Nicholas Sparks has been capturing reader's hearts for years with his heart-felt stories of love and life. Many, such as The Notebook, and more recently, Dear John , have come to life in well-made movies. Still on the New York Times Best Seller List after 21 weeks, The Last Song has captivated millions.
Ronnie Miller (short for Veronica) is an angry, confused almost-eighteen-year-old. She feels abandoned by her once-loving father who, after divorcing her mother, disappears from her life. Ronnie has refused any contact with him for three years. Now her mother is insisting that she and her brother, Jonah, spend an entire summer with their father in Wrightsville Beach near Wilmington, NC.
Ronnie is a talented, intelligent and beautiful teen, but her strong feelings of resentment result in a heart hardened toward life. Even though mentored by her father to become a brilliant musician with a future as a concert pianist, she rejects her music after her father exits her life.
The difference in life-style between her New York club scene and the more slow paced world of her father's beach house causes more resentment for Ronnie. Jonah seems to adapt immediately, assisting his father in creating a stained-glass window for the local church. Ronnie angrily seeks something to occupy her time for the months she is forced to stay.
Ronnie's father, Steve, patiently allows her to work through her anger, and eventually a truce seems to be in place. Slowly a relationship begins to develop as the father and daughter get to know each other again.
Unexpectantly, a romance developes with a local young man. Ronnie begins to experience contentment as she enjoys time spent with Will and learning about the animal life of the sea. She determinadly takes on a cause of protecting a nest of sea turtle eggs, and eventually lands a job at an aquarium.
Her interaction with other young people in the area is not so pleasant. Ronnie must deal with deception, and untimately, danger. She faces these challenges with strength and character.
As the end of summer approaches, Ronnie realizes how much she has changed, and how she will miss the beach life. Then, when a tragic truth becomes known, her strength and spirit are tested. With her serentity falling to pieces around her, Ronnie learns to face impossible calamity and grief with new-found endurance.
The Last Song is one of those books to save for a vacation or snowy weekend, as it is hard to put down. This narrative of a special girl growing up to become a fine young lady will pull at your heart strings. On a scale of 1 to 10, I rate it a 7.
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