Dear John by Nicholas Sparks (review)

I decided to take a break from reading Pride and Prejudice. It turned out to be a quick break because I devoured Dear John in less than a day. I haven't read a book from start to finish like that since I read the final Harry Potter book.

This book is told from John's perspective. I must say it is both refreshing and really cool to read a romance told from a guy's point of view. John is a bad boy who doesn't know what to do with himself so he decides to join the army. While on leave and visiting his father, he meets Savannah. She's a good girl who knows that the tough looking, tattooed soldier isn't what he appears to be when he rescues her purse from sinking into the ocean.

The two fall head over heels during a few weeks in the summer. There's only one problem. John has to go back overseas and finish out the time he's enlisted to the army. John and Savannah manage to keep thier relationship together (barely) and John is about to end his commitment and go home and marry Savannah. True, they really barely know each other and have entirely different lives but Savannah is the one good thing in John's life and he's determined not to let her go.

But then America is changed forever on Sept 11. John must decide whether or not to go home to Savannah or re-enlist when his country needs him most. His relationship with Savannah is irrevocably altered. I won't say anymore because I don't want to give any serious spoilers.

Savannah isn't the most likeable character, but I think that's what Sparks intended. This story is about John and how he sacrifices over and over again but ends up getting his heart broken by her. In the end, he has the chance to be with Savannah if he truly wanted. I'm dying to tell you more but I don't want to ruin the ending.

This book felt almost like a reverse of The Notebook. I think I may have fallen in love with John myself. One thing I liked about this book was that it was so real. It felt like I was reading about someone's actual lives where nothing ever turns out as planned.

Another cool thing about this book was the story of John and his dad. Savannah suspects that John's father has Asperger's syndrome. The story of John and his father's relationship was worth reading this book in itself.

I would highly recoomend this book to everyone, especially guys who are curious about the romance genre but want to read a male's story. If you are looking to introduce a guy to the world of romance, this is the book you need to have him read.

My rating is an enthusiastic !

I plan on reviewing the movie in the near future. All I know so far is that Savannah is a blonde not a brunette and John does not have the sexy tattoos that he has in the book. My daughter's best friend was very disappointed about the tattoos. I also saw the last 30 seconds of the movie and know it doesn't end like the book. Instead, the movie has one of those endings that are actually a non-ending and you get to imagine what happens. Meaning, unlike the book, John can have a happier ending.