What a Novel Idea!

The Last Song

Nicholas Sparks

Ronnie knows her summer is going to be less than extraordinary when her mother sends her and her younger brother Jonah to spend the entire summer with their father in North Carolina. Having not spoken to her father in three years, Ronnie wants nothing to do with him and his constant piano playing, a talent they once shared together. So, she ventures to a local carnival on the first night she is there and meets Blaze, a girl not unlike herself, and Marcus, who Ronnie is very skeptical about. She also meets Will, the local heartthrob, when he spills her soda on her while he plays volleyball. He knows from the minute he meets her that she is something special, so he tries to start a friendship with her. Will’s attempts seem futile until Ronnie calls the aquarium one night to protect a turtle nest outside her house, and Will answers the call, staying by the nest with her. As their feelings for each other develop, Ronnie’s relationship with her father improves and they begin to rekindle the past. Her father and Jonah diligently work on a stained-glass window for the church which had burnt down. But, when the summer ends, will Ronnie be able to hold onto her relationships with both her father and Will or will their pasts and futures tear them apart? The Last Song is a story of lost love and the hope that a single summer can bring.

Unlike many of Sparks’ novels, this book is told from four different characters’ third-person viewpoints: Ronnie, Will, Steve (Ronnie’s dad), and Marcus. Most of the story is told from Ronnie and Will’s standpoint, but the addition of Steve and Marcus adds some twists and plotlines that would not have been as impactful had they been told from another character’s view. While some people may think this book is a typical teenage summer romance, I think the more important relationship is that of Ronnie and her father. Ronnie does a complete 360 by the end of the book and I was almost proud of her in a way because she reestablished that father-daughter relationship so many girls do not have. The power of family is definitely a prominent theme in this book, as is the ability to trust your heart. On a side note, I found Jonah hilarious the entire time; if only everyone could have a brother like him. The only part of the book I found myself not liking was the end as I predicted it (I hate when I can predict the ending), but overall it was a good read. I would recommend this book to older teenagers, probably more so girls (but guys too), because they would be able to relate to the characters of Ronnie, Will, and even Marcus.  I would also recommend it to anyone who has lost a parent in some way, as Ronnie has very much so lost her father through a divorce. I thought this novel was very well done and I could not put it down once I got into the different plots.  

My Rating: 4/5

This pretty much explains my life.

(via cover-to-cover)

(Source: leilockheart, via literatureismyutopia)

Radical and Radical Together

David Platt

David Platt, pastor at Brook Hills church, explores ways to radically commit yourself to taking back your faith and using that faith for the ultimate purpose of spreading the Word. In Radical, Platt talks about how American culture has had its effects on Christianity and how our beliefs are sometimes skewed by the world we live in. Radical abandonment, which includes giving up some of the luxuries in order to reach out to a greater number of people, is one of the main ways to get closer to our true purpose God has set forth for us. At the end of the book, Platt issues a challenge for radical abandonment which includes the following five steps over the course of one year: pray for the entire world, read through the entire Word, sacrifice your money for a specific purpose, spend your time in another context, and commit your life to a multiplying community. In Radical Together, Platt continues his idea of radical abandonment to the churches and outreach ministries. He discusses six main ideas which he feels are essential for Christians desiring to share the gospel throughout the world which include good can be an enemy, the Word works, the right church depends on the wrong people, and living and longing for the end of the world. Do you want to radically change your life and live better for Christ? Try David Platt’s books as they offer good ideas and guidance to regain your faith.

When I started reading Radical, I wasn’t sure how some of the ideas could apply to my life as a college student. Several times Platt encourages believers to travel to other places or other countries to spread the gospel to those who have never heard it, which is what we should do as disciples. I know I do not have the funds or resources to travel to other places at the moment, but I found many, many other ideas or words from the Bible that were encouraging to me. In the first book, Platt discusses seven beliefs in Romans that I found helpful as I have recently read through Romans and thought there was something more I could get out of it. I also liked the challenge he put at the end of the book and I plan to try to do it over the next year. Even though Radical Together is geared more towards churches, some of the ideas could also be applied to my life. I would recommend these books to any believer who is seeking to get more out of their life or seeking to make their life more aligned to God’s true purpose. I would also recommend them to churches who are trying to have a mission true to Christ or want to be able to reach out and help others more.

My Rating: 4.5/5

What Happened to Goodbye

Sarah Dessen

Mclean Sweet has to reinvent herself yet again after moving to another town with her father, who re-manages restaurants for a living. In each new town, Mclean puts on a different persona, but in Lakeview she does not have a chance to put on a different face other than her own, so she remains Mclean, who she does not know. She tries to avoid the nagging calls from her mother, who has remarried a college basketball coach and desperately wants Mclean to just live with her. But, Mclean has other ideas as she finds herself helping her dad and Opal at Luna Blu, the restaurant her dad was hired to take care of and which Opal owns. Opal has bargained for parking space by agreeing to construct a model of the town which seems near impossible until Mclean and her friends Dave and Deb take over. For once, Mclean is fitting in as herself and even begins to form friendships and develop feelings for Dave. But, is her stay in Lakeview too good to be true? Will Mclean finally discover who she is, or will she have to move again and start all over? What Happened to Goodbye intricately weaves several plots together into a story of self-discovery.

This was one of my favorite Sarah Dessen novels and even though I am no longer in high school or experienced the same situations as Mclean, I found myself relating to her. Mclean is your typical teenager, trying to find where they fit in in the world, even though she has it a bit harder as she is constantly moving and her parents are divorced. I would recommend this book to teenage girls on their own journeys of self-discovery or who have experienced a divorce or separation. Some of the emotions Mclean expresses are a result of her parents’ situation, and I feel she is an extremely relatable character. I would also recommend this novel to anyone who has moved frequently, especially during high school. Mclean has moved to four different towns in two years, and some of the situations she faces in Lakeview she handles a certain way because she is used to moving so much. Teens who may not feel like they belong after moving would enjoy this book and could easily relate to some of the feelings Mclean has or some of the doubts she expresses. On a side note, Mclean’s mom annoyed me to death the whole time, but she did come around in the end!

My Rating: 5/5

(Source: chopstickgirl, via literatureismyutopia)

(via literatureismyutopia)

(Source: world-shaker, via cover-to-cover)

Day 30 - An author whose books you will always read

No matter what she writes, I will always read J.K. Rowling’s books. She is coming out with a new novel not related to the Harry Potter series, yet I am really looking forward to reading it. Hopefully she will write more to go with the series in the future, but I will be happy reading whatever she writes.