Book Review: Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks

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BOOK review
Started on: 28 October 2018
Finished on: 9 November 2018

Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks

Title: Every Breath

Author: Nicholas Sparks
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Pages: 320 pages / 320 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2018
Price: Rp 268,000 (http://periplus.com/)

Rating: 3.5/5
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"A life, after all, is simply a series of little lives, each of them lived one day at a time, and every single one of those days has choices and consequences. Piece by piece, those decisions help to form the people we become."

Hope Anderson is thirty-six years old and has been dating her boyfriend for six years. Without any wedding plans in sight, she decided to stay at her family's cottage alone in Sunset Beach, North Carolina. On the other hand, Tru Walls has never visited America and has lived his whole life in Zimbabwe as a safari guide. However, an unexpected letter from a man who claimed to be his father intrigued him and he finally came to North Carolina. As these two strangers cross paths, their undeniable chemistry made them want to spend more time with one another. They both live in a completely different worlds with different priorities. Tru and Hope are faced with the choice between family duty or their personal happiness.

"Falling in love is the easy part; making that love last amid life’s varied challenges is an elusive dream for many."

If you've known me for a long time, you'd know that I'm quite a fan of Nicholas Sparks because I've read almost all of his books (I used to be able to say ALL, but I missed out on reading his newer books lately). So when I heard that he will be releasing a new book, I decided to read it this time around. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the story as much as I hoped to. Even though I still thoroughly enjoyed Nicholas Sparks' writing style, I think I've somehow grown out of these kinds of story as I got older 😂. At the start of this book, the author explained that he was inspired by a true story and a mailbox called Kindred Spirit that truly exists in real life. Nicholas Sparks was deeply moved by a letter that he read inside that mailbox and decided to write a story around it. Yet, I find it difficult to relate to the story because I don't really believe that love can happen in the span of one or two days. But I guess that's just my personal beliefs and preferences 😂, no offense to anyone who believes in that.

"He'd always believed that anything was possible when it came to love, that any obstacle could be overcome. Wasn't that a truth that nearly everyone took for granted?"

The story is written in third-person point of view and mainly focused on the two main characters: Tru Walls and Hope Anderson. The book begins by giving a background story on each of these characters separately. We got to know Tru, a safari guide living in Zimbabwe, who've been divorced and had a son from his marriage. On the other hand, Hope is a thirty-six year old woman who've been dating on and off with her boyfriend of six years, without any wedding plans in sight. When the two of them met at Sunset Beach, they were naturally drawn to one another and find it comfortable to be together. Although they knew what they felt was special, the priorities in each of their lives contradict. I won't reveal any more than that to avoid spoilers for those who haven't read this book yet, but I have to say there are times when I was quite irritated by Hope's character 😂. On the other hand, Tru is a complete gentleman and I really admire his kindness. At the same time, I also feel like he's too good to be true. These things make them less relatable for me personally, so I wasn't deeply invested in their love story. Nonetheless, as I've said earlier, Nicholas Sparks' writing style still made it bearable and I was able to enjoy it quite well. 

Whenever I read a Nicholas Sparks book, it's always a question whether this one will have a sad ending or a happy ending. Of course I won't spoil what the ending in this book will be, but I'll just say that it's a bittersweet one. People can perceive this ending as either a sad one or a happy one, it depends on your perspective. For me personally, it's a combination of both.

"Mistakes were inevitable, and she'd concluded that regrets could impart important lessons in life, if one was willing to learn from them."

"Meeting you and falling in love with you was an experience I would relive a thousand times in a thousand different lives, if I was ever given that chance."

As a longtime fan of Nicholas Sparks' books, I have to say that I'm not entirely satisfied with this one. When I finished this book, my exact feeling was just "meh". Not that good, but not that bad either. I'm sure there are people out there who would find this book to be extremely sweet and romantic. But because of my personal preferences and principles, I just cannot find myself relating to these kinds of stories. Reading this book makes me want to go on a safari tour, though. I think it will be a thrilling experience to have—at least once in a lifetime 😊.

by.stefaniesugia♥ .