Message in a Bottle

Rating:
Summary: I read it from cover to cover, nonstop.
Review: I'm not one to read a book quickly. It takes me about 3 months to finish just a short novel. Message in a Bottle was an exception. I simply couldn't put it down. I read, and read, and read, and still couldn't read fast enough. I was finished in a matter of hours. The "message" captured my heart.

Rating:
Summary: Loving is one of the greatest gifts of all
Review: I have to say message in a bottle is one of the most compelling love storys I have ever read! This book takes you through the lives of 2 individauls, the power of love between them and the never ending heartache that is caused-. If you liked "the notebook" then I promise you that you will love "message in a bottle" -

Rating:
Summary: Over-blown and predictable romance
Review: This book is poorly written, has no plot and one-dimensional characters. The author has taken what might have been a 3 page short story and added odd scene descriptions as if, can it be, he were writing a screenplay.

Rating:
Summary: Please read this Novel!!!!
Review: Nicholas Sparks has done it again. His first published novel, The Notebook, was phenomenal, but this one is even better. Mr. Sparks is an exceptional story teller, who can pull you into the story in a heartbeat. You will fall in love with his characters, and you WILL feel their feelings. This book is sure to touch your soul, and make your heart ache.

Rating:
Summary: One of my all-time favorite books
Review: WOW! What a great book! It is probably my all-time favorite. I can't wait for the movie! The book starts out with Theresa finding a bottle when she is out on a morning run on the beach. She opens the bottle to find a beautiful love letter written from Garrett to Catherine. This letter intrigues her very much and eventually she prints it in the local newspaper so others can see the beautiful letter. Well, the AP picks up the article, and the letter is printed in many papers. Eventually, Theresa gets a call from another lady who had found a bottle with a love letter in it also with the names Garrett and Catherine. Well, this is more than Theresa can bare, and she starts to check if there are any more letters, and she does find one, and we finally find out that Catherine is dead. But, Garrett is very much alive, and from the letters she pieces together clues as to find his whereabouts. She finally finds him in a small town in North Carolina off the coast. He owns a scuba diving shop and his boat is right there by the shop. When Theresa inquires about Garrett, she is told he is down at his boat, the Happenstance, and she goes down there, just wanting to see who this man is. But she can't stop there. Garrett invites her out on his boat that evening and she promptly accepts. Well, a friendship evolves from this and eventually the two fall in love, without her telling him how she first really knew of him. When Garrett comes across one of his letters in her drawers, he becomes very upset, and he goes back home after having gone up to Boston with her. He goes out on his boat for the last time when a bad storm rages and Garrett is killed. It broke my heart--as well as Theresa's. Throughout the book, we watch Theresa and Garrett's love blossom. He has been a widower for three years and she has been divorced for three years--each very hurt. But slowly, they begin to overcome their fears and find that they can once again share their love. But Garrett has a hard time letting go of Catherine, and this hurts Theresa. This was a wonderful book and I hope to read many more books in the future by Mr. Sparks. Melissa J. Mills

Rating:
Summary: A real page-turner about Utopian love
Review: I became interested in Sparks' work after reading THE NOTEBOOK. However, this novel surpasses THE NOTEBOOK in character development, reader interest, and plot "thickening." The "rip your heart out" climax is made more acceptable by the bittersweet optimism of Theresa in the final pages. However, keep a box of kleenex handy because you will need them if you love books with a "happily ever after" ending.

Rating:
Summary: sophomoric, no moral fiber, how does a loser end up on top?
Review: I thought The Notebook tore at your heart, and left you believing again in true love. This was such a let down. How could any relationship based on deception, and treading on another's grief and loss have ended any other way....what a waste. I disliked Theresa real quick. Decent human beings don't behave like this. There was no real romance that could ever have come from this..........There are really good books that could have been films, this isn't one.

Rating:
Summary: 1 Star because that's the lowest option given!!
Review: What a piece of crap. Like many others, I read and loved The Notebook. I couldn't wait to read this new book and last night I found out what a waste of time it really was!! I have only thrown away 2 books in all my years of reading and I am on my way to putting this one in the garbage where it belongs. My favorite authors are Thomas Hardy, Leo Tolstoy & Leon Uris so I can love and appreciate great tragic liturature. But this, this is just stupid. Mr. Sparks needs to review what makes a great tragedy - unsurmountable odds, circumstances beyond the characters control that lead to their down fall, decisions with tragic results that cannot be altered. This book has none of those elements and yet Sparks takes a relationship that could have worked and lets the female give up on it for not good reason. Oh, sure, he can't get over his wife. Sparks shows at the end that when faced with the issue, the man did get over his wife. What a pointless waste of time. The whole ending seemed designed to give the reader a "good cry" - give me a break! My suggestion to others is to save your time and don't even consider the movie - if it's anything like the book it will be as great a waste of time. It will be a LONG time before I consider reading another book by Nicholas Sparks.

Rating:
Summary: Not an enjoyable "happily-ever-after"
Review: When I read fiction, I want a book that will leave me feeling good afterwards. I did not get my wish with Message in a Bottle. I wanted to love this book, it has a wonderful premise, but the characters never came to life. I don't even believe they truly loved each other! I suppose, since I hated the ending, that is good. However, if you like this kind of tear-jerker story, read Barbara Delinsky's Three Wishes. At least with it, you will get really mad when the heroine dies, because you will feel like she was someone who could have been your best friend!

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put the book down.
Review: I love the NC coast, so this book sparked my interest from the word go. I wish Theresa could have been more "normal", rather than such a beautiful model-like character. I really could picture Costner and Newman as the male leads. I hope the movie is as good as the book.