True Believer

Reader reviewed by Stephanie

Nicholas Sparks' books are all pretty good reads whenever you just need a straight-up old-fashioned he-she happily-ever-after romance. In TRUE BELIEVER, however, I think Sparks tried to make it a little more than that, which is why it doesn't work as well as some of his previous books have.

Jeremy Marsh, cynical city-boy science journalist who specializes in being skeptical and busting myths, travels to middle-of-nowhere Boone Creek, North Carolina to write a story on some mysterious lights that appear in the town's cemetery. Boone Creek is a dying town that tries to attract visitors by promising a historical homes tour and a chance to see the lights.

At first Jeremy doesn't understand why anyone would want to stay in Boone Creek. There are certainly some odd folks in town, and everyone waves to one another, even to strangers! As a New York, Jeremy is disconcerted by that friendly gesture. He is determined that he will solve the mystery of the lights and then head back to New York, where he belongs.

Then he meets Lexie Darnell, the young, pretty, and independent librarian who helps him in his research. The two don't look each other in the beginning: Jeremy has never been confronted with a woman who could resist his charms before, while Lexie just thinks he is another big-city man who writes her beloved Boone Creek off as being unimportant.

But as the two begin to spend more time together, they realize that their initial impressions of each other are wrong. Despite their differences in lifestyles and expectations, despite the fact that Lexie knows Jeremy is leaving at the end of the week and they will probably never see each other again, they grow closer and begin to fall in love, and Jeremy is forced to make a decision he never thought he'd have to make.

Sparks attempts to create a small town full of interesting characters with interconnected stories, but because of this I feel that Jeremy and Lexie's relationship does not develop as completely as it could have. Their personalities seem to change abruptly throughout the novel. Even though TRUE BELIEVER may not be one of Sparks' strongest novels, it is still an intriguing read.

Reader reviewed by artemis

After learning this was a sequel to Make Lemonade, I had to read this. I did, and it was good. It inspired me. I never looked at things that way before. My thinking is different now. I'm making the most out of life--because I only have one, and I need to do as much with it as possible. This story never gets old because it deals with issues teens face today. Some I didn't agree with, but that's just me. People have to make their own decisions in life. There are many surprises and the ending is totally unexpected. It's sad at times, but the book has a victorious feel to it that makes up for those parts. the message is great. Life is what you make it. Meeting or not meeting the challenge is entirely up to you.

Reader reviewed by Dylana

This book was even better than its previous one, Make Lemonade. It was written as if the main character is talking directly to you, telling you her story right then and there. Its very realistic and keeps you reading more to find out what LaVaughn, the main character, is thinking and going to do.
LaVaughn lives with her mother in a rough neighborhood with gangs, shootings, and not many chances for a better life. She wants to go to college someday and get out of this life. Her school helps her with this by putting her in a grammar class, a higher level Biology class, and giving her the chance to be a nurse. She also volunteers at the hopital in the sick children's department.
She then meets Jody, her old childhood friend. He is so cute; she's head over heels for him. He's all she thinks about. He has the same ambitions as she does about college and stuff. She's starting to fall apart from her two friends Annie and Myrtle. They joined a club to express thier devoted faithfulness to God. But LaVaughn isn't sure about God and all this belief.
She feels her life is falling apart when she learns something shocking about Jody. But everyday she realizes that she has a chance in life and to make the most of what she has got. She learn to forgive and forget and see the good side of things. Because that is all that truly matters.
This book was so great. And there is another one after this. Read it!