Nicholas Sparks

John, a high school dropout, enlists in the Army not knowing what else to do with his life. While in the Army he meets Savannah, they fall in love and she awaits his return from the Army. After 9/11 John feels it's his duty to re-enlist. During their long separation Savannah falls in love and marries someone else.

Dear John

★★★ // read this only because i loved the film adaptation. it is likeable enough, but nowhere near as emotional as the journey i had thanks to channing tatum and amanda seyfried, and that one scene when she was singing little house.

Gotta love it for being so raw and bittersweet 

Ipshita Kanungo

Briar's Reviews

I had high expectations with this book since I loved a few other of Nicholas's Sparks novels, but this book made me quite bored and annoyed with how it went.

It was realistic, but it did not make me fall in love with the characters or feel interested in them to keep reading.

The fact that this love story wasn't even really a romance novel or general fiction with a good plot bothered me. I at least wanted a plot or romance, I didn't need both, but one would have been nice.

I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone since I found it incredibly boring and a slow read. Plus the ending left me annoyed with it. I don't need a happy ending, but something more interesting than "Bam the book is done, ta da I wrote a book" would be very nice.

Overall, one out of five stars. Super boring, didn't keep me interested.

Rachel Kanyid

Eh, I'm not usually into contemporary, but I thought I'd give at least one Nicholas Sparks book a try.. It was enjoyable, for a light read that doesn't take much thinking, but I dunno... I guess I just like books with more depth to them better...

A Bend in the Road

Lyric Hooey

Very cute/very easy read. The last 1/4 of the book isn’t as cute because y’know….. the whole solving his wife’s murder thing. The chapters from the killer’s POV made things super interesting, too.

John, a rebel who enlisted in the Army after high school, meets Savannah, the girl of his dreams, but their love is threatened by the events of September 11, John's decision to re-enlist, and Savannah's marriage to another man.

Rachel Braithwaite

Honestly i have mixed feelings about this book. it didn’t end the way I wanted it to, but it was sweet and it made me feel emotional. Despite the fact that it wasn’t how I imagined it, the ending makes way more sense than the way I wanted it to. This book was bittersweet and taught an important lesson about love. Love is caring more about another person’s happiness more than your own.

Talia Dominguez 

oh my God this book is goood!!! I loved it! I thought ths was a romanticly sad book!!!

Ayden

Matt Christopher

Savannah is excited about throwing a holiday ice skating party and has already invited friends from her new school, when she learns that Jonas has invited the crowd from her old school to a party the same day.

The Extreme Team: On Thin Ice

Abi Hills

This was my first Nicholas Sparks book, and I've been told that only this and the Notebook are really worth reading, after that his books tend to feel the same. I've seen the Notebook movie which apparently is one of those rarities that surpasses the book - so I won't be reading that.

Overall I think it was good, a pretty surprising ending even if it is Nicholas sparks. (view spoiler)[However, it would have come across as cliche, especially dialogue wise, if it wasn't for the relationship with his father and the ending, both that the movie apparently ruined (which in my eyes ruins everything that is good about this book) so I won't be watching it. 

I'm pretty nitpicky about the whole autism thing, and while I think using horses as therapy was a good idea and is in practice in many places, the character's view of autism was a little troubling for me. However, for the time it was written was pretty progressive. An autistic adult being able to have raised a son on his own is previously unheard of. If written today the mention of Asperger's and the use of low and high functioning wouldn't translate as well, as these terms are harmful. I'm talking as an Autistic adult myself, someone who got into university and is in the working world so my criticism of this is valid. 

If it weren't for the ending and those plot points with his father I probably would've hated this book,  (hide spoiler)]I'm starting to realise I'm not a big romance fan at all. However, since I was so pleasantly surprised I give it four stars. I like selfless characters who are not entirely perfect, which both the protagonist and even the love interest fulfilled which was a relief for me. So yeah I recommend it but suggest when reading it you are aware of some of the problems I had with it if you read the spoilers (they are not too major).

Cassidy

I thought it was pretty good. It was also sad, and I felt like crying, and I was in language arts, and I had to try not to.

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love--and face the hardest decision of his life.

Sara Hakkoum

It's a very beautiful story. I really like the bittersweet ending. There is so much emotion in this book. I would've given it 5 stars, but I didn't because it just seemed to lack something. Maybe it was the fact that Nicholas doesn't give John's father a name (or does he?). Also, maybe I felt that John's life was too plain and boring to be true. I pretty much hated Savannah for not just waiting for him, even though I guess I can understand the situation she was in. But still. It wouldn't have been such a bittersweet ending if she wasn't so dumb, so I guess it's a good thing she is. It also feels like everything happened so fast, even though it was over a period of two years. Other than that, though, it's a great book. I really liked John's character and what he did at the end. Somehow it's also very believable, and I'm a sucker for believable stories. It just makes it more beautiful. It changed how I think about a few things.

