The Letter of a Lifetime

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Dear John was written by Nicholas Sparks, a New York Times Best Selling Author.

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Meredith Lawson
March 12, 2010
Filed under Entertainment, Reviews

The twelfth romance novel by Nicholas Sparks, Dear John tells a story of two average people coincidentally falling in love despite the troubles that distance, family, and war bring. Like most Sparks’ novels, the book takes place in North Carolina and has a typical love plot. However, the time line of events that happen around 9/11 make this book unique and personal to some readers.

John, an Army sergeant on leave, meets and quickly falls for a sheltered, unique girl, Savannah.  From there they learn about and accept each other no matter what their pasts hold.

The plot of the love story is typical Sparks style, but it had appealing twists: John’s dad behaves abnormally; Savannah’s relationship with her best friend wavers throughout the plot, and the tragedy of September 11, 2001, results in war.

Many readers can relate to the book because of the 9/11 reference, the relationship between John and Savannah, the problems with John’s father, and the “dear john” letter Savannah eventually sends him.

Personally, I enjoyed reading this book because I liked the format of it. It starts off with John narrating it and describing how he watches Savannah from afar. From there, the novel is described by him as he reflects back on the whole situation, and the novel concludes as he continues to watch her from afar. It also includes letters the two characters share while John is away with the war, which helps explain the true feelings and thoughts both of them have while they are apart. It is a good insert to keep the reader informed.

I would recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a well-written, romantic story. Some might title it as predictable, but it is still sweet all the same. To purchase the book, it can be found at most book stores, as well as Target and Wal-Mart ranging from seven to ten dollars.