular had drawn me to the book. I picked it up at a book exchange a few years ago because I could. I didn't know much about the storyline nor characters. Last weekend I picked it up to read out of boredom; I did not expect it to consume my weekend.

It was definitely a page-turner. Landon was so relatable. Jamie was a simple mystery. The two characters together produced such a dynamic; I had to see what would happen next. I could feel the look Jamie gives Landon the first day of class together, and I could feel nervous joy during their walks.

Reading the book gave me that perfect feeling, that nothing-can-go-wrong and there-is-hope feeling. Jamie was so innocent and devout. She did not budge to ridicule, Landon, or her fate. She was someone I wish I could emulate. Instead, I feel as though I have felt Landon's internal conflict and made other choices.

Upon completing the book, I still had questions. What was the end like for Jamie? Does Landon stop by to check on Hegbert? Do either of them continue to attend the play? What was it like when a year had passed? Did Landon go to UNC?

As I mentioned earlier in the post, I am not sure how I feel about the book overall, even after it's settled in a bit. Writing helps me to work through the ambiguities. Thus, my conclusion as I write this post is that it is not the book I am feeling today. Rather it is those things that I found in the book that I could no longer find in me.

Let this day be my beginning.