Review: A Walk To Remember by Nicholas Sparks

*This review includes some major spoilers (Let's face it, if you haven't read the book or watch the movie until now, you DO deserve it lol).

I fell in love with the movie in eighth grade, four years ago. I still can remember the whole situation: Two of my cousins and me watched it in their living room. I was shouting from the moment we knew Jamie was sick that she was going to die. Since then, I watched the movie a couple more times, and I'm absolutely willing to do that again. That kind of movies is getting to you every time.

Only years later I found out about a book which the movie is based on. Only years later I located it on a shelf in library with some more Nicholas Sparks' books. And then, I got to read the book.

When reading the book, I barely recognized the story. Yes, Jamie is still the priest's kid and Landon is a troubled boy, but all the motives are different. I admired Jamie in the movie, how she got to fight for her own, how she knows people were talking about her and still manages to stay joyful and believer. Jamie in the book is innocent, weak and helpless.

I watched how Sparks built his characters slowly and created their dialogues. However, mostly I get to hear "Jamie is.." or "We talked about that". Like I mentioned about another book a couple weeks ago, I didn't like it. I think that the magic in the writing is to show us instead of telling us.

The plot was a lot different than I have expected but I enjoyed it. Landon and Jamie's relationship was slowly built, which made it more reliable. I could feel Landon's fear, his confusion and doubts.

I am going to admit it: I loved the movie better, which seems a little unfair. I felt the characters were shown us a lot more in the movie than in the book and the plot was completed by events we didn't get in the book. While I have enjoyed a lot from Sparks' The Last Song and Dear John, I think A Walk To Remember was a nice book, but not good enough, especially when I know that Sparks can do better. The best thing about the book, it has been original. And I loved it for the movie.

P.S. In Hebrew, it's called "Unforgettable love story". I'd prefer the Original title without any doubt. Especially after reading the book and understanding why it is named that way.

Rose