2001

Simplistic writing designed to tug on the heart strings. Shameless, but I have to admit I got pulled in, too. ( )

Reviewed by Taylor Rector for TeensReadToo.com

Landon Carter is now 57 years old and he is telling his love story from when he was a senior in high school. He still remembers the events of something that he thought was just a friendship as if it was yesterday.

Jamie Sullivan was a minister's daughter, who wore boring brown sweaters every day, always tied her hair up in a bun, and always had her Bible with her. She is the girl that you would think of when you would imagine the person who gets made fun of in high school. She had never been on a date in her life, and Landon was one of the more popular boys in his high school.

Landon didn't have a date for homecoming, so he decided that he would ask Jamie because she was too sweet to say no and wouldn't have a date yet. When he asked, she said "promise me that you won't fall in love with me."

After a horrible night at homecoming, Jamie asked Landon to play the male lead in an upcoming Christmas play that was performed every year, and was a very big deal in the town. Landon didn't really want to, but Jamie talked him into it because she was playing the lead female and her father had written the play -- and Jamie wanted the play to be very special. After about two months of constant rehearsals, the play was performed and the town knew that this had been the best year ever. And Landon had to admit that it went well, and that he was falling in love with dorky Jamie. But there is a secret that Jamie was hiding from Landon. What could it possibly be? And why did she tell Landon not to fall in love with her?

This is another powerful love story from an author that makes you believe in love. Read this amazing novel to find out the secrets of Landon and Jamie. ( )

Amazon

Landon signs up for drama class thinking it would be an easy A. Then Jamie the preacher's daughter asks him to be the main character of the Christmas play that her father wrote. Landon agrees and after walking her home everyday after practice he realizes that he's fallen in love with her. Then she tells him that she has leukemia.
I really enjoyed this book because it is a great love story. Even though it ends sadly it was a great book. But I think you can pretty much expect it to end sadly because that is the typical Nicholas Sparks book. ( )