Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

Dear John is the star-crossed love story of John and Savannah. The two meet by chance on the beach in North Carolina and fall instantly in love. After being together for two weeks, Savannah must return to her life and John to his. Unfortunately, John's life is thousands of miles away stationed in Germany as part of the US Army. The two swear to write letters and keep their love alive until the day that John can return. It seems as if it is only a waiting game, until the terrorist attack of September 11th which spurs John to re-enlist. The distance, different lives, and John's inability to totally trust this love due to his strained relationship with his father leads them down a difficult path.


Sarah's Review:
Ugh. Let me start there. I think all Nicholas Sparks books are hit or miss. This one is most definitely a miss. I have to believe the reason it became so popular was because of the movie that was made from it starring ever-so-cutie Channing Tatum. It is dull and predictable. The characters are not believable and difficult to relate to. Surprisingly, I think Nicholas Sparks writes better female leads than males. My advice? Skip it. If you want Nicholas Sparks, try The Guardian or The Choice, but if it's mind-numbing sleep medication you're looking for then this is the book for you.


Erienne's Review:
After reading A Walk to Remember and The Notebook, I had pretty much given up on Nicholas Sparks. With each of his books I could most likely tell you the ending about thirty pages in. He is that predictable. I picked up Dear John with the hopes that after a few years maybe Nicholas Sparks had a little more to offer. Unfortunately, Dear John is probably the worst Nicholas Sparks book that I have read. In Dear John, Nicholas Sparks basically tells you the ending of the book within the prologue. This time I didn’t even have to read thirty pages. At that point, I pretty much had to make myself continue reading. The remainder of the story was just like a typical Nicholas Sparks romance that brings tears to your eyes before you realize how very unrealistic his version of romance actually is.