Dear John

I picked up this book in haste from the library, not realising who Nicholas Sparks was. Of course, for all you romantics out there, you know he’s the author of books such as “The Notebook” and “A Walk to Remember” and other such love stories that I usually avoid! Not realising I was about to dive head-first into a love story, I was soon too engrossed to mind!

The story follows the life of John Tyree, an angry, messed up drop-out of a kid who comes to the conclusion that the only way to get his life back on track is to join the army. He does well in the army, and gets his act together significantly. Then he meets Savannah, a straight-laced country girl who he instantly falls for. She feels the same, and they begin a full-on old-fashioned romance.

When the time comes for John to leave the army and be with Savannah forever, the events of 9/11 cause him to re-enlist in the army, thus jeopardising his relationship with Savannah. Savannah has struggled to be apart from him, and finds she cannot wait for him any longer. I won’t ruin the story and tell you if they make it or not, but I will say that the ending isn’t what most people would want it to be….

For me, no matter how great the romance, if a story is just about two people, it gets a bit tedious. There were some predictable parts, but what made it interesting was the added dimension of John’s changing relationship with his father. There’s a great thread of father-son redemption woven into the story which I found as moving as his love for Savannah. John’s experience of life in the army is also worthwhile and adds depth to a potentially one-dimensional love-story.

Ultimately, this is a tear-jerker. Be prepared to cry. Somewhat disappointingly, it was all over very quickly – it doesn’t take long to read this book as it’s pretty light reading - though it’s enjoyable, and emotive in parts, it’s not particularly challenging. A nice read.