...was because Amanda Seyfried of HBO's "Big Love" was in the movie (which I have yet to see) and the fact that I used to be a fan of Sparks, but stopped reading his work after the atrocious "The Wedding".

Let me say, his titles have no punch ("The Notebook", "The Wedding", "The Choice", etc.). He should be thinking along the lines of "Gone with the Wind", "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", or "To Kill a Mockingbird", to name a few. Those were memorable titles, and yes, they were the only successful novels by those authors, but I say it's better to write one Great American novel than it is to write ten mediocre novels (though the latter is more profitable), but hey, it's a living.

I did get into this book, though the hook, as so-called writing experts call it, was nonexistent. Mr. Sparks uses his name, his brand, to sell his stories--he no longer needs a hook because his preexisting fanbase are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. The writing is poor and though the dialogue is believable, it's dreadfully dull. All John and Savannah do are go on a series of dates (don't people ever do anything but go out to eat on a date?), argue and write letters to each other, few of which we read, but which I don't mind--I'm not a big fan of reading a bunch of italicized love letters, even in a love story, so I'm not complaining about that.

You know a love story is boring when the relationship between John and his father was much more interesting. I had never heard of Asperger's syndrome (which is why I found it unbelievable that John's father, whose name I have already forgotten, was able to father a child). I believe that John finally having a relationship with his father was worth his whole coin collection, for if Savannah did nothing else for him, she did do that, and I think it was a little nuts how John went off on her when she just mentioned that he might have the condition. I did think John totally overreacted about that, like his father being less than perfect was some kind of sin, when Savannah was just trying to be a friend. I mean, what if she thought his father had cancer and didn't tell him? As it turned out, she really helped John understand his father, which led to the mending of their relationship.

I did think John was pretty dense that he thought his father was normal with a few quirks. No normal person, no matter how quirky, acts like that.

I thought John belonged more with Lucy than Savannah. Savannah was okay at first, though her going into detail about her almost-rape after just knowing John for a couple of days was weird. She wasn't a very smart girl if she accepted an open drink at a party, soda or not. I've never even been to a party where there's been any drinking, and I am not nearly as naive as this girl. That's why I don't go to those parties.

The author tells us that this girl is religious, but I got more of a spiritual vibe from her--religious people don't have sex before marriage, or at least they don't plan it. CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD!!! I thought it was crummy of her to dump him for re-enlisting after 9/11? Such patriotism would make me fall even more in love with him, but no, obviously she couldn't wait just nine more months, or even marry him on his furlough. It wasn't like she was thirty-nine and her biological clock was about to time out or anything. The whole premise just didn't make sense. She didn't even love Tim the same way. Was it the sex? Did she feel obligated because he had picked her up and taken her away from a bad situation, what?

I couldn't dislike Tim--I couldn't blame him for going after Savannah, but why did he wait until John was serving his country to steal his girl? He seemed to take advantage of Savannah's loneliness. Why didn't he pursue her before she met John? It was like he was content to have her as a friend until she found someone else, and then all of a sudden, he had to claim her. His (Tim's) illness really seemed contrived, and I think John was a truly selfless person for doing what he did, but he needs to get over Savannah and find another girl who would be loyal to him. I actually thought him and Lucy would get together, but that isn't implied--it's rather implied that John will pine for Savannah forever, which would be fine if she was worth pining for, but she isn't.

I did agree with John about going out with her friends all the time when he was on furlough, just so she wouldn't get too close and be too sad when he left. How selfish! I really think the only reason she married Tim was because she didn't love him, not in that way anyway. She had never had a serious relationship before in her life, and didn't know how to handle it, so she settled. Well, I hope she's happy!

Dear John, it's time to move on.