Book Review: The Last Song
Sunday, May 09, 2010 @ 5:21 PM | 0 comment(s)

Seventeen year old Veronica “Ronnie” Miller’s life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father... until her mother decides it would be in everyone’s best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie’s father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story of love on many levels – first love, love between parents and children – that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that love can break our hearts... and heal them. ©



There are so many reasons why I love this novel. First off, I think Jonah Miller (Ronnie’s little brother) is really smart and annoying in a good way. Second, I could relate to the father-daughter relationship described in the book. Third, Will Blakelee slash volleyball player slash grease monkey slash aquarium volunteer is hot and filthy rich. But honestly, the book was moving. For all you know, The Last Song is not a love story. The title was really about Ronnie’s father. She played the “Last Song” to his dad before he died (Oops. Spoiler). Half of the novel revolved around her father and only a bit of Ronnie’s relationship with Will.

To tell you the truth, the shameful truth, I cried while reading the chapters where her dad, Steve, was dying. I mean, all. the. time. (and now, my eyes are all puffy and I feel like I haven’t slept for a while) The setting and all was amazing – beach, pier, aquarium, Blakelee mansion, bungalow, the church, the piano, the fireballs by Marcus (though I haven’t seen the movie, I have a great imagination. Ha!). It also delivered a message about endangered species (like turtles) and most of all, about conversing with God and feeling God’s presence in our life.

Now I’m dying to watch the movie. I really want to know who played Jonah (he’s really adorable. Once, he blurted “Holy Crap” but his father reprimanded him; so he said “Jiminy Crap” in the end) and Blaze slash Galadriel, the hot Gothic chick (I imagined her as Siobhan Magnus from American Idol).

“Sometimes you have to be a part from people you love, but that doesn’t make you love them any less. Sometimes you love them more.”
– Steve Miller

Life, he realize, was much like a song. In the beginning there is mystery, in the end there is confirmation, but it’s in the middle where all the emotion resides to make the whole thing worthwhile.

“I have faith that God will show you the answer. But you have to understand that sometimes it takes a while to be able to recognize what God wants you to do. That’s how it often is. God’s voice is usually nothing more than a whisper and you have to listen very carefully to hear it. But other times, in those rarest of moments, the answer is obvious and rings as loud as a church bell.
– Pastor Harris

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