April 20, 2010
Dear Friends,
I recently read the book The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. It is one of my favorite books. I really enjoy reading the way he writes. Nicholas is also the author of many other known books. Some of them include The Notebook, A Walk To Remember, and Dear John.
I like how The Last Song really represents a teenage girl’s feelings. Ronnie and some of the other teenagers are so easy to connect to. The main character, Ronnie, has most girls’ thoughts and feelings wrapped into one. The very first sentence is “Ronnie slouched in the front seat of the car, wondering why on earth her parents hated her so much.” Her parents do not really hate her she just feels that way. In the end there was a very good reason why her parents wanted her to go to her dad’s because her dad loved her and wanted to spend time with her. Most people will not admit it but in the end parents usually have a good reason why they want you to do something. In the book Ronnie falls in love with Will. “Love” plays a big part in many teenagers life. Crushing on some and then being crushed. Also trying to find true love while still being your self. Ronnie learns valuable lessons and there not always just given to her. She has to learn the hard way. Ronnie finds out about pear pressure, that what you do now can affect your future, and the reality of life and death. I think that Nicholas Sparks did a great job on his characters because they were very easy for many to relate to.
The Character development is very important in this book. Blaze starts off very tough looking and almost comes across scary. She let boys walk all over her. After going through a lot, making mistakes, and learning valuable lessons Blaze has some major character development. She learns to have self-confidence and in the end does the right thing by telling the truth and learning from her mistakes. In the beginning of the book Ronnie starts off being very stubborn and bullheaded. She does not want anything to do with her dad. Ronnie thinks that her parents are just out to get her. By the end of the summer, after falling in love and finding herself, she learns to be more open-minded. An example of this is how Ronnie would not play the piano for her dad. She is angry with him for leaving them and decided she would not play the piano again even though she is very good. In the end of the book she decides to play the piano for her dad and even finishes his song. Ronnie changed her ways after falling in love and learning the truth about her father. Ronnie and Blaze both have great character development.
I was struck by this passage “She wanted to do something to make this nightmare go away. She wanted to turn back the clock to the moment the turtles had hatched, when all was right in the world. She wanted to stand beside the boy she loved, her happy family by her side. She suddenly remembered Megan’s radiant expression when she’d danced with her father at the wedding, and she felt a piercing ache at the knowledge that she and her dad would never share that special moment. She closed her eyes and put her hands over her ears, trying to block out the sound of Jonah’s cries. He sounded so helpless, so young…so scared. There was no way he could understand what was happening, there was no way he would really ever recover. She knew he would never forget this awful day.” When I started to read this I burst in to tears. I could easily make a connection to how Ronnie felt. Two years ago my Dad passed away. When she said that she wanted to turn back the clock I know that that is true. It was like a nightmare. You relies that you cannot stop time because it is speeding ahead whether you like it or not. I felt like that when I found out about my Dad. I felt like everyone in the world must be feeling terrible right now, but the truth is people just kept on going like nothing ever happened. Cars drove by no one else seemed to be in the pain we were in. When it talked about Megan dancing with her dad is when I really started to cry. That is my fear. Getting married and not have my Dad to walk me down the isle or dance with me at my wedding. I know I’m too young to be worrying about that and that I know I will find a way to be strong but I do sometimes worry. I get what Ronnie was saying about Jonahs not understanding. I was five when I found out that my dad had a disease. When you are young you don’t have a clue what is going on. I can really feel for Ronnie and how sad she feels.
The Last song is a great book and I would deffidently recommend it. I cannot wait to see the movie. If you choose to read the book or see the movie enjoy but make sure you bring Kleenexes.
Your Friend,
Kassidy