Maggie Hotmer

Nicholas Sparks is well known for his books not having happy endings. But I was still disappointed when John and Savannah didn't end up together. She could have waited for him to come back, it was only a few more months and she had already waited years. It made no sense since she would never love Tim as much as she loved John. But it truly broke my heart when John's father passed away, especially since they had finally formed a good bond. I wasn't surprised when John donated the money from his dad's coin collection for Tim's treatment. I would say it was a good book, but it's really only nice for a one time read and I wouldn't read it again. All in all, if you're looking for a quick to read romance with a great story I would highly recommend. 

John, a rebel who dropped out of school to enlist in the army, meets Savannah, the girl of his dreams, but the events of September 11, 2001, John's decision to re-enlist, and Savannah's marriage to another man threaten their love.

Stefanie Sugia

a thought came up to me when i finished this book:
- "soulmates doesn't always end up together".

Nicholas Sparks never fails to impress me with how well he writes a book. Without a doubt, I will give 5 stars to this book, not only because of the great-unpredictable plot, but the characters feels so alive that I could really relate to them. Not only once my heart was broken at the difficult position the characters are experiencing. The book was so great that I can sit down all day reading this book. 

The only thing I don't like while reading this book is how at first you're all happy with John and Savannah's relationship. And then when they're starting to have gap in their relationship, it's as if I'm experiencing it as well - which is not easy to deal with.

I should say that I was emotionally involved with the story - which is a good thing. A bittersweet story, but I enjoy the whole time spent reading it. 

Though I might want Mr. Sparks to make a little more of a happier ending for John by giving him a girl or something, instead of watching Savannah from afar, looking at the full moon together. :(

Great one!
Recommended for those who loves love stories.
This is one that you should read !

A beautiful yet heart-breaking love story. The plot is so real and i can imagine it happening to someone's life. Reading this story makes me feel what John and Savannah are feeling. The feelings are so real it seems that I'm the one who's experiencing the situation. The outcome of the situation is heart-breaking, but reading through the story it seems like it's the best solution for everything. The obstacles they face are unavoidable. As a human being, people are naturally selfish and they would take the path which they think is best for them.

Nicholas Sparks is my favorite author, he wrote so many different love stories, but each of them leaves a different feel in my heart. 
Great book! :)

A bend in the road

Firstly, i have to say that i didn't want to give a 5 to this book, because of several reasons. But after i finished the book until the last word of it, i changed my mind and made it to 5. :D
i admit i've never been too critical when it comes to Nicholas Sparks. he's definitely one of my favorite authors ;)

A Bend in the Road is a story with a mixture of romance and mystery (a little more about the mystery i think). The story is about Miles Ryan, a deputy sheriff in New Bern who just lost his wife in a hit-and-run accident and now living with his son, Jonah. For two long years since his wife - Missy - died, he has been looking through the files regarding the accident over and over. He wanted to find the person who killed his wife and changed his life forever. 

But something else changed his life, or someone actually. It was when Miles met Sarah Andrews, Jonah's second grade teacher who's concerned about Jonah's learning ability in class. Sarah asked Miles to come meet her and talk about the situation. That's where both of them met for the first time. 

Before coming to New Bern, Sarah was living in a big city and had also worked as a second-grade teacher. She was divorced from Michael because she could never have children. After they divorced, Sarah was so heart-broken and felt she needed to move away from that place and start over.

From their first meeting, both already seemed attracted to each other. Even though Miles seems to have a little difficulty expressing his feelings (which i think is really cute) and sometimes said something totally out of conversation. But Sarah seem to understood very feel about Miles's feelings without him telling her directly. And so they start to date. Their relationship is really cute, since both characters are really lovable. But the story doesn't stop there. In fact, it was just the very beginning. 

Somehow (in a way that i can't tell, because it will spoil the story), Miles had come near to finding out the driver who killed Missy. And suddenly he become really absorbed in doing it and not caring about everything else. The journey of this story - i think - is more about revealing the mystery of the driver instead of the lovey dovey story between Miles and Sarah. 

To be honest, i was really loving the situation where Miles and Sarah being so in love with each other and all. I was going to give a 5 star rating for the story because i love the characters so much. But i know Nicholas Sparks wouldn't stop at this. Somehow i kinda knew that something bad or heart-wrenching is going to happen. There comes the mystery part, making me not able to stop reading. 

The best part of the book (besides the fact that i really really adore Miles and Sarah's characters) is the ending. Never expected it to be that way. Amazing. :)

Amy Maddess

What the hell, why do people keep making movies of this guys books? There is so many better tragic love stories out there. This one barely had a plot or any activating events, and the discussion of 9/11 was so miniscule (one paragraph) that it should have been left out of the story entirely as including it in this way was disrespectful to the men and women who lost their lives on that horrible day. I've read two other books by Nicholas Sparks, and they were dry but they didn't enrage me. This book actually makes me kind of angry in its pointlessness, it feels like an outline of an actual book with all the good events missing. Savannah and John's love was just so...unconvincing. Why did they feel that way about each other? Because surfing is fun and brings people together? 

Also, to randomly allude that John's Father has autism, but then to completely drop the subject for the remainder of the novel, was disappointing and aggravating. Literally done with Sparks lol

Is duty enough reason to live a lie? When John meets Savannah, he realises he is ready to make some changes. Always the angry rebel at school, he has enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life. Now he's ready to turn over a new leaf for the woman who has captured his heart. What neither realises is that the events of 9/11 will change everything. John is prompted to re-enlist and fulfil what he feels is his duty to his country. But the lovers are young and their separation is long. Can they survive the distance?

