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The Best of Me

by Nicholas Sparks (Goodreads Author)

3.8 of 5 stars 3.80 · rating details · 33,943 ratings · 4,068 reviews

In the fall of 1984, high school students Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole fell deeply, irrevocably in love. Though they were from opposite sides of the tracks, their love for one another seemed to defy the realities of life in the small town of Oriental, North Carolina. But as the summer of their senior year came to a close, unforeseen events would tear the young couple apa...more

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Published October 11th 2011 by Grand Central Publishing (first published September 14th 2010)

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Jan 03, 2013 Alyssa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

EDIT:(view spoiler) Is that better for you people? *rolls eyes*

"The Best of Me" is a novel about two high-school sweethearts, Amanda and Dawson, who went their separate ways after high school and are reunited for one weekend when they learn of the sudden passing of their mentor, Tuck. I was intrigued by this book from the beginning because I...more

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Jun 14, 2013 Buggy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemp-rom, cryin-over-u, ghosts, not-so-hea, reunited, shelf-13, tortured-hero

Opening Line:”For Dawson Cole, the hallucinations began after the explosion on the platform, on the day he should have died.”

By now I’ve read enough Nicholas Sparks to know going in that I’m not always going to be guaranteed a HEA. In fact half of the suspense for me in reading his stuff now is that I’m not sure who he’s going to kill off. Sure it’s also frustrating as hell, because I always forget and then just when I’m all invested in the characters and wrapped up in their budding romance, bl...more Opening Line:”For Dawson Cole, the hallucinations began after the explosion on the platform, on the day he should have died.”

By now I’ve read enough Nicholas Sparks to know going in that I’m not always going to be guaranteed a HEA. In fact half of the suspense for me in reading his stuff now is that I’m not sure who he’s going to kill off. Sure it’s also frustrating as hell, because I always forget and then just when I’m all invested in the characters and wrapped up in their budding romance, blam. Tragedy strikes. Yeah, more than once I’ve thrown one of his books across the room in disgust but I still keep coming back for more. Damn you Sparks.

This was another good NS book which (as always) sucked me right in. I’ll be honest though there’s nothing particularly new here and even if Sparks’ name weren’t splashed all over the cover, there’d still be no mistaking who wrote it. The Best Of Me reads like bits and pieces of all his other books with; unrequited love, reunited lovers, Notebook-esque flashbacks with an older couple, moral dilemmas, a bit of spirituality, a tortured hero, unscrupulous bad guys and a predictable yet nail-biting ending while you await the outcome of (in this case) a shooting. Yet somehow all that’s ok because when something works for you and the reader why change it?

Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole were teenage sweethearts in 1984 small town North Carolina; from opposite sides of the tracks, their intense and beautiful romance didn’t really stand a chance. You see the Coles are hard drinking, woman beating, law breaking, drug dealing, bad boys and Amanda’s folks are church going, stand up citizens. Despite the odds, or maybe because of they manage to find each other and fall in love, spending considerable time at old man Tuck’s garage where Dawson works. I really enjoyed their teenage romance which is told here through flashbacks from both sides of the pair who are now in their forties.

Dawson is another quiet, somewhat tortured hero of Sparks’ who you can’t help but fall for. (I’m hoping to see Channing Tatum in the probable movie version) He works on the oil rigs, has spent time in prison and almost his entire life running from his messed up family and their reputation. Oh and he’s also never gotten over his one true love Amanda.

When their old friend and mentor Tuck dies the pair are reunited in their hometown for the funeral. The grumpy yet crafty old man has left explicit instructions as to how his final wishes are to be carried out, including a trip to his cabin and some personal letters. As expected the years apart haven’t diminished what Dawson and Amanda feel for each other despite the fact that Amanda now has a husband and children. Throughout their reunion we have some bad guys gunning for Dawson, a ghostly/angel figure following him and adding intrigue as we don’t learn the whys for a long time, and a bad marriage that may or may not be worth saving.

