The Last Song
by Nicholas Sparks will surely be a treasure for a very specific audience. The story of a young girl discovering who she really is and what she values in life, combined with romance, tragedy, family drama, and Christianity, is heartening, sappy, and did draw some tears.However, the book lacked a certain depth that I look for, even when I read for fun. The characters were stereotypical: teenage rebellion represented by piercings, black clothing, a purple streak in the main character’s hair, and the preppy rich boy who used to date a blonde girl named Ashley. The plot line itself is nothing new.Ronnie is an angst-ridden 17-year-old piano prodigy from New York City, who, along with her little brother Jonah, is forced by her mother to spend the summer in a small beach town in North Carolina with her father, Steve. Steve left the family three years prior, and in her misplaced anger, Ronnie hasn’t spoken with him since—nor has she touched the piano, which used to be an activity they shared.In this small town, Ronnie first associates with the punk crowd, a group that drinks a lot, wears black clothing, and doesn’t go to school. The group is headed by a frightening pyromaniac named Marcus, who decides that he really wants Ronnie. However, Ronnie sees through his fake charms, and, against her better judgement, falls in love with Will, the son of a very well-to-do family in town. Will, of course, is much more than the snotty rich kid that Ronnie had at first labeled him as. The relationship has its bumps, but overall it is apparently a match made in heaven.The drama builds as Ronnie learns how to love her father again and fight insecurities regarding Will’s past (namely, his connections to a mysterious fire that burned down the local church before she arrived). Tensions between Marcus and Will grow. Without giving away the ending, I will quickly mention that a loved one reveals that he has serious cancer, most characters discover God through the help of a pastor, bad guys are punished, sea turtles are hatched, people forgive each other, and besides the cancer, pretty much everyone lives happily ever after.
The Last Song
leads its readers on a journey that is predictable and unrealistic. From the second Will and Ronnie meet (Will crashed into her while playing beach volleyball), it is easy to see that they will fall for each other and that he is not really the arrogant person his appearance suggests. That Ronnie and Steve’s relationship will mend is also expected, as well as the fact that she will one day start plucking away at the piano’s keys again.It is unrealistic in the sense that everyone is perfect. Steve is the perfect father—understanding, putting all his efforts into his children, and trusting them even when not doing so would be completely logical. Ronnie and one other pierced punk rock friend she makes during the summer, named Blaze, both ultimately find what we can assume Sparks sees as the correct path in life, even if this doesn’t happen as often as Sparks appears to imagine. This lifestyle can be summarized by church, family, a lack of make-up, no partying, and cheerful clothes. The relationship between Will and Ronnie also works out perfectly when in real life this is completely unlikely.However predictable the book is, Sparks did throw in some plot twists I did not see coming. Even if the book’s target audience was more bored housewife and/or tween girl, it kept me somewhat engaged. Most of the surprising events happened near the end of the book, so it was rewarding to have made it so far. It was also good to see Ronnie and other characters overcome their ignorance and misplaced rebellion, even if it was cheesy.It’s hard for me to recommend
The Last Song
to anyone. Yet, I am sure someone might pick this book up and find it impossible to put down. Fans of Nicholas Sparks’ other books will find it enjoyable, even if it is not as original. If you are looking for a very simple read that only keeps your mind partially active and leads you into a story that is touching, if perhaps overdone, this is the book for you. (If the story intrigues you but you’re not a big reader, I will mention that Sparks originally wrote the story as a screenplay, and there is currently a film in the making, starring Miley Cyrus, set to be released sometime next year.)