Olivia

 The Last Song~ by Nicholas Sparks ** Storyline/Conflict: ** //The Last Song// is a touching love story about the life of Ronnie Miller; a somewhat rebellious and high-strung teenager, //who// after seeing her parents divorced, is sent to stay with her father for a summer long visit. Her and her father do not exactly share a close relationship, and in spite of her resentment towards him for leaving her family, she had not spoken to him in three years. Ronnie is opposed to spending her vacation with him. After difficult incidences with people she meets in North Carolina, Ronnie threatens to go back to New York. her whole perspective on the visit changes however when she meets Will; a kind boy who she can call her only friend for the summer. After spending time with him, she realizes their compatibility and his easy going vibes... falling hard and fast for him. However after her and Will's relationship comes to an abrupt end, she learns her father was previously diagnosed with cancer, and will not live longer than a few months. In a race against precious time, Ronnie tries to make the best of her time left with her Dad, and learns the importance of forgiveness and letting go. **About the Author**: Nicholas Sparks is one of the most popular and talented authors of romance novels. His writing is best known for being personal, awe inspiring, and truly beautiful in depicting the greatest joys and sorrows of life. Many of Spark's other works such as //Three Weeks with My Brother//(2006) and //The Notebook//(1998), have been New York Times Bestsellers. Sparks is acclaimed for his original, vigorous style of writing, and beautifully heart wrenching depictions of love stories. He lives happily in North Carolina with his wife and five children; where many of his works are set.  **Spark's Unique Style:** Nicholas Spark's style of writing is especially appealing because of the way his words capture the reader's interest, and invite you to ponder events in the plot, and relate them to your own life. The divorce of Ronnie's parents, and tension between her and her father is a very familiar and cliched situation, and anyone who reads is transported back to those times and associated feelings. While reading, one feels as though the book could have been a true story told from a girl like Ronnie's point of view. The events and emotions displayed by the characters are so realistic and vividly described, that you place yourself in the story and wonder what you'd do in the same position. Sparks is praised for the powerful effects of his writing, and strong impression left on readers. This novel in particular is so inspirational in terms of finding the beauty in life, and learning to appreciate the gifts and time you are given. Stylistic elements that are evident in the novel are chapters told from the perspective of characters separately, references to modern day and universal life experiences, evolving characters/ character realizations, and use of dialogue in important parts of the novel to put emotions and conflict into play. Steve: “He finally understood that God’s presence was everywhere; at all times, and was experienced by everyone at one time or another. It was present here and now as his daughter played their song, the last song they would ever share. In retrospect, he wondered how he had missed something so incredibly obvious” (Sparks).
 * “Mr. Sparks did a fantastic job of using Steve’s devotions to illustrate that through God, new beginnings are possible despite your past, if you have faith, believe and trust in God. He continues to illustrate new beginnings by restoring broken relationships between a parent and child, the destroying and reconstruction of a church and learning to love and respect yourself.”


 * Theme: In //The Last Song//, Sparks suggests that the true value of blessings are not clearly recognized until they are gone. **


 * Characters: **

Ronnie Miller~ 17 year old who through the joys and sorrows of love, learns important lessons about life.

Will~ Ronnie's companion and best friend who understands her like no one else, and whose relationship with her changes her entire perspective on life.

Steve Miller~ Ronnie's father; an extremely talented pianist, who once taught at Juilliard and aspired to become famous. After touring with no particular direction, with his troubled marriage, he moved to North Carolina and eventually gave up touring alltogether. During this time apart from his family, he loses contact, and connection with his children. Steve has one summer to reconnect with his son and daughter before the wrath of cancer takes his life. He also seeks to engage in his own spiritual journey as he struggles with the question: What it means to experience the presence of God.

Jonah Miller~ Ronnie's ten year old brother. Unlike Ronnie, he is looking forward to spending the summer with his dad. Pastor Harris~ The local minister, Pastor Harris served as Steve's surrogate father and piano teacher as well as Steve's oldest friend. He provides both Ronnie and her father with moral guidance and strength during their journeys of faith and self discovery.

//The Last Song//, by Nicholas Sparks is a touching story of fate, love, heartbreak and extraordinary faith. Seventeen year old Veronica, “Ronnie” Miller is shipped to a small, Oceanside town in North Carolina to spend the entire summer with her father and little brother, Jonah. Being that her parents divorced years ago, she had not spoken with her father in three years, continuously holding a grudge against him for leaving her family with little explanation. Ronnie remains close minded, until she meets Will… the last person she expects to fall in love with. He seems to be the only person Ronnie can feel and act herself around. Her and Will begin spending a lot of time together; their friendship developing into a romantic relationship that changes her perspective on life from negative to positive. Will brings Ronnie out of her shell of close mindedness, thus causing her to realize her father’s efforts to be kind to her and settle the differences between them. Ronnie and her father’s bond only begins to strengthen when her father’s symptoms of stage four stomach cancer begin to show. With this news, Ronnie is shocked and devastated to find out he won’t live more than a few months. In the little time she has left with him, she seeks to reestablish the close connection they had long ago; desperately trying to conceal the time they spent apart. By her father’s death, Ronnie learns that she was always truly blessed with having her father to guide and teach her… she just couldn’t see it. She learns to fully appreciate his place in her life; his death creating an even bigger place for him in her heart. The Last Song brings awareness to the blessings of life, and the good things we all too often take for granted. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an inspirational and captivating read.
 * <span style="color: #389999; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Review: **

<span style="color: #389999; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">media type="youtube" key="-hsFi5KYzjU" height="315" width="420"

<span style="color: #389999; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">An interview from Nicholas Sparks about writing. <span style="color: #389999; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">"Editorial Reviews." Rev. of The Last Song, by Nicholas Sparks. Amazon. Amazon.com, 2012. Web 17 May 2012. <span style="color: #389999; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">< [|http://www.amazon.com/The-Last- Song-Nicholas-Sparks/dp/0446547565]>.
 * <span style="color: #389999; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Works Cited **

<span style="color: #389999; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Sparks, Nicholas. The Last Song. New York: Grand Central, 2009. Print.

<span style="color: #389999; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">"Editorial Reviews." Rev. of The Last Song, by Nicholas Sparks. Barnes & Noble. Barnesandnoble.com, 2012. Web. 17 May 2012. <span style="color: #389999; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> [sparks/1100059042?ean=9780446547550|http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/last-song-nicholas sparks/1100059042?ean=9780446547550]>.

<span style="color: #389999; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">"Book Reviews." The Last Song, by Nicholas Sparks." Rev. of The Last Song, by Nicholas Sparks. Helium.com. RR Donnell, 23 Sep. 2010. Web. 17 May 2012. []>.