Dear John, By Nicholas SparksNicholas Sparks is famous for being the writer of hits like Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember. Like these movies, the novel Dear John is sweet, the ideal love story for all those people who are true romantics. In an “opposites attract” story, ex-solder John Tyree meets college girl Savannah Curtis as she does volunteer work building houses. The two young people share several heartwarming scenes, including one under the stars, in which falling in love appears simple and easy. There is also an interesting subplot involving John and his connection to his father. When September 11th occurs, however, John’s re-enlisting in the army creates a horrible strain on his relationship with Savannah, the girl he believes is his one true love. Like all of Spark’s novels, however, the ending leaves the reader cursing the cruelty of fate, as the “Dear John” letter inevitably arrives from the United States and crushes John as he works in Iraq. Sparks does a good job avoiding too much political commentary, despite the controversy of the war in Iraq, and he uses the army lingo in a very natural fashion. The dialogue, though, often appears sappy and unrealistic. Sparks’ books are beginning to be too predictable: boy meets girl, something horrible happens, boy and girl are not able to overcome, and heartbreak ensues. Perhaps Sparks should attempt to write a happy ending just for some variety.
Review by Maureen Inouye, Indigo Editing, LLC