Áróra Lind 

Jimena Vázquez Oliver

If I could do half-stars this would’ve been a 3.5. But alas, I cannot, and it was more on the 3 end than the 4. So far this is one of my preferred Sparks books because it’s got a bit more of a murder-mystery feel than just all romance, but I DID guess the culprit within the first 20 pages. Oh well. 🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️

You know for a good Christian author Nicholas Sparks really has no problem with either near or outright infidelity. I thought marriage was sacred, Nicky boy?

Alexandra Gillgrass

As a huge fan of all the Nicholas Sparks books and films, I realized that this one had been sitting on my bookshelf, unread. I watched the film and enjoyed it though I thought I'd give this one a go. 

This is genuinely one of the easiest books to read. Like all his books, Nicholas Sparks just has this huge talent that makes every word and sentence flow as well as having emotion behind each paragraph. 

Personally, I cannot stand having too many characters in a book, there's no room to become attached to them. Dear John, however, had just the right amount of characters and I can honestly say that I felt emotionally attached to each and every one. John, who was the protagonist was the shining star throughout the whole book. Naturally, you just find yourself rooting for him for the whole duration; everything he feels, you feel and some of it is beyond heartbreaking. 

I feel like this was one of Sparks' more 'realistic' books. It covers some pretty intense topics like long distance relationships and certain types of illnesses. As a result, I think Dear John stands out in that it is not just a romantic love story, but a story of two people in love and how life continued to go on around them and in what ways that affected and changed them as people. Because this book spans over a few years Sparks does a fantastic job in encapsulating the passing of time and makes it seems like years have passed in only a few pages; a real triumph. 

All in all, I really enjoyed this book, an absolute must-read for any Nicholas Sparks fan; it is sure not to disappoint.

Siobhán

Original Post: http://thoughtsofamadhatter.blogspot....

I am completely tor in half with this book. On one hand I really enjoyed it. On the other hand, I hated the ending and it completely ruin the book for me.

Dear John is a very wonderful story of John, the rebel turned solider. On leave from the army he meets Savannah and very quickly he is smitten. I have to say they are adorable. They are complete opposites and thats why it worked so well. John is a loner, strong, and well oh so yummy. Savannah is a little naive and innocent yet she she isn't scared of John when alot of people are. They are just adorable together. However, soon its time for John to get back to the army. Can their love make it?

The story is split into Three parts. The first two parts I loved. However the third and final part is what has me torn. And is the reason why I only gave this a 3/5 rating. Saying that part three we get to see a totally different side of John. We see the caring side of him when he is dealing with his father. And it melted my heart how this big touch army solider can be so sweet and caring.

I feel that this isn't much of a review. However, I hate putting spoilers in reviews. It just not fair on those who haven't read it. I want to explain why I hated the ending so much but it will give away the big spoiler in novel. All I will say is even though the story is fast paced, and beautifully written you may feel very disappointment and cheated by the ending.

Hannah Beck 

book didn’t get good until about 2/3 of they way through. ending was very good though!!!

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love--and face the hardest decision of his life. With a NOVEL LEARNING SERIES(TM) Student Guide -Questions about the text after every few chapters check your comprehension -Quizzes throughout help you prepare for standardized tests with SAT- and ACT-style questions using vocabulary and grammar from the book -Sample writing prompts and essays at the end guide you through the elements of an above-average, average, and below-average essay-and explain why!

Chantale

Just isn't my cup of tea. 
This is the second Nicholas Sparks book that I have read and so far I have had to force myself to read them.

Elad Schulman

Not my favorite Nicholas Sparks novel.

SUMMARY. 

John was a rebel in his high school years. When he gradated, he joined the army, not knowing what to do with his life. Until, he meets Savannah on one of short visits home allowed from the army. Their love for each other quickly grows, and Savannah is just waiting for John to finish his 4 year commitment in the army so that they can start a life for each other. Then, 9/11 changes everything. John feels like its his duty to re-enlist for the army, and the separation between Savannah and John is too much. Savannah finds herself falling in love with somebody else, and the words "Dear John" change everything. John must start to make decisions for the ones he loves. 

SPOILERS.

I was a bit disappointed in this book. Not only did I feel like the ending was completely rushed, which it was, but John and Savannah's relationship did not seem realistic. The thing that I love most about Nicholas Sparks novels is that it is easy to relate to the characters. However, I felt that since the characters were always changing, it was too hard to relate to them. Also, the ending. The last 6-10 chapters of the book seemed to be in fast forward, which is weird, since they were the most important chapters. I wish there was more about the relationship between John and his father, and I was very disappointed in the epilogue. Throughout the book, I was waiting for the BIG point, the thing that the book was leading to, and I felt that that point was never really made, since the climax just dropped after the death of John's father. 

NO SPOILERS. 

Overall, not the best Nicholas Sparks books, but I really enjoyed reading about a relationship that can survive between somebody in the army, and somebody going to college.