Dear John Paperback – August 7, 2007

There are four characters that Nicholas Sparks has created, that are so fleshed out, you want to run out into the world and meet them, Stg. John Tyree is one of those 'people'. A protagonist so flawed and yet so 'good' the reader cannot help but feel compassion for him and the hand life and fate have dealt to him. So maybe Dear John is about love, but on so many levels this narrative delves into the many facets of love and its accompanying emotion, grief. All the reader wants to do is hug Stg. John Tyree and reassure him that in the end, everything will be alright.The other three Nicholas Sparks characters who fall into this bracket are, Dawson Cole, Logan Thiebuex, and Ira Levinson.

This is by far my favorite story by Nicholas Sparks, with The Last Song being a close runner up. I actually watched the movie first and fell in love with the actors because they did such a great job portraying all of the emotion this story contains. Since I loved the movie, I got the book. This is the first time I can honestly say that I loved them both the same. The funny thing is there are some significant differences between the two, the ending being the most critical, yet I loved the way the movie ended and I also loved the way the book ended even though they were very, very different. I've never had that experience before.Since this book was entirely in the first person POV of John, the only person's head you are ever in is John's. I think that was one of the things that made the book so poignant for me. It was so decidedly male in regards to the perspective of the story, but in this book Sparks shows a side of men that you can only experience from reading John's internal thoughts. You can't capture that on film, and that was what made the book so powerful.This is a love story in it's purest form and I found it truly inspirational that John gained so much insight and maturity from his relationship with Savannah and their experiences. He learned from the pain as well as the good times, but for John, the painful lessons made him stronger and gave his life another layer to it that he embraced. That was truly inspirational for me. The way John concluded his thoughts about what real love is would make even the toughest of hearts melt. It wasn't sappy either, but truly insightful and touching. If you've never read Sparks before and you want to see some of his best work, start with this one. It's not depressing, but rather hauntingly beautiful, and I loved it!

Wow, this book is hard to evaluate. There are parts of the book which I truly liked. As for the other parts of the book, they were awfully annoying. I read it without too many expectations, so it feels like it didn't really exceed in anything. I thought that the main characters, John and Savannah, were just the kind of characters I don't like to follow-up with in a story because although their reactions are very human, they are also very plain and unimpressive. John is the typical regular hunk who falls in love with a random girl he meets on a stroll on the beach AND YET he just KNOWS that she is the woman of her dreams? I couldn't really buy the idea. It's kinda ironic that the best parts of the book in my opinion revolve around John's relationship with his dad, and THAT was something that moved me to tears. I also liked Tim, who also happens to be very "normal" and yet struck me as a far better character than John.This was an... okay book. Not excellent, not awfully. Just... okay. Still, I'm quite willing to take a look at the other Nicholas Sparks' books.

When I first read the description of the book I wasn't so sure if I wanted to buy it and since we all know the effect Mr. Sparks, which would be when you read one of his book or are watching one of his book movie adaption have a box of Kleenex right beside you because you are going to cry. Anyway, I ended up buying it.Weeks after, one Saturday afternoon when I wasn't doing nothing much I took the book from my bookshelf and after a few pages I couldn't stop and I didn't stop until I finished the book, and course you can imagine the end result? I cried!The story is told in first person and through John's narration you see how he turns to be a rebellious young man into a very brave, kind and very good man. Not only does he put himself in the line of duty for his country but at the end of the story he makes the ultimate sacrifice and for that he's more than a hero.The plot may be simple but is well written and it not only concentrates in Savannah and John story but also the relationship of John and his stranded father. The book touches a very serious subject which is men & women risking their lives behind the enemy lines and the permanent effects it can have in their lives.I wish I could tell you more about the book but I can't spoil it for you, if you already saw the movies (I haven't) from what I heard is not 100% accurate but it does have the essence of the book which for me is important but by all means go to the original material you won't be disappointed. This book is a must READ for you, so far it has been the best book I've read from Mr. Spark so I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.

After a lapse in reading for various reasons, I decided to kick start my passion for reading again sticking to an author I know I've loved in the past. This book was good but I don't have any gushing words I can pass on. It was an easy read and was a safe bet in helping me rediscover my love for page turning, but I also found a craving to start discovering new authors.

So many different stories within this one beautifully written book. I'm so glad I read the book before watching the film as the film does not show the various themes in this book. This is the first time I read a Nicholas Sparks book and I will definitely be reading more. Loved reading this and would recommend! The book will take you through various emotions! Such a powerful story line with the most perfect characters.

I loved the movie of Dear John that I immediately ordered this novel so I could wallow in John and Savannah's world a little more! Nicholas Sparks creates such true to life characters that you really feel you are a part of this world in North Carolina and following John on his postings. It was a little different from the movie which was interesting to see how the original had been changed. I felt the novel conveyed more depth in Savannah and I grasped far more about her choices. Nicholas Sparks creates an excellent narrator in John who draws the reader in to his world and relationships. I most enjoyed John's relationship with his father which the author examined very sensitively, and showed a good knowledge of the autism spectrum without being patronising. This is such a great read and so sad yet so heartwarming. I've definitely become a Nicholas Sparks fan!

Once again I am just thrilled with this novel. Nicholas Sparks seems to understand every human emotion and for me this story rang so true. For him to write with the intensity of emotion shown in this book shows the true understanding of human pain and loss. Beautiful story, written with ferling.

When i first started reading this book i was lile this is going to be boring but then the plot twist of sav and tim getting married and john being okay with it made it an AMAZING bookAmazing read and really reccomend this and all the other books he has written