There are actually are quite a few characters involved here and Sparks has again written this using multiple POV’s which as the suspense factor increases get shorter and shorter, so that towards the end you’re only getting about a paragraph from each character. I found that this increased the tension level while he wove all the storylines together and left this reader on pins guessing the outcome. Damn you Sparks.
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Oct 30, 2011 Karla♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, romance, tear-jerkers, covers-me-like, chicklit, 2011-reads, le-me-own, death-suicide-tragedy

After meeting the author Nicholas Sparks last October 28th here in Manila and get him to sign my book, i started reading his latest novel which is obviously entitled "The Best Of Me". I tried so hard to refrain myself in reading this though it was really hard for me because i'm really curious about it. So here it goes, the book is definitely good! As the same as his other novels it is filled with flashbacks and old memories that in due time came back to the protagonists of the story. It was one...more

38 likes · like · see review

Feb 03, 2013 Maritza rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

PLEASE DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT THE STORY SPOILED!

I was sooo beyond disappointed with this book! It had me all the way up to chapter 21, I kept thinking "how is he going to get them together" well he didn't ! That's how! I got excited when it seemed that Amanda was going to meet him at the cemetery only for her to turn right and go home! Which I guess was ok since she was almost home when she received word of the accident, but she stayed with Frank even after! No no no! I feel that Amanda wa...more

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May 07, 2013 Reem N 240511 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nicholas Sparks has done it again. He has managed to write a book that has moved from page to page with such strong emotions it is as if he experienced every heartbreak, love, betrayal, loneliness and fright. He was able to bring the characters to life. The story is about the reunion of former lovers, Amanda and Dawson. They come back to their home town after hearing about the terrible news of the death of who used to be a father figure to them, Tuck. What unfolds after, is bigger than the both...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Maria Miaoulis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nicholas Sparks, you never fail to deliver a great story. In fact, your job is never done unless I've been reduced to uncontrollable sobs, but I digress. In "The Best of Me," we meet Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole, high school sweethearts from different worlds who have a magical connection. However, they go their separate ways when their families and other events tear them apart. The death of their confidant, Tuck Hostetler, brings them back to their hometown 25 years later to confront their pai...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Meg ♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, 2013-reads

Have to give this one 3 stars. It started off quite well, actually. I enjoyed reading about Amanda and Dawson, and their forbidden teenage romance. I was interested to see what would happen when they met years later.

They are now in their 40's when they are reunited to throw a ceremony for their old dead friend Tuck...He has pined for her all these years, and she married, had children etc. Of course her marriage is failing. Once they do meet up, unfortunately, the books seems to drag and drag......more

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Nov 29, 2012 Marco rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

This book is really but really good. I totally realised that in the last chapters. This story touched my feelings, it touched my heart. More than I had Imagined. It was a total whirlwind of emotions. This totallly shows how true love is like and what's like to give our best to the person we love the most, the love of our life. *spoilers*- Amanda is still feeling Dawson, even though physically he's not with her- every time Amanda hugs his son, Jared, she feels- 'physical' and psychologically- eve...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Michael Clifton rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was probably the most disappointing Nicholas Sparks book I have ever read. The book's premise starts off promising enough; high school sweethearts meet again at the funeral of a mutual friend some 25 years later and rekindle their romance... a romance it turns out that had never really ebbed. Dawson Cole, one of the main characters, comes from a family of violent lawbreakers and thugs, while Amanda Collier, the other main character, comes from a wealthy, upstanding family. You get the pictu...more

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Oct 18, 2011 Keri rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am a fan of Nicholas Sparks and have been for quite some time. I have loved many of his past books, particularly The Guardian and The Notebook, but this book was a bit of a dissapointment. Although the characters were very likable, I found this book hard to really get in to. It didn't "pull" me in as most of his other works have. I did find that it was very easy to relate to most of the characters but there was not enough emphasis put upon Amanda and Dawson's relationship, so although you wer...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Katy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am currently a Nicholas Sparks nut. I love a good ooey gooey romance novel. Shoot me.

I've read a lot of his books and this is the only one that has made me bawl my eyes out for about half an hour after I had finished it. It is heart wrenching and I was hooked the entire time.

I highly recommend this to someone who just is really in the mood to read a romance/chick lit.

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Nov 05, 2011 Jord¥n marked it as abandoned · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, chic-lit, not-so-sure, nicholas-sparks, disappointed, try-again-later

Ok I'm done with this book, for now. I'm very disappointed on how this book turned out. It seems to me that mr sparks needs to stop worrying if his books will become movies. To me it seems like he tried too hard on this one. The POV changes way too much for my liking.

