The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

About the book: Seventeen year-old Veronica “Ronnie” Miller’s life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father… until her mother decides it would be in everyone’s best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. 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. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story about love in its myriad forms – first love, the love between parents and children – that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that deeply felt relationships can break our hearts… and heal them.

First line: Ronnie slouched in the front seat of the car, wondering why on earth her mom and dad hated her so much.

My thoughts: This is the fourth and final book for my Nicholas Sparks 2011 reading challenge. It is my least favorite of the 4, I had a hard time getting into it. The story, I read somewhere, was developed initially for a screen play written especially for Miley Cyrus. So the book was based on the screenplay. For most of the book I did not care at all for the main character, Ronnie. However by the end she had grown, matured, and changed into a likable young woman. My favorite character was her father. He was the kind of dad that we all want, the perfect foil to Ronnie's hatefulness. His story was the the best, and saddest part of this book. The end of the story had me crying. I knew that, this being a Nicholas Sparks book, someone would die. This book was very slow in places, I'll admit to skimming along a couple of times. This coming of age novel feels like it is especially written for the YA set. I will read more of Sparks books, but not soon. I've cried enough this month over books to last me a while!

Why this book? For the Nicholas Sparks Reading Challenge

Rating:

Quote: Life, he realized, 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.