THE LAST SONG

Nicholas Sparks

MSRP $14.99, 432 Pages.

Published by Grand Central.

A 17-year-old spends the summer with her father in North Carolina and finds many kinds of love.

Product Description

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 Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alientated 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 of love on many levels--first love, love between parents and children -- that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that love can break our hearts...and heal them.

Go Behind the Scenes of the Motion Picture The Last Song (Touchstone Pictures, 2010)
Starring Myley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth
(Click on each image below to see a larger view)

Customer Reviews

Music from the Heart

Rating

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.

Not very prompt service

Rating

I ordered this book on or around Feb 7th, but it did not arrive until the 1st of March. I actually had made an inquiry to Amazon as to how to proceed since my card had been charged, but still no book when I got an email from the sender saying it was on it's way..the weather or some lame excuse was used. My card should not have been charged until the book actually shipped. The book finally did arrive and is in good condition but I would not chose this vender again.

Amazing story

Rating

I began reading this book about a month ago and I finished it in 2 nights. Definitely could not put the book down I always wanted to keep on reading. Nicholas Sparks has always been my favorite author and this book just made it even better!

A touching story of love and family - must read!

Rating

I just finished "The Last Song" by Nicholas Sparks - I LOOVED IT!! I laughed,cried, smiled , got mad, but also jumped for joy,and I honestly learned something. I learned I should forgive those who need to be forgiven. People make misktakes,but holding a grudge doesnt do anything. Its about cherishing every moment with those you love. Nicholas Sparks know's how to touch a readers heart. Read it!! Its about, love, family, father-daughter relationships, growing up, & finding out who your are.

The Best of the Human Spirit!!!

Rating

I will say up front I have been a fan of Nicholas Sparks since I saw and the read The Notebook. The Last Song has it all, humor, suspense, tenderness, anger and love. Nicholas Sparks understands the human spirit and the relationships that we form and lose during our lives. He has captured it in The Last Song in a way I am not sure if read in a novel before. I have read a great number of books, across all genres, but The Last Song is one I will read over and over again. It inspires and drives you to look at your own relationships and perhaps wonder about the story that is your life.