Since I'm a huge fan of his work I will definitely pick up this book again and try it once more. I'm not gonna waste my time with a library book that I don't like while I have other good books checked out. Just isn't fair to them ;...more

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Jun 13, 2013 Bernie Camacho rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although Sparks is a great writer, I struggled to read this book. Took me a while than my usual. It's not exactly the kind of book that would keep my hands and eyes glued on it until I finish, but it's the kind of book you'd want to finish. An honest, heart-warming story of life and love.

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Jun 10, 2013 Christy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't think it's possible to read a Nicholas Sparks book and not fall in love with the characters.

I've had The Best of Me on my shelf since it first came out in hardback. Now that there's plans to make it into a movie, I knew I had to read it before watching it on the big screen.

Amanda was Dawson's first love. You remember yours, right? Do you ever fully get over it? Have you ever felt so connected to someone that you could glimpse the inside of their soul? Being from a small town in NC, where...more I don't think it's possible to read a Nicholas Sparks book and not fall in love with the characters.

I've had The Best of Me on my shelf since it first came out in hardback. Now that there's plans to make it into a movie, I knew I had to read it before watching it on the big screen.

Amanda was Dawson's first love. You remember yours, right? Do you ever fully get over it? Have you ever felt so connected to someone that you could glimpse the inside of their soul? Being from a small town in NC, where everyone knows your business, it was easy for Amanda's mother to disapprove of Dawson Cole. After all, the Cole's had a violent reputation, and of course she felt that Dawson would be the same. But Amanda knew Dawson - she loved him, and he loved her. Amanda had planned her whole life to attend Duke after graduation, and after a summer together - battling her parents - Dawson tells Amanda to go. He's living in an old man's garage, working on cars in his spare time, trying to make money that his abusive father and cousins come to beat him out of. It was the hardest thing he's ever had to do, but Dawson knows that he can't stand in the way of Amanda following her dreams.

Years pass. Amanda marries and has children, Dawson moves to Louisiana and works on an off-shore oil rig. A ghost from their past, in his posthumous state, works it out for them to spend one more weekend back home in coastal NC. The Best of Me chronicles their weekend together, and as always, Sparks delivers words that made me feel like I was right there with them.

There's so much more to this story than a weekend together - but I don't want to give all of that away. If I could give 6 stars, I would. This is a great book, and asks the questions, do you ever really get over your first true love? Is it possible to love again after loving someone so deeply? What do you do when life gives you a second chance? Once you get to the last few chapters, you may find yourself wanting to skip ahead because you can figure out the ending. But don't - take your time, and read it. Let it sink it. Think about it.

You'll be glad you did. (less)

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Jun 02, 2013 Madi Mayor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

SPOILER

The Best of Me was a very touching and tragic book that kept me on the tip of my seat with each of the many story plots going on. After mutual friend Tuck dies, high school sweethearts Dawson Cole and Amanda Collier unexpectedly reunite while called to deal with Tuck's last wishes. Although life had changed much for Amanda, being married and having three children, seeing Dawson made her question her life decisions as she gradually discovers her love for him had remained and trumped her al...more

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May 30, 2013 Leslie Torres rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Romance fans are not to be messed with. We know what we want- brave, parolee, high school boyfriends, nail-biting suspense, and battles of love.

Nicholas Sparks delivers all that good stuff in THE BEST OF ME , which opens on mysterious note- Former jail life living Cole Dawson has now settled down all by his lonesome and has not much going on for him except a boring job and well life. The woman he is in love with slipped out of his life thirty five-years ago and he cant seem to let that go. H...more

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May 27, 2013 Cassie Tucker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was given to me in a book swap and it was so great. The characters were well flushed out and drew you easily into the story. It wasn't much time at all before I wanted to climb into the book and give Dawson a hug and have a "Girls Day Out" chat with Amanda. The story flowed easily from one point to the next and every point felt like it was needed. There were a few parts that I was like "Meh are these really needed, maybe I should skip to the next section" (these parts were usually when...more

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May 24, 2013 Kat rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really loved and appreciated the way Sparks took on the topic of alcoholism. He didn’t make the character the stereotypical dirty, violent, raging alcoholic. Instead he chose to showcase the character as a high-functioning alcoholic, a middle class, white collar, nice family man. I think Sparks made a great choice doing this because there are SO many families that experience alcoholism in a parent even though on the outside they may seem completely normal. Even successful, charming businessmen...more

