The Wish
By Nicolas Sparks
Release Date: September 28, 2021
Audiobook Available from WV Reads!
2 Stars - A sweet and touching but slow drama from Sparks. While he's still a talented writer, his flair for romance seems to have faultered here again. I felt like he just wanted to make readers cry this time. Maggie's a likable heroine but most of her adventurous days are behind her with her cancer diagnosis looming. It's a poetic trip through her memories and journeys with new friends though.
I was disappointed when the book turned out to be more about what the blurb didn't include. Of course, lovers of Sparks' sappy stories will still find stuff to gush over, and he appears to have retained his touch for gorgeous settings and wordy but beautiful descriptions. Maggie's a little hard to relate to though, I suspect for most people. Though I'm sure her struggle resonate or inspire a handful of readers. She's lived life from small towns to traveling the globe, but her heart stayed with Bryce. Unfortunately, we don't really get enough of him. He's caring, loyal, and smart with a tough side.
So, the narration didn't sell me on this one. Mela Lee sounded like she was droning along from the first page. Will Collyer provided a nice break from her basically. It will be tough to go from here without any spoilers but I think my main disappointment was though that the plot of this one just didn't grab me. This has some of the sparks or the yearning so well conveyed in The Notebook ages ago. But the set up here doesn't produce the same overall effect. And this is possibly more similar to The Longest Ride with having Maggie's assistant struggling to forge her own love story along the way. But this lacks the balance of that novel between couples. We all know what we're getting with Sparks' stories, definitely why some love and some hate him. So of course the sad ending and the bittersweet memories of star-crossed lovers is expected. But there was an undertone of sadness this one had from the beginning that kept me from enjoying it. I think Sparks left a lot of Maggie and Bryce's romance behind for a more spiritual and introspective story.
(NS)
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