The Last Song

Nicholas Sparks

Summary: 

Seventeen-year-old Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Miller’s life was turned upside down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York to Wilmington, North Carolina. Since then she has remained angry and alienated from her parents, until her mother decides she should spend the summer with her father.

Ronnie’s father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church.

What unfolds is an unforgettable story about love – first love and the love between parents and children – that demonstrates the many ways that relationships can break our hearts...and heal them.

Plot:

This is a good story, it’s not a new concept, nor is it unique, but it’s beautiful and touching and sweet. It has its funny moments, especially with Ronnie’s younger brother, Jonah, who always has something to say. It is also incredibly sad at times, but it never gets depressing, it only stays realistic. The story asks all the questions many of us struggle with daily, including the question of life and death, how far to go for friendship, how to know when love is real etc.

Characters:

The characters in this book are very relatable. They all have problems they have to face, and how they face them will influence everything around them. You feel like you understand the characters’ motives and thoughts very well. The only character I thought was a bit underplayed is Marcus, a crazy, fire-loving bad boy, who is shown only as an evil person. I’ve said before that I don’t believe in completely bad people, and I feel like Sparks should have at least given a reason for Marcus’s insane behavior.

Who should read this?

13+, there are some references to mature content, some language and the topic of death is also discussed frequently. I would recommend this to younger people, as it is about first love, and teenagers, but I also think that adults will be able to enjoy it. Definitely a must for Sparks’ fans, and if you like sad, romantic stories you might like this one.

My rating:

I’ve read this book a couple of times and it still moves me. So I’m giving it a 4/5, the one point is only because of Marcus’ character and because this book isn’t one of my very favorites, not because there’s anything really wrong with it.

Quote:
“Life, he realize, was much like a song. In the beginning there is mystery, in the end there is confirmation, but it's in the middle where all the emotion resides to make the whole thing worthwhile.”