The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks - Book Report/Review Example

The Last Song is a novel by Nicholas Sparks. It had been published in September 2009 by Grand Central Publishing in New York Since its release, it has reached best- selling status. The popular literary piece had been adapted in film, with the main character portrayed by Miley Cyrus. The novel is a family drama, revolving around a father and a daughter, who after a bitter divorce, is given a chance to renew their relationship. An interesting twist to this drama is a love story between two teen, each different in personality, but bound by a common interest in caring for animals.

Ronnie or Veronica Miller was a struggling 17- year old teenager who gets to spend summer at her father’s beach- side home. After years of estrangement, her mother took her and her little brother to see their father, Steve, who was an aged pianist and art maker. The mischievous teenager that she is, Ronnie struggled fitting in with the small- town crowd. Her vacation at her father’s place did not turn out as she expected. She had been at first embittered by the divorce and was looking forward to close her doors to her father’s reaching out to her.

She was this rebellious child who had a record and getting soft was definitely not her style. What she did not plan was to see what she had been missing all along. She got to know her father the short time they’ve been together. Her short stint had been colorfully added unto when she met Will, a young man who had shown interest in her. That friendship in some way or another helped her see the world in a bigger picture. Ronnie began to open up and realized that the possibility with reuniting with her father was not a bad idea after all.

That realization may have come too late. After spending weeks together, she found out of her father’s illness. Her father died but before that, Ronnie had bonded with him. Ronnie and her brother Jonah built together the stained glass panel their father has started for the local church. It was through this that they get to work on something their father held dear. The novel by Nicholas Sparks is not the typical love story between a man and a woman. It focused mainly on the love shared between a father and his kids.

It tackles common issues that are persistent in current society; of that of the effects of divorce on children and how broken relationships are mended by time and forgiveness. It is an inspiring tale of one’s account of how dreams are realized and how gaps are bridged by common interests. In this case, a passion for music binds the daughter to her father. Ronnie had been a girl wounded by what has occurred between her parents. She had been a troubled kid, trying to find herself, but denying herself the chance to be what she truly wants to be.

She had been qualified for admission to Juilliard but the wound of the past was holding her from living her dream. The pain the divorce of her parents brought her has embittered her to the point of trying to erase whatever trace she has of her father. In some way, it may be her way of dealing with what has transpired. It may also be her way or cutting her father off her life. Steve on the other hand had been patient with his daughter. He humbly accepted Ronnie’s defiance knowing that in some way or another, he may have contributed to the attitude.

Will had been a key influence to Ronnie’s turn of attitude towards her father. He had been essential in making Ronnie realize that life was one big world with boundless possibilities. Ronnie may have been hard on her father at first, but the episode wherein Ronnie tried to protect the turtle eggs from raccoons showed that beneath the defiant facade was a soft- hearted girl who was still every through the daughter his father once knew. With the turn- around of events, Ronnie slowly opened up to her father.

The siblings later finds out their father was dying with stomach cancer. This had been painful and hurtful, especially for Ronnie that has just started to establish a relationship with her father. The novel points that however hurt a person might be, there would also come a time when all the pain and doubt will be erased when one learns to accept things as they unfold. Things may not always end as it is, but it would always end as it should be. This novel also shows that the love of a father to his child is something that cannot be erased, even by distance, even by divorce, even by hurt.

This novel shows that forgiveness can be endless if one is willing to accept unconditionally. This book is a masterpiece. It is beautifully crafted and each character is unique and well- defined. It imparts important lessons that parents and kids can learn from. It subtly tackles issues which are common but are often taken for granted. I personally would recommend this book to those who are in for an interesting read. This novel warms the heart and each reader may personally relate to each character depicted herein.

Reference Sparks, Nicholas (2009). The Last Song. New York, NY: Grand Central Publishing.