Customer Reviews
This is pure schmaltz, a genuine tear-jerker written for impressionable young teenagers to outline a more serious approach to love than the usual "let's hit the sack and have some fun" approach. The story isn't nearly as good as "Love Story" by Eric Segal, but that's a minor quibble. Segal dealt with college students; Sparks has written a book that relates to high school and junior high students who have not yet begun to date seriously. The theme of the book is very simple: true love is based on the content of a person's character, not on chest size or the willingness to engage in sex play. It's a favorite theme of Sparks, the idea of an enduring love that overcomes and outlasts all obstacles and setbacks. He used it well in "Message in a Bottle," dealing with two middle-aged adults who are old enough to have sex. In this book, it's two kids who barely hold hands and share only a few chaste kisses, which makes it clearly designed and suitable for the teen and pre-teen audience. Any normal teen will appreciate it; and parents can feel safe the book is as tame as a Donald Duck cartoon.. One brief excerpt, near the end, nicely sums up the whole approach: "We kissed again, too, though not every time we were together, and I didn't even think of trying to make it to second base. There wasn't any need to. There was something nice when I kissed her, something gentle and right, and that was enough for me. The more I did it, the more I realized that Jamie had been misunderstood her entire life, not only by me, but by everyone." Think of the movie "Titanic" without any hint of sex or nudity, and you have this book in a nutshell. "Titanic" made millions of innocent young girls weep copious tears for a love that was snuffed out by the disaster to the ship; "A Walk to Remember" will appeal to the same girls who want such a love to come into their lives. If you're a parent of a teen child, buy this book. Read it yourself, it deals with a fate and feelings that many adults carry through their entire lives. It is a warm reminiscence of a long lost love that might have been, and it tugs on those adult heartstrings. Then let your kids have it, it relates to them on their level and it is one of the best introductions you'll find to the meaning of love in contrast to the shallow sensual emphasis that dominates so much of today's movies and novels. Kids who read it will grow into mature sensitive adults with an ability to understand that true love involves more than chest sizes and hot pants; it will help them become true adults instead of perpetual teenagers.
My daughter is obsessed with these books lately. They are easy to read and usually have a movie to watch after so I'd recommend these.
This book is great for all ages! I really enjoy reading it everyday.
I mean. My book came with someone else’s writing in it. I’m not thrilled. This book is my son Landon’s namesake so I prefer it come without someone else’s story.
Easy to read. Nice story.
