The Choice by Nicholas Sparks






















Summary from Goodreads

#1 New York Times bestseller Nicholas Sparks turns his unrivaled talents to a new tale about love found and lost, and the choices we hope we'll never have to make.
Travis Parker has everything a man could want: a good job, loyal friends, even a waterfront home in small-town North Carolina. In full pursuit of the good life - boating, swimming , and regular barbecues with his good-natured buddies -- he holds the vague conviction that a serious relationship with a woman would only cramp his style. That is, until Gabby Holland moves in next door. Spanning the eventful years of young love, marriage and family, THE CHOICE ultimately confronts us with the most heartwrenching question of all: how far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?

My Thoughts:

 This was the first book I read by Nicholas Sparks and I'm glad that it was.  I'll be honest, I saw the movie when it was out in theaters back in February, not knowing to expect, as it was the first Nicholas Sparks movie I ever saw as well.  And the second the movie ended, I knew I wanted to read the book.  If not for anything else, but to see if it was as good as the movie.  I was proven right.

In The Choice Sparks has us thinking immediately how the choices we make in life can lead to one thing and then to another.  And if we were to choose differently, how would the outcome be different?  The choices we make in life lead us to where we are today, clear the path to where our lives are supposed to be.  And one of the most important choices we'll ever have to make in our lives is when it comes to love.  The question that we are asked while reading is the book is "How far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?" when tragedy hits.  A tragedy that could've possibly been stopped by the chance of just one of your choices.

Completely romantic as are Sparks' books known for, this book wasn't all happiness.  Take Gabby for instance.  She had a steady relationship with her boyfriend before she met Travis.  That's when she started questioning her relationship with Kevin even more than she did before.  Is Kevin the right guy for her?  Or does she want someone adventurous like Travis?  I found that Sparks took too long for Gabby to make her decision.  More than half of the book went by before she made her choice, Kevin or Travis.

Travis was my favorite character.  He showed determination and never giving up in what he believed.  From the moment he met Gabby, he knew she was the woman for him.  And though he knew she had a boyfriend, he didn't give up on having her see he wasn't the right one for her.  Even through one of their most tragic events, Travis never gave up on Gabby, showing how far one will go when it comes to true love.

Sparks gives a real great depiction of the south where Gabby and Travis are from, making you feel that you are right there with them, enjoying a drink on the deck by the water.  You're given a great sense of relaxation during those scenes in the book.

I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars, due to the fact that there were times I felt the story dragged on.  Had Sparks quickened the pace of Gabby and Travis getting together, the story would've flowed better.  Much like in the movie.  I also didn't like the repetition of Gabby constantly mentioning she had a boyfriend to Travis and to his sister Stephanie.  We got the message the first ten times she mentioned it, why keep mentioning it over and over again.  These were the only two things I could've done without while reading the book.

My heart ached for Travis when he and Gabby were struck with tragedy.  Sparks really brought to life Travis's hurt in his actions and speaking and we could feel the anguish.  I cried along with him as he stayed by Gabby's side.  This was perfect, making us feel as if we were in Travis's head.

Recommendations:

I would recommend this book to women who love a good romance novel.  It wasn't overly done in the romance department which I found refreshing.  And it wasn't love at first sight, couple gets married.  The drama added made the story all the more interesting.  And if you're a fan of Nicholas Sparks, then this is a book to read too.

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