The Rescue

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
Rating: 9 out of 10

Summary (lots of love to Goodreads): When confronted by raging fires or deadly accidents, volunteer fireman Taylor McAden feels compelled to take terrifying risks to save lives. But there is one leap of faith Taylor can't bring himself to make: he can't fall in love. For all his adult years, Taylor has sought out women who need to be rescued, women he leaves as soon as their crisis is over and the relationship starts to become truly intimate. When a raging storm hits his small Southern town, single mother Denise Holton’s car skids off the road. The young mom is with her four-year-old son Kyle, a boy with severe learning disabilities and for whom she has sacrificed everything. Taylor McAden finds her unconscious and bleeding, but does not find Kyle. When Denise wakes, the chilling truth becomes clear to both of them: Kyle is gone. During the search for Kyle, the connection between Taylor and Denise takes root. Taylor doesn't know that this rescue will be different from all the others, demanding far more than raw physical courage. It will lead him to the possibility of his own rescue from a life lived without love and will require him to open doors to his past that were slammed shut by pain. This rescue will dare him to live life to the fullest by daring to love.

My Thoughts: How better to start a book than by jumping right into the action and adventure? Is there any other way to write a novel than to make the reader fall in love with your characters right away? Two of the best things about this book were that you get thrown into the action and that after the characters "get together" (no spoilers, I mean, it's a Nicholas Sparks book, I know you saw this coming) the book still has more to say. The story doesn't end because the characters seem happy thought, sometimes, I think that maybe my emotions would have appreciated it. 

Another plus was that the characters had depth. I despise characters that are flat or one-sided. Yes, characters are allowed to have a sad past or hate themselves or go through hardships that the book doesn't live through. Characters are allowed to keep secrets. They are complex, just like real people. I think that more author's should embrace the back story. 

Unlike some of Sparks' other novels, I felt that this one constantly had something happening. I always had to turn the page and find out what was happening. I couldn't help but to be pulled into the story. It helps that Taylor is a firefighter but it was more than just that. Also, I was glad that Kyle was a big part of this story. He was adorable and I totally understood what Denise was feeling and why Kyle's problem was just that...a problem. My cousin had the same problem growing up and it does affect a great deal of their lives. It's a lot of work. It was a good thing to add. There was, however, a part that I didn't think was necessary. I think Sparks used one part simply to make people cry and it worked. I think he could have done what he did another way but then again, that's a risk you take when you pick up a book. Sometimes author's just feel the need to do certain things, I understand. I won't hold it against him, as much as I really want to. 

In Conclusion: This may be my favourite book by Nicholas Sparks. I thought that it had just enough action, romance, and drama to keep it exciting. This novel doesn't have chapters that are a "waste of time" or that you could live without. Every part of this book works together to build something incredible. If you like any other Sparks' books, you'll definitely like this one too. I will be rereading this book for sure.

Fun Facts:
The Rescue was the first novel by Nicholas Sparks to debut at # 1 on the New York Times bestseller List?
In the process of writing this novel, Nicholas struggled with severe writer's block?
The main character was named for the producer of the film versions of Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember?