Dear John

Dear John

Nicholas Sparks

*** (3/5)

John Tyree is the person everyone says should join the military. Rebellious and lost at a youth, Tyree follows this advice and joins the military is transformed by his experience. On leave in his hometown, he meets Savannah Lyn Curtis and what follow is a whirlwind love affair/ courtship. Their vacation ends and John returns to his station in Germany and Savannah returns to school. The two keep up their relationship, waiting for the day when John will return to the U.S. and leave the military. Then Sept. 11. Feeling the call to continue to serve his country, John re-ups. He is then sent to Kuwait and Iraq leaving Savannah behind. Eventually he receives a Dear John from Savannah who has been forced to move toward her destiny. This book culminates when John returns home to bury his father and reunite with Savannah, however, things have changed drastically and one decision has changed everything.

I don’t want to give too much away so, I will just leave it there.

I was rather disappointed by this book- to me it seemed out of Spark’s character and I hated the ending. I was fine with the actual ending, I just felt it was out there and a little unbelievable (although my eyes did glisten). The ending didn’t have to be happy, just better. I did enjoy the relationship between John’s father and Savannah and the portrait that Spark’s painted of him. Besides that, I was rather let down by this book. This isn’t his best, nor is it a great love story. I was moved, but just not enough.

My favorite is still "The Wedding". I also have At First Site & True Believer on my bookshelf to read. I'm saving them for a rainy day.