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May 13, 2013 Kenzie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 13, 2013 121chloe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved The Best of Me. Nicholas Sparks has pulled me into the world of two high school sweethearts, Dawson Cole and Amanda Collier. He shows how passionate they were for each other and how much they truly loved one another. But this love story, isn't like every other one where they fell in love and ended happily ever after without any kind of hardships. Nicholas Sparks shows you how Dawson Cole isn't just a regular guy, if you are a Cole it means that you were redneck trash and you were always...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Sivon rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This, so easily could have been a 5 star book. I've read a few books lately that were poorly written or aimed at a younger audience, so after cozying up with this book I was happy to find I had finally found a book that was good, and well written. I loved the characters, and Sparks had me wanting to keep reading such a great story line.

***SPOILERS BELOW****

I was a bit disappointed in the middle of the book, I'm not a fan of affairs and don't like it when stories include them - thankfully Amanda...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Christina L rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole met in high school, they couldn't have been more different. Amanda was popular and pretty with a great future ahead of her, whereas Dawson was from the Cole family - known around the town for causing violence and generally being troublemakers. However - like in many Sparks' books - in spite of their differences they fell in love.
Many years later, we are told Amanda is now married with children and Dawson is working on an oil rig after spending a brief amount...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, love-story

I know what to expect from Sparks so usually I am fine with the melodramatic love stories with a tragic twist. This one, however, was a bit too much for me. Sparks definitely borrowed from Bridges of Madison County's "I love you forever, but I cannot be with you because of my children" plot. He tried to inject some suspense/adrenaline in the last third of the book by providing short synopses with multiple points of view (but they really are not points of view). This was awkward because it didn't...more

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Mar 20, 2013 April rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have not read a Nicholas Sparks book since A Walk to Remember however since every one of his books these days seems to be made into a movie I figured it might be time to give him a try again. Wrong. This book reminded me why I don't read his books. SPOILER do not continue reading if you have no interest in knowing the, albeit predictable for him, ending. What I don't understand is why does he spend a whole book getting you invested in this profound and deep love between two people - the love s...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Ashley Hanna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What did you think about the book and what could have been better?
Nicholas Sparks has amazed me with this book. There was nothing wrong with the story, I just wish Dawson never died because he was the perfect one for his high school sweetheart, Amanda. My favorite part was when Dawson and Amanda went to the place Tuck told them in a letter to go to, to spread his ashes there so that he could be with his late wife, Clara. Their love came back at that moment.

Discuss the style of the book. What ki...more What did you think about the book and what could have been better?
Nicholas Sparks has amazed me with this book. There was nothing wrong with the story, I just wish Dawson never died because he was the perfect one for his high school sweetheart, Amanda. My favorite part was when Dawson and Amanda went to the place Tuck told them in a letter to go to, to spread his ashes there so that he could be with his late wife, Clara. Their love came back at that moment.

Discuss the style of the book. What kind of diction and syntax did the author use? Other literary devices?
In this book, Dawson always talked about his past by utilizing many flashbacks. It was straight forward and easy to comprehend. Sparks also does an excellent job of using periodic sentences such as, "Tired of traveling the forty minutes to New Bern, patients flocked to his office, but the doctor was under no illusion that he'd ever become rich." Sparks additionally uses colloquial diction while making the average reader understand the meaning of the word with context clues. Although literary devices were hard to find, Sparks used personification and similes as demonstrated in the last sentence in Chapter 15, "'I love you,' she whispered into the silent room, feeling her future being swept away like so many grains of sand, a future that already felt almost like a dream."

