A Walk To Remember

Synopsis: 

Every April, when the wind blows from the sea and mingles with the scent of lilacs, Landon Carter remembers his last year at Beaufort High. It was 1958, and Landon had already dated a girl or two. He even swore that he had once been in love. Certainly the last person in town he thought he’d fall for was Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town’s Baptist minister. A quiet girl who always carried a Bible with her schoolbooks, Jamie seemed content living in a world apart from the other teens. She took care of her widowed father, rescued hurt animals, and helped out at the local orphanage. No boy had ever asked her out. Landon would never have dreamed of it. Then a twist of fate made Jamie his partner for the homecoming dance, and Landon Carter’s life would never be the same. Being with Jamie would show him the depths of the human heart and lead him to a decision so stunning it would send him irrevocably on the road to manhood…

Review: 

As a self-confessed hopeless romantic, I have always been a fan of Nicholas Sparks' works. Although I have to admit that I still haven't read all of his novels, A Walk to Remember is certainly worthy of my Top 10 Most Favourite Books of all time, though I'm still not sure as of this writing where to place it. 

The story opens with a 57-year-old Landon Carter recalling the events of his past. It was in the year of 1958, and the then-17 year old Landon's life was changed by a kind-hearted girl named Jamie Sullivan. Jamie was the daughter of the town's Baptist minister Hegbert Sullivan, whom Landon and his family shares a not-so-fluid relationship with. 

*WARNING*: If you haven't read the novel yet, then I suggest you should stop reading this review immediately because this will have some spoilers that could seriously ruin the anticipation. 

I like how Nicholas Sparks devoted time to carefully develop his two principal characters and the supporting characters as well. Landon and Jamie are both relatable, in some ways. While I find Landon's character unlikeable at first, I soon grew to love him as he became a  responsible, fully grown man that will do everything for the love of his life. Well, it's a coming-of-age novel, after all. 

Jamie, on the other hand, is a likeable character for me. She has this way of seeing right through you and maybe that's the reason why Landon fell in-love with her in the first place. Alright, she wasn't your typical, drop-dead gorgeous heroine whom a hot-blooded male will fall in love with at first sight but it's her kindness and her devotion to help other people that makes her a truly special girl. 

The principal characters are worlds apart, but somehow, certain circumstances has brought them together. 

I also like the fact that Sparks ditched the typical, cliche 'love at first sight' scenario, which are, more often than not, present to some of the romance novels that I have read. Landon fell in love with Jamie, alright but it was a slow, gradual process. Love takes time, as they say. And that, for me, is a realistic way to portray true love. So, thumbs up for that!

According to Wikipedia, Sparks' main inspiration for this novel was his sister Danielle Sparks Lewis, who died from cancer in 2000. That explains why the pain was truly there when Landon found out that Jamie has leukemia. That scene was so heart-wrenching that it made me stop reading the novel for a while to give myself some time to cry. 

And when Landon proposed marriage to Jamie even though he knew that she was dying? That really made my heart skipped a beat! And it takes a special skill from the author for the readers to feel something like that. 

All in all, the novel made me smile, frown, fall in love, cry and sympathize for the characters. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole night that I was reading it and I couldn't seem to put the book down. 

Rating: 

4.5/5