The Last Song

Veronica 'Ronnie' Miller is not too happy when her mother decides that she and her younger brother, Jonah, will be spending the summer with their father in Wilmington, North Carolina. It has been three years since her parents divorced and Ronnie has never forgiven him for walking out of their lives. She has not talked to him since then and although her mother is forcing her to go (since she is a few months short of turning 18 - and making her own decisions) she is determined to continue ignoring him until he either gets tired and sends her back to New York or leaves her alone long enough to survive the summer.

Ronnie's father, Steve, 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 his local church. He is scared but at the same elated that his children will be spending the summer with him... he just has to work on winning his daughter back.

On Ronnie's first night in town she meets a local girl named Blaze who introduces her to some of her friends, including her boyfriend Marcus. But Ronnie can tell these guys are bad news and when Marcus makes a pass at her she is quickly caught in a rough spot. Luckily for her, she also meets Will Blakely, local heartthrob. Will befriends her and although she puts up quite a fight she knows that Will is the type of guy you want to bring home to papa - the one you also fall head over heels for. As the summer progresses, Ronnie has to face some tough decisions, she has to learn to forgive and forget but, most importantly, to let her guard down and love.

Our story is beautifully told through several different perspectives - Ronnie, Steve, Will and even Marcus. These characters were so well-written and fleshed out, some you liked - some you didn't. They each had their own emotional baggage and it was a treat to see their transformation over this one summer - a boy grows up, a young woman emerges, a love blossoms, and a girl finds her way back.

I will admit that it did take me a couple of chapters to actually get into it, but once Will came into the picture - well, I found it hard not to fall in love with him the story. This is a coming of age story about the love between parents and their children, first love, loss, forgiveness and even... sea turtles. As a Nicholas Sparks fan, I was a bit reluctant to buy this one as I was disappointed with his last book - but he totally made up for it with this one. Oh, and one last bit of advice, keep your tissues on hand - I was sobbing for a good hour towards the end of this novel.

Like every Nicklaus Sparks book I've read. Something happens and two good looking, young people meet, become good friends and then they end up liking one another, it becomes so much that they end up falling into love with each other . So much that they move in with one another and the togetherness becomes so much that they become married. This is to make it legal and proof to everyone. Of how much love that there is in the picture.

This is the first of Nicholas Sparks' novels to appeal to a much younger audience since A Walk To Remember. Ronnie, a 17-year old fresh out of high school with no plans for the future is forced to spend her summer with her father in Wilmington, North Carolina. While she is angry and reluctant at first, as summer progresses, she finds herself changing as she encounters Will, one of the 'popular' crowd; Blaze, a girl lost and out on her own; and her father, who is busy trying to search for God.

Ronnie is a character that many can identify with, both young and old. She is stuck between her adolescent life and her life as an adult, and she doesn't know what she wants to do. She is rebellious, has committed crimes in the past and frequented clubs back in New York City, but she knows when she steps over the line and is unfailingly honest. This is really a story about her coming of age, her discovery of what's important in her own life, and it's inspiring to see her change throughout the novel.

Steve, Ronnie's father, spends the summer trying to reconnect with his children after a three-year absence. He is searching for God, trying to reach that state of calm that his friend, a pastor at the local church, seems to always have about him. His story is important in the course of the novel, but it takes a backseat to Ronnie's struggles until they come together in the end.

Love is certainly a central theme to this story, but so is forgiveness. Ronnie, Will, and Steve all have a burden on their shoulders that they deal with throughout the course of the novel, and they each seek forgiveness from others. More than that, though, each must learn to also forgive themselves, to move on.

Don't be fooled, though. This is certainly an easy read, but it is very emotionally charged, especially in the second half of the book. Be prepared to cry, to experience that sense of catharsis that occurs when a suitable ending has been reached. This is not a book I'd bring to the beach and read, but curling up on a couch late at night suits me just fine.

If you love romance, if you love developing characters, this is a good book for you to read. I highly recommend it.