Bend in the Road, A

Rating:
Summary: So sweet, so very, very sweet
Review: I applaud Mr. Sparks for his books centered in eastern NC, my home. All of the references to the history and places, from what I am aware, are true. I have walked down the streets of New Bern many times. The church, the palace, the restaurants all really do exist. I also applaud Mr. Sparks for writing love stories devoid of the use of unnecessarily foul language and explicit sex scenes. I like his writings, though I agree with some they do tend to be a little too sugary sweet at times. His characters lack dimension. I find myself asking, "yes, but what do they really think?" Also, this book was highly predictable. I knew "whodunnit" for certain by the beginning of chapter 10. If there had been a few more characters in the story, perhaps it would have been more of a challenge. Also, if I had been Sarah, I would have been a little wary of having a relationship with someone who has so much trouble controlling his temper. I think Message in a Bottle and The Notebook were much better stories than A Bend in the Road. I look forward to reading Nights in Rodanthe, another little place on the outer banks of NC that I know very well.

Rating:
Summary: Yuck
Review: How predictable can you get? Very short fast read, if you can suffer through the trials and bad luck of Miles and Sarah. Although not a Sparks fan, I thought I'd try this one out. Obviously, not top on my list.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding! Who could not like this?!
Review: I was just browsing the bookstore and found this by no particular reason. In fact, I've never read any of his books before. I read this book in three days or less and could not wait to rush back to the bookstore the second I was finished to buy ALL of Sparks' books. I won't go into the story since you are able to read about it already, but I will say that it was a fantastic book with a wonderful love story, but with twists too, making you not want the book to end! Let me also add that I just finished 'The Notebook' today and I can't say for sure which one was better. I loved them both! I am about to start 'The Rescue' now. Ignore the bad reviews!

Rating:
Summary: Interesting enough - well told!
Review: If you have read Sparks other books you may expect more, but I wasn't disappointed. It kept my interest, which is what you look for in a fast beach read. I thought The Rescue the best, and loved The Notebook and A Walk to Remember, but this has a good story, believable characters, and an interesting plot. I liked the way it was written with the "guilty" driver telling his part of the story. The main character's wife is killed by a hit and run driver after they have an argument, and he is left with his guilt, a son to take care of and the guilty driver to find, as he is the town cop. Sparks is a master at stories of love and death, and you can't help but get involved with his characters. He manages to do it all without a lot of explicit sex and foul language either. Take this along on a flight or a day at the beach, but don't miss "The Rescue" for an emotional ride and a story you won't soon forget!

Rating:
Summary: An unexpected gem
Review: I don't usually read this type of story, but I was very surprised to find this book not only engrossing, but one of the best books I've read in a long time.

Rating:
Summary: A Fork in the Road...
Review: Do I dare read another Sparks novel for fear of disappointment or should I move on in another direction?? After reading The Rescue, I couldn't wait to start this one. While on vacation last week, I finished A Bend in the Road in a matter of days. I could not help but wonder if it was written in the same amount of time. Very boring dialog between the characters, their thoughts revealed by the author were shallow and predictable. I could not wait to get to the ending of this one. But, unlike other books I have read recently, my anxiety was NOT in order to see how everything came together and feel fulfilled, but to end the agony.

Rating:
Summary: Can I give this NO stars?
Review: Awful. Just awful. I enjoyed "The Notebook" and even "Message in a Bottle," but since then Sparks is just mailing them in. What was his publisher thinking when it decided to let this one go to print? AWFUL. I'm thoroughly ashamed that I read it through to the end. I have only myself to blame.

Rating:
Summary: A Bend in the Road
Review: I didn't care for this story. I expected the author to go into more depth about Miles's and Sarah's relationship. Instead, Mr. Sparks wrote a cross between a romance and a "who-done-it" murder mystery. After reading more than half the book I no longer cared who killed poor Missy and wished she'd died of a brain tumor if she had to die at all.

Rating:
Summary: A Bend in the Road
Review: This book did not hold my attention at all. I felt that it was slow and I didn't care about any of the characters. They were all so pathetic that you really couldn't choose who to feel sorry for. The book was also Highly predictable. You knew everything that was going to happen from the first 3 chapters into the book. I felt that this book was a complete waste of time. Then again Nicholas' only good book was "The Notebook" and even that was slow at times and uneventful.

Rating:
Summary: Beach Read
Review: Entertaining feel-good beach novel, but not particularly well-written. The characters are all-American sicky sweet, and the writing is so simplistic that this book can be read in one day with time to spare. Not awful, but not a great work of literature. Predictable ending.