Photo Source: ComingSoon.net
Motivated by the success of his hit novel The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks aimed to recreate similar characters and obstacles in The Choice. I don’t think The Choice deserves to be a classic like The Notebook, but it’s definitely worth reading.
The Choice is about two neighbours, Travis and Gabby, who fall in love. In their first face-to-face encounter, Gabby storms over to Travis’ deck and falsely accuses his dog of impregnating her dog. I’m not an animal lover, but I didn’t mind reading about their pets. Sparks sprinkles in their dogs Moby and Molly just enough and doesn’t go into great detail when describing the animals at Travis’ veterinary clinic.
Photo Source: Glamour
After convincing herself that Travis is a selfish man who carelessly lets his dog wander around their neighbourhood, Gabby doesn’t change her mind about him until she sees how gentle he is with her dog as a vet. Feeling embarrassed about her rant, Gabby then reluctantly agrees to spend time with Travis and his friends. Little did she know, spending time with her neighbour’s crew while her boyfriend was out of town would mark the beginning of a new chapter in her life.
In just a few days, Gabby becomes mesmerized by Travis and realizes she needs to break up with her boyfriend. From there, they get married, have two daughters and then tragedy strikes years later when Travis and Gabby are in a car accident and Gabby goes into a coma.
At first I thought the book’s title referred to Gabby’s choice between two men, Travis and Kevin. After all, Gabby was anxiously waiting for Kevin to propose. In part two, however, it became clear that The Choice is about something much more serious: life and death.
Set in Beaufort, North Carolina, the same place as A Walk To Remember, the novel tempted me to Google the location to see what it’s like in real life and perhaps even travel to the area someday. As a Torontonian, the small town setting is refreshing and reinforces the novel’s escapist quality.
This is a quick read about the power of love, friendship and family. If you’re a Nicholas Sparks fan, then you’ll probably like it too. The movie adaptation, starring Benjamin Walker and Teresa Palmer, will be in theatres on February 5th, just in time for Valentine’s Day.