The Guardian

Rating:
Summary: A great summer read!
Review: This was a great easy read. A little different from the usual Sparks book. Cry at the beginning, suspense in the middle and cry again at the end. With a broken ankle, this book was done in 2 days.

Rating:
Summary: Can't put it down
Review: This book was one of the best books. I have only read two books by Sparks, this being the second, but the story is really good. It's one of those books that you can't put down. Sparks puts you into suspense, the ending is kind of predictable, but all the twists and turns that lead up to it are enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: Different but worthy of attention
Review: I have read about 3 of sparks former works and liked them, but I found this refeshing to combine these jondras the suspense novels, I usually prefer and a real modern day love story is rare. I thought his character development was wonderful. I felt scared and excited at same time. If your not a syrupy sweet love story reader and like some mystery give it a try. My only wish was that it had continued on a bit I felt somewhat deflated at end, with need to tie up better.

Rating:
Summary: good read....
Review: This is def. something you wouldn't expect from Nicholas Sparks, but ultimately it's a good read, I couldn't put it down!

Rating:
Summary: Not his best, but still satisfying
Review: While The Guardian is not my favorite of Spark's books, I found it to be still a satisfying read.

Even Sparks himself acknowledges in the afterward that this book with a plot based half on suspense- was something new for him & that it took a lot of work. I have to say, it was odd reading a book of his where romance wasn't 99% of the book!

In this book we meet Julie, whose husband recently died of cancer. Her life pretty much consists of a few close friends, her job at a hair salon & her quirky dog. Julie, afer a few years of being a loner, decides it's time to get out & date again. And that she does...unfortunately she meets Richard- who turns out to be a little scary. In the meantime her close friend Mike is there to help her pick up the pieces...

Overall I did like the book & loved the characters! I think most Sparks fan will appreciate this book for what it is- his attempt to put a twist into his formula & keep his readers guessing.

Rating:
Summary: A Love Story, A Thriller, A Great Novel
Review: This is the first Nicholas Sparks book I've read, and I knew beforehand that it was different from the rest of his novels. The main character, Julie, has an interesting relationship with her dog, Singer. In the beginning of the book, Julie wakes up with Singer lying on top of her. A Great Dane, he is crushing poor Julie in his sleep. She chides him and forces him off. She converses with Singer, as she treats him like a human. The book starts out neutral, just a story about a young woman widowed for a few years and trying to dip her feet back into the world of dating.

Sparks introduces Mike, the best friend of Julie's late husband, who is in love with her. Living in a small town, everyone knows it, but he is too shy to ask out Julie. Like most of Sparks' novels, the setting is in North Carolina, a small town called Swansboro. The first conflict of the book is the love story. Julie and Mike are best friends, but Mike wants to be much more. To his dismay, Julie has found a man she really likes, Richard. They even go on dates to theaters and a hot air balloon ride.

Despite this, Mike and Julie are still attracted to each other. There is even a specific part in the book where Mike and Richard fight in a club, but the reason is much more than jealously. The real conflict comes when Richard, who is not as he seems, is left out in the dark when Julie's attention turns to Mike. Suddenly, Julie finds herself being stalked, and she's sure it's Richard. There's one part where twenty messages are left on her answering machine with no voices. Things get very exciting from there, all the way until the climax at a beach house, where Richard tries again for Julie's love, hurting others in the process. One of the other conflicts is who is Richard really. Soon, the police force of Swansboro is investigating him, and when they finally uncover his past, filled with murder and obsession, the mystery is solved. Only Richard is still on the loose, and after Julie. The conclusion comes after, a very powerful confrontation between Richard and Julie, and a surprise that comes at the last minute.

I recommend this book to readers of Sparks', as it is a great book, filled with twists and turns, obsession and love. The novel remains a love story, but has an added bonus of the thriller element, showing how a new couple would deal with the man left out, a man who doesn't give up on what he wants, and he wants the girl. Any readers who like a love story with thrills should read it. The Guardian is a very great book, and is about not only the people, but also the dog, Singer, who is Julie's guardian. This book can have a powerful impact on its readers.

Rating:
Summary: Sparks Fanatic Love This
Review: I love Nicholas Sparks and have read everything he has had published. I really loved this book! This was entirely different than his other books but still great. I also had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Sparks when he came to a nearby town for a literacy celebration. I stood in line and got him to autograph my copy of this. I don't usually keep books, but this one I will.

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't Seem to Put This One Down.....
Review: This book cuts a wide swath - there is romance, intrigue, mystery, an animal in a starring role, humor - and does it all with panache.

I hesitated to invest much time in this title because I had been a bit disappointed in Spark's other book, "A Bend in the Road."

What I did appreciate about "A Bend in the Road" was Spark's artistry as a writer - the first sentence in that title was amazing....

I started reading (my mother recommended it, as did another friend so I decided to give it 50 pages to hook me) and thought, "Ok, familiar territory - a youngish, attractive widow, a buddy-best-friend, a handsome mysterious stranger... ok, ok, ok..."

Enter Singer - a posthumous gift from Julie's deceased husband -and I was curious.

Mike, the buddy-best-friend-who-was-naturally-in-love-with-Julie, was likeable... funny, and I couldn't help rooting for him and then the mysterious handsome (and you knew he had to be bad news)character, Richard, was intriguingly three dimensional as well.

I even grew to care about Andrea, the stereotypical lower class co-worker of Julie.

I did something with this book I haven't done in eons - I cared enough about the characters to cry - which to me, says quite a bit about the quality of writing and character development.

I never once said, "Yeah, right" or "I wish this character wasn't ever created" or "I saw that coming from a bajillion miles."

Sparks did a fine job with this one - and now I know I will pick up other books of his... and perhaps give it more than 50 pages to hook me.



Rating:
Summary: Another Great One
Review: Sparks has a way of writing that gets the reader to imagine themselves there with the characters of the book. This was a book filled with love, tragedy and unconditional companionship. Not knowing which man to begin a romance with Julie begins to fall for two men. Soon it becomes all to clear who she should choose. That is when all the action begins. She starts a wirlwind romance with one and the other becomes jealous. She knows she must decide between them. Should she go with the interesting stranger or maybe she should choose her dependable friend who is always there for her? Speaking of always there for her, I have to mention the lovable dog Singer that is always by her side, what a sweetie. Sparks had me hanging on every word and I didn't want to put the book down. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Poor work
Review: This book is very predictable and boring. I've never read a book that is so wordy. Instead of igniting imigination and provoking thought, the author drudges through mundane, descript dialogue.

Waste of reading time.