A Bend in the Road by Nicholas Sparks
In A Bend in the Road by Nicholas Sparks, written in third person omniscient point of view and occasionally first person, Miles, a sheriff for the small town of New Bern, thought his life couldn’t get any worse. His Wife, Missy had been killed in a hit-and-run car accident, leaving Miles with only his son Jonah as family. Sarah is a recently divorce second grade teacher who has moved to New Bern. Miles meets her after finding out she was Jonah’s teacher. Soon, they find themselves falling in love. Suddenly, a lead on Missy’s murder pops up. It was most possibly Otis, a citizen of New Bern, who has a bad reputation. It becomes clear that Miles doesn’t want justice anymore, but vengeance. Worrying about people’s safety, the killer confesses. The truth could be enough to wrench Miles and Sarah apart, destroying both of their lives. The author does a fabulous job telling a story about a man whose thirst for revenge could be enough to wreck his life.

A Bend in the Road was a great read for many reasons. It had wonderful dialogue, stirs intense emotions and thrilling suspense. The one flaw the book had was that it sort of fell flat at the end, and might have been able to have a better ending. Also, the beginning was a little slow, and could have been a little more interesting. The most impressive and engaging thing in this novel was the dialogue. It wasn’t forced, and it was never too formal. It always seemed natural and as if the reader was listening in on a conversation. An example of this could be found on page 312. In this scene, Miles find out who killed Missy. Each phrase just screams at the reader and keeps them at the edge of their seat. The dialogue helps with so many other things that keep this book great.

The characters are formed so well, each with their own unique personality; it is hard to believe they aren’t real people. Even the small roles, that don’t even get mentioned in the summary. Like Brenda, an old friend of Mile’s and new friend of Sarah’s. Brenda is sweet, enthusiastic and treats everyone like family. She is the one that is kind enough to listen to Sarah, and the reader will love her even though she is barely mentioned. This feeling that the reader will get for the characters helps add the intensity and emotions into each scene. The reader will find themselves crying with the characters, shuddering in their seat, and cringing at the insults. An example of this would be the shock when Miles found out who killed Missy. The author writes: “Then the shock sets in. As Brian went on, Miles froze, his face draining of color. His hands tightened reflexively on the armrest … Miles sat like a statue through it all, and when Brian lapsed into silence, Miles seemed to take a moment to register everything Brian had told him … Then, finally, his eyes focused on Brian, as if seeing him for the first time.” As the reader reads this passage the emotion and power of the event impacts them in an intense way. All of these great traits help make a very good mystery plot. The ending is definitely what everyone suspects. This is why the novel was so good. It will keep the reader guessing, and keep the involved in the characters’ world. This is why I give this book a four out of five. Although it wasn’t my favorite book, I did enjoy reading it for the suspense and uniquely developed characters.

A Bend in the Road is recommended for people who love to get attached to their characters and listen in on engaging dialogue. This novel would be perfect for people who love tear-jerkers and romance. Overall, this book would appeal to a large variety to people, and I encourage them to dive into the pages of A Bend in the Road