The Choice

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Format: Paperback
Pages: 336
Rating: 8½ out of 10

Summary (love you Goodreads): Travis Parker has everything a man could want: a good job, loyal friends, even a waterfront home in small-town North Carolina. In full pursuit of the good life -- boating, swimming, and regular barbecues with his good-natured buddies -- he holds the vague conviction that a serious relationship with a woman would only cramp his style. That is, until Gabby Holland moves in next door. Despite his attempts to be neighborly, the appealing redhead seems to have a chip on her shoulder about him...and the presence of her longtime boyfriend doesn't help. Despite himself, Travis can't stop trying to ingratiate himself with his new neighbor, and his persistent efforts lead them both to the doorstep of a journey that neither could have foreseen. Spanning the eventful years of young love, marriage and family, The Choice ultimately confronts us with the most heart-wrenching question of all: how far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?

My Thoughts: We will start with the sad truth that while flying home from Florida, reading this book on the plane, I cried. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is? Only Nicholas Sparks would be this cruel to his audience. 

I was unhappy to find out that the novel is set in 2007 only to then to shot the reader back to 1996. Finding out, later, that it was just a flashback and meant to explain the relationship of the main characters made me feel better about the whole thing. It is also fairly original so you can't let the flashback be the reason that you hate this book. 

I love animals so Travis loving animals made me love him right away. He was also hilarious and adorable and perfect. I'm sorry. I'll stop. 

I hate the name Gabby but she was pretty awesome too so I'll over look the awful choice of name. 

The Choice is a perfect name for this book. Both main characters have huge choices that they need to make. This is a great example on how life gets complicated. I think it's only fair for books to show the world as it is. I understood right away what choice Gabby was going to have to make but I really didn't see what Travis was going to have to go through or what choice he was going to have to make. That's the choice that killed me and I'm not going to spoil it for you! So ha! Suffer like I did.

Final Thoughts: This book was quick, witty, entertaining, full of romance and animals, and was "practically perfect in every way" as Mary Poppins would say. If was are looking for a quick love story that will force you to choke on every emotion in the book from anger to happiness or from causing you to laugh then cry than this book is for you. Classic Sparks for you! He's the best, what can I say.

P.S. I've heard people mention that all of Sparks' novels are the same but, after reading a few, I can't believe this. Yes, they all share elements like love and heart break but don't most good novels? I think that each of his books is different. So far, I think they are all worth a read through at least once. I've enjoyed his novels and I think that you should give them a chance too.