What was the book's overall message OR what was the moral dilemma the character faced?
Dawson and Amanda were high school sweethearts but were forced to separate by Amanda's strict parents who thought she deserved better. Amanda married an alcoholic and did not get along with him so when she ran into Dawson at Tuck's funeral, she truly wanted to renew their love. She had to make the hard decision of running back to Dawson and divorcing her husband, but also remembering that she has two kids with him. Dawson and Amanda get in a horrible argument which leads her to go back home to her family but while driving home, her son and husband get in a big car accident that causes her son to have a heart transplant surgery. At the same time, Dawson is killed by his cousin Ted. Amanda's son is in serious need of a heart donor and ends up with Dawson's heart. Jared, her son, has "the best of" Dawson Cole. (less)

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Mar 10, 2013 Laura Da Rosa added it · review of another edition

In most of Nicholas Sparks books we see two people fall in love and create a bond in hard times of there lives. In his book The Best of Me this is not the case. In this book not only does Sparks use a different way of showing how two people could love each other he uses a different way of writing. Instead of telling this as a timeline story, like he does so in his book The Notebook, he talks about one even then will flip to another with others involved and go back and fourth. The way Sparks wrot...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Mónica Silva rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Opinião no blog http://howtoliveathousandlives.blogsp...

Claramente, esta é uma estória de amor. Mas não um amor qualquer: o amor entre Amanda e Dawson, uma relação na adolescência condenada ao fracasso, devido a diferenças sociais e pressões familiares. Após a sua separação, encontramos ambos no presente, com as respetivas vidas que optaram por seguir. Agora duas pessoas completamente diferentes, o seu reencontro é confuso e tumultuoso. É neste contexto que, através da escrita fluída e ternurent...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Misleed7 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought that this was an engaging and tragic love story. It had depth and synchronicities that were thought provoking and heartfelt. I enjoy how Sparks jumps from one scene or character's story to another and then back again, which is griping and creates enjoyable suspense. Even though it is a tragic love story, it has a way of sticking with you and pulls at your heart strings.

Their relationship encompasses the karmic love between two soul mates who could never find the right time or space to...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Издателство ЕРА added it · review of another edition

Shelves: nicholas-sparks-by-era

Моят път към теб
(заглавие на българското издание)

Може ли любовта да пренапише миналото?

На кого не му се иска безкрайната обич да е възможна. Тя самата го вярваше преди години. Тогава бе на осемнайсет.

Аманда и Досън се влюбват безумно в гимназията. Макар да принадлежат към различни социални прослойки, техните чувства са неподвластни на неписаните правила в малкото южно градче. Непредвидими обстоятелства разделят влюбените и ги запращат по противоположни житейски пътеки.

След години Аманда и Досън...more

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Jan 07, 2013 hamptonenglish10 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Megan Downing
Ms. Emmett
English 10
7 January 2013

Nicholas Sparks’ New York Times Bestseller “The Best of Me” is a romantic love story. It is about high school sweet hearts that drift apart and are brought back together twenty-five years later. Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole came from a small town of Oriental, North Carolina. Their lives were completely different; Dawson’s family had a bad reputation in town, while Amanda was the daughter of rich and successful parents. Even though they lived diff...more Megan Downing
Ms. Emmett
English 10
7 January 2013

Nicholas Sparks’ New York Times Bestseller “The Best of Me” is a romantic love story. It is about high school sweet hearts that drift apart and are brought back together twenty-five years later. Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole came from a small town of Oriental, North Carolina. Their lives were completely different; Dawson’s family had a bad reputation in town, while Amanda was the daughter of rich and successful parents. Even though they lived different lives they fell deeply in love. After high school Amanda went to college while Dawson worked remodeling cars for his father figure, Tuck. The young couple being apart, caused them to drift apart. After twenty-five years of living in two different states, they are called back to Oriental for the funeral of Tuck. Seeing each other for the first time in so long brings back the passionate memories that they once shared. Amanda, now married and having three children to care for, tries to ignore the feelings she still has for Dawson. Dawson on the other hand is not married and does not have children, causing him to show his feelings for Amanda. While in Oriental, Dawson’s bad news cousins catch sight of him and attempt to put an end to their cousin that they were never fond of. While balancing the love he has for Amanda and his crazy cousins, Dawson is also trying to finish up Tucks final wishes. Toward the end of the book Amanda accepts that she is still in love with Dawson but does not want to split up her family, therefore staying with her husband, Frank.
“The Best of Me” is a romance novel. I know that it is a romance novel because throughout the book the author stresses the word love and focuses on emotions. Another thing that contributes to this is that the whole book is about Dawson and Amanda and the love that they share for each other.
I think that this book is so popular because everyone can relate to it in one way or another. People can relate to this story because I think that everyone has a relationship that has drifted apart or has experienced true love. Also it is popular because a lot of people are interested in love stories and are attracted to this type of scenario.
I would recommend this book to my peers because it teaches valuable lessons about love and happiness. Also this is a good book in my opinion because it isn’t boring and it has many surprises throughout the book. I think that Nicholas Sparks did a fantastic job capturing the reader’s emotions and taking them on the journey with Amanda and Dawson. If you are interested in love stories and happy endings then I would strongly recommend you to read this heartfelt novel.
(less)

