Review: The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

The Best of Me

Author: Anne Greenwood Brown 
Pages:292
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Release Date: October 11th 2011
Author Website 
Available for Order: Amazon|Barnes and Noble

Source: Library

THE BEST OF ME is the heart-rending story of two small-town former high school sweethearts from opposite sides of the tracks. Now middle-aged, they've taken wildly divergent paths, but neither has lived the life they imagined . . . and neither can forget the passionate first love that forever altered their world. When they are both called back to their hometown for the funeral of the mentor who once gave them shelter, they will be forced to confront the choices each has made, and ask whether love can truly rewrite the past.

My Take:

Ever wish you could have one more shot with the first person you fell in love with. For Dawson life was never really easy because of his last name and where he lived, everyone knew his kind would end up in prison. What changed for him was finding Amanda who he didn't see was also looking for him. Amanda was from a well known family and expected to be with someone her parents were proud of, but falling for Dawson Cole was the easiest thing  for Amanda. She knew he would always be their for her, and the thing was she didn't care what his last name was and what reputation it came with. But with great love comes a heart stopping breakup and for Dawson finding someone else was never in the cards, it would always be Ananda. With years passed and both of them grown up, things have changed but, one thing was constant over the years, that was staying in touch with Tuck Hostetler. Tuck was the one to let Dawson in when his own father didn't want to see his face. For Amanda, spending time with Tuck was something she looked forward to even after so many years went by. She told him all her secrets and he just listened which was something Amanda desperately needed.

But life goes on and getting one single phone call can change everything, for Dawson it was traveling back home, the one place he doesn't like going to. With the family hating him and of course his cousins hell bent on killing him going home should have been the last thing for him to do, but for Tuck he would venture into the one place he thought he would be. For Amanda finding out that the one man who gave you something without actually giving you anything wasn't really easy, she knew her mom would of course find out she was in town. But she had to pay her respects, what seemed like a one weekend getaway, turned out to be a trip to the past. Because when two people love each other like they did its hard not to look to past and hope for a better future. Emotions run high and sometimes the things in reality escape the mind for Amanda seeing Dawson again brought back all her feelings, getting to know someone who you knew all those years ago had never felt so easy. She trusted Dawson and repeatedly said she was married, but with lingering eyes and his soft touch its hard not to think about reality and to just live in the now.

This was a roller coaster for me because it touched my heart, I knew because it's a Nicholas Sparks book that I would get emotionally attached with both characters and hope for a brighter ending. While reading though I could guess the ending because of the fact that she was married, even though it broke my heart when they broke up the first time. The second time toke my heart and split it in two. Love was evident, with the way he spoke to her and was even evident when she spoke to him. Yes they were basically strangers but love never really leaves it just lingers until they can't feel it. These two had it all that time ago and for a brief moment they had it again in that weekend. What my favorite thing was that he really did give her his best of himself and she gave him the same. After reading though I needed a pick me up because when it comes to Sparks you need something just incase.

5/5 stars

Review: Out of Sight, Out of Mind by Marilyn Kaye

Out of Sight, Out of Mind (Gifted #1)

Author: Marilyn Kaye
Pages:222
Publisher: Kingfisher Books Ltd
Release Date: February 2nd 2009
Author Website
Available for Order: Amazon|Barnes and Noble

Source: Borrowed

Thirteen year old Queen-of-mean Amanda Beeson, wakes up one morning in the wrong body. She's become lonely, unfashionable Tracey Devon - one of Amanda's targets for bullying. Amanda discovers that Tracey, ignored at home and at school, has the ability to turn invisible. Amanda sets out to rescue her one-time victim from obscurity - as well as rescuing herself from Tracey's life!

My Take:

Ever wonder if you can see what the other person is seeing, well for Amanda that is no walk in park. She is gifted and with the gift she has know idea how to prevent all she knows is that when she feels sorry for people she sees what they see. It can highly annoying because Amanda never shows her vulnerable side, always showing off her new things and always picking on Tracey who takes all of it. But when Amanda by accident feels sorry for Tracey well the next day Amanda isn't Amanda anymore, she is Tracey. Amanda wants out but how do you come out of someone when you don't even understand the gift in the first place.

Everyday night she hopes to wake up as Amanda and every morning she is Tracey, so pretending to be someone who everyone picks on is kinda hard even when the taunts are coming from herself. Being picked on by yourself has to be tough what Amanda doesn't get is that any word can be hurtful. The one thing Amanda must do is try to figure out a way out and since she has control over Tracey body why not change Tracey. Living in a house with parents who all but forgotten Tracey is tough but when she volunteers to babysit she is finally getting Tracey some recognition in her house and at school.

What Amanda never realized was that the school had a special class set up for the gifted. It taught the kids to not use their gift in front of people and not to warn those when the person is in danger. Because if it ever got out that the kids have powers well any one person can try and manipulate the situation and try using those powers themselves. I really enjoyed this because it allowed a person who did the bullying to see her damage and also allowed Amanda to get to know Tracey even though she wasn't there she knew some part of Tracey knew what was happening. So with powers like these why not start a click or something right.

5/5 stars