A review by anjumstar
The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
4.0
The only book that I had read by Nicholas Sparks before was The Notebook, which I felt was so terrible and watered down that I honestly can't remember a thing about it. Hated it. So, I didn't have high expectations for this book at all. That being said, I did like it, but I went through the first fourth of this book thinking 'Oh my gosh, this is so creepy, how is he going to get out of it?" Then I waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. Beth doesn't find anything out about the picture until the last 50 pages, and no one else does until just a little before there.
Oh, I guess that was a spoiler, whatever. Not really.
So, because of that, as well as other things, I felt that the end was rushed. I totally understand why Sparks did what he did; it makes sense from a selling point. And from what I know of his writing style, it's totally in character, but they literally went from the climax into the epilogue. It was...weird, and I don't know what to think of it, and that's most of the reason that I gave this a four rather than a five. I feel like things happened how they should have in the end, but it just wrapped up so quickly that it felt almost a little cheap.
I liked the characters, and the switching perspectives of the characters, and I have to admit that it was really fun to imagine Thibault as Zac Efron throughout the whole book. Definitely helped the experience. And no, I haven't seen the movie. (Update: Now I have seen the movie and it was quite good. Second favorite Nicolas Sparks movie, I think; it made me cry.) I also felt that it was a little cheap that they went from Clayton being at his very worst, to being thought of in a suddenly much more positive light at the end. The transition makes complete sense, they did have to redeem his character before the end, after all, but I feel as though there should have been a little something in between. I guess that Sparks was just trying to keep the excitement up. Which kinda worked, I guess.
I recommend this book, if you're a fan of Nicholas Sparks and don't mind there being a little bit of creepiness to the storyline but it really is just a typical Nicholas Sparks story...Nothing too special, but I did enjoy it and would read it again.
Oh, I guess that was a spoiler, whatever. Not really.
So, because of that, as well as other things, I felt that the end was rushed. I totally understand why Sparks did what he did; it makes sense from a selling point. And from what I know of his writing style, it's totally in character, but they literally went from the climax into the epilogue. It was...weird, and I don't know what to think of it, and that's most of the reason that I gave this a four rather than a five. I feel like things happened how they should have in the end, but it just wrapped up so quickly that it felt almost a little cheap.
I liked the characters, and the switching perspectives of the characters, and I have to admit that it was really fun to imagine Thibault as Zac Efron throughout the whole book. Definitely helped the experience. And no, I haven't seen the movie. (Update: Now I have seen the movie and it was quite good. Second favorite Nicolas Sparks movie, I think; it made me cry.) I also felt that it was a little cheap that they went from Clayton being at his very worst, to being thought of in a suddenly much more positive light at the end. The transition makes complete sense, they did have to redeem his character before the end, after all, but I feel as though there should have been a little something in between. I guess that Sparks was just trying to keep the excitement up. Which kinda worked, I guess.
I recommend this book, if you're a fan of Nicholas Sparks and don't mind there being a little bit of creepiness to the storyline but it really is just a typical Nicholas Sparks story...Nothing too special, but I did enjoy it and would read it again.