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Did you like the ending, or were you disappointed?	42	182	Jun 15, 2013 04:46pm
PAGE 176. Need help, I have an ink blot.	1	5	Jun 13, 2013 08:25am
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About Nicholas Sparks

As a child, Nicholas Sparks lived in Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Grand Island, Nebraska, finally settling in Fair Oaks, California at the age of eight. His father was a professor, his mother a homemaker, then optometrist's assistant. He lived in Fair Oaks through high school, graduated valedictorian in 1984, and received a full track scholarship to the University of Notre Dame.

After breaking the N...more As a child, Nicholas Sparks lived in Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Grand Island, Nebraska, finally settling in Fair Oaks, California at the age of eight. His father was a professor, his mother a homemaker, then optometrist's assistant. He lived in Fair Oaks through high school, graduated valedictorian in 1984, and received a full track scholarship to the University of Notre Dame.

After breaking the Notre Dame school record as part of a relay team in 1985 as a freshman (a record which still stands), he was injured and spent the summer recovering. During that summer, he wrote his first novel, though it was never published. He majored in Business Finance and graduated with high honors in 1988.

He and his wife Catherine, who met on spring break in 1988, were married in July, 1989. While living in Sacramento, he wrote his second novel that same year, though again, it wasn't published. He worked a variety of jobs over the next three years, including real estate appraisal, waiting tables, selling dental products by phone, and started his own small manufacturing business which struggled from the beginning. In 1990, he collaborated on a book with Billy Mills, the Olympic Gold Medalist and it was published by Feather Publishing before later being picked up by Random House. (It was recently re-issued by Hay House Books.) Though it received scant publicity, sales topped 50,000 copies in the first year of release.

He began selling pharmaceuticals and moved from Sacramento, California to North Carolina in 1992. In 1994, at the age of 28, he wrote The Notebook over a period of six months. In October, 1995, rights to The Notebook were sold to Warner Books. It was published in October, 1996, and he followed that with Message in a Bottle (1998), A Walk to Remember (1999), The Rescue (2000), A Bend in the Road (2001), and Nights in Rodanthe (2002), The Guardian (2003), The Wedding (2003), Three Weeks with my Brother (2004), True Believer (2005) and At First Sight (2005) all with Warner Books. All were domestic and international best sellers and were translated into more than 35 languages. The movie version of Message in a Bottle was released in 1999, A Walk to Remember was released in 2002, and The Notebook was released in 2004. The average domestic box office gross per film was $56 million -- with another $100 million in DVD sales -- making the novels by Nicholas Sparks one of the most successful franchises in Hollywood.

The film rights to Nights in Rodanthe, True Believer and At First Sight have been sold, and Nicholas Sparks has written the screenplay for The Guardian, though he has not offered it for sale at this point.

He now has five children: Miles, Ryan, Landon, Lexie, and Savannah. He lives in North Carolina with his wife and children.

His ancestry is German, Czech, English, and Irish, he's 5'10" and weighs 180 lbs. He is an avid athlete who runs daily, lifts weights regularly, and competes in Tae Kwon Do. He attends church regularly and reads approximately 125 books a year. He contributes to a variety of local and national charities, and is a major contributor to the Creative Writing Program (MFA) at the University of Notre Dame, where he provides scholarships, internships, and a fellowship annually.(less)

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Quotes from The Best of Me

“That's why I loved being with you. We could do the simplest things, like toss starfish into the ocean and share a burger and talk and even then I knew that I was fortunate. Because you were the first guy who wasn't constantly trying to impress me. You accepted who you were, but more than that, you accepted me for me. And nothing else mattered-- not my family or your family or anyone else in the world. It was just us.” — 190 people liked it

“Don't take my advice. Or anyone's advice. Trust yourself. For good or for bad, happy or unhappy, it's your life, and what you do with it has always been entirely up to you.” — 184 people liked it

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