Rating: 
Summary: Typical Sparks with a twist
Review: In the "guilty pleasure department," I must admit to liking the books
of Nicholas Sparks (THE NOTEBOOK, MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE,
etc.) . . . they're typically romantic and very quick reading . . . also,
they leave you looking forward to his next effort.So as soon as I was able to obtain a copy of THE GUARDIAN from
my local library, I grabbed it--and was not disappointed in having done
so. In fact, this novel actually surprised me in that it had a romantic
plot, as well as a chilling mystery/suspense side to it . . . throw
in a dog as a main character, and you have something for just
about everybody. The story involves a widow who must fight for her life when one
of her two suitors turns out to be not quite the guy she had
expected he would be. It kept my interest until the very
end . . . actually, make that past the end for Sparks then
included a very insightful Author's Note that helped explain
why he wrote the book . . . here is part of it: The genesis of a novel is always a tricky process. Often it begins
with a vague idea, of in my case, a theme, and for this novel, I chose
the theme of love and danger. In other words, I wanted to write a story
in which two believable characters fall in love, but I wanted to add
elements of suspense and peril that would ultimately put both
characters in jeopardy. I can't remember where I was when I made
the decision to attempt such a story, but I do remember thinking that
I was going to enjoy the process of trying to write a type of novel
that I hadn't written before. Boy, was I ever wrong. Well, let me rephrase that. While I did enjoy the process of writing
the novel, the editing required was far and away the most difficult
I've ever had to do. From first to final draft, the novel went through
eight major revisions until my editor and I were finally satisfied
that the novel accomplished what it set out to do; that is, be a love
story first and foremost, and secondly--in a way that sneaks up on
the reader--a compelling thriller. I wish the above was something done by all authors! There were several memorable passages in the actual book; among
them: He missed talking to her, seeing her smile, hearing the sound of her
laughter. Watching the way her eyes, in the late afternoon when the
sun was just right, seemed to change from green to turquoise. Listening
to the quick intakes of breathe whenever she was getting close to the
end of a funny story. Even the way she punched him in the arm
sometimes. It would break my heart if I thought you'd never be happy again. . . .
Find someone who makes you happy. . . . The world is a better place
when you smile. But like a gambler at a slot machine, hoping the next spin would
change her life for the better, she closed in before she lost her nerve.
Taking his hand, she pulled him toward her, near enough to feel his
body against her. She looked up at him, tilting her head slightly
as she leaned in. Mike, recognizing what was happening but still
having trouble believing it, tilted his head and closed his eyes,
their faces drawing near.
Rating:
Summary: Hey, the dog HAD to die!
Review: Look guys, that dog was her husband. Get it? He HAD to go back to the Great Beyond ... to be reincarnated AGAIN, as her next lover, or maybe her son. Stay tuned to the oh-so-romantic imaginings or Mr. Sparks! But enough about minor plot details. Literarily speaking, the book was the biggest stinker I've ever read ... if you can call that reading.
Rating:
Summary: love
Review: im brian roberson my perspective about the book was unchanging from the moment i picked it up i couldent stop reading i felt as thoug i was actully a part of the book the diferent changes of mood in the book really made my mood change all in all i would deffintly recommened this book to kids and adults of all ages
Rating:
Summary: Love and Danger
Review: This books shocked me when I was done reading it. I was amazed that Nicolas Sparks could write something do thrilling. I have read all of his books and also have the same feeling when I am done...it is a good feeling. This book did something that the others didn't though, it kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't put it down. I loved this book and it was a nice twist for his usual writing.
Rating: 
Summary: The dog...
Review: If you haven't read the book yet, please don't read my review, it will ruin the ending. I'm a HUGE dog lover, HUGE. My dog is just the best thing in the world (next to my husband I guess *smile*). This was cute, especially the dog parts, but the ending had me crying SO hard. He didn't have to kill the dog. That made me never want to read any more Sparks books. Animals go through enough as it is....he didn't need to bring to light another way to kill/torture them. My heart was broken and I couldn't stop hugging my own big ol dog (she thought I was nuts). Please, please, no more cruelty to animals....there is enough already. Adopt a stray! petfinder.org has lists of every organization in every city. My fave (in STL) is www.strayrescue.org. Randy Grimm is an angel. His book "The Man Who Talks to Dogs" can also be found on Amazon.
Rating: 
Summary: Trite and Cliche-ridden
Review: Listening to this novel on public radio, I, too, was convinced that I was hearing some sort of savage satire. This book is written on about an 8th grade level, with all the cliches associated with that age. Please, someone, explain why anyone would find this garbage interesting or compelling?
Rating:
Summary: absolute drivel, sophomoric, waste of time
Review: After hearing a few episodes of this book read on a local public radio station, I was so curious that I checked out the reviews here. I was thinking that the book had to be a spoof. The writing is of the "see spot run" calibre. That it could be a "national bestseller" is almost unbelievable. I'd never heard of Sparks until now, but he seems to have come up with a good formula. (I intended to give this book no stars at all, but Amazon requires a rating of at least one star in order to post a review.)
Rating:
Summary: awesome
Review: There's no other word for this book. Nicholas Sparks never fails to write a page turner, and this one definately fits that discription. You won't want to put it down.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing work by an amazing author
Review: Just when you think that Nicholas Sparks has done all he can do with the genre, he adds another twist. Leaving his comfort zone, Sparks takes a stab at adding aspects of a thriller to his novel, The Guardian. This time, he not only deals with aspects of a love lost and a love found, he adds a psychotic stalked into the mix. When a young woman loses her husband at a young age, he leaves her with a gift, one that will constantly remind her that he is always with her. And it is this gift that helps to her to overcome the battles she faces down the road. Without giving too much of the plot away, I want to convey to you that this mix of genres makes the read one well worth your time and will force you to do some introspection into the choices you make in your own life.
Rating:
Summary: Sparks is back!
Review: Though, at 224 pages, THE GUARDIAN is longer than most of Sparks' novels, it still reads very quickly. This novel is told from the third person point of view, focusing mainly on Julie, but often times jumping to the other characters. The suspense factor in this novel was a nice change from Sparks' previous novels, and though the reader knows who the "bad guy" is early on, and the reader knows that Sparks novels usually end happy, I was still driven to read every single page as quickly as I could! Total fun! Also recommended: THE LOSERS CLUB by Richard Perez
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