A Bend In The Road Book Review

I’ll be direct to the point. This is not just the best Nicholas Sparks novel I’ve ever read but this is also the best book I’ve ever read. Every page is filled with alarming events. The story line, the way the author writes, the composition, the creativity, the element of surprise – everything was exceptional!

Unlike any other novels, Nicholas Sparks’ The Bend in the Road, from the beginning and even in the prologue, immediately caught my attention. An unknown narrator begins the story of Miles Ryan and Sarah Andrews by telling how Miles’ wife of seven years, his high school sweetheart, lived a typical small town life until her death in a hit-and-run accident and how Sarah has gone through a painful divorce with her husband due to her infertility issues. From that kind of introduction, I already know that this forming love story will be interesting.

The first part is just light. However, Sparks was able to make it compelling to the readers by adding humor to Miles’ way of courting Sarah. Well, despite of being sheriff, Miles show how sheepish he is as a gentleman. His courting ideas are rusty. His questions to Sarah are weird. Yet, I find him sweet and adorable just like how Sarah view it. They’re like teenagers! But I have to admit. I laughed really hard when he asked “How’s the fan working out?” and “After your shower, do you wrap your head or do you style it right away?”

But as the story goes on, the relationship between Miles and Sarah gets darker. Miles had a hint of the person who killed his wife so he reopened the case and inspected his expected criminal further. He got crazy to the point that he was suspended in his job and misunderstood Sarah’s advice. As Sarah opened up his problem to her brother, Brian, I witnessed the biggest twist ever.

You won’t believe this but Sarah’s brother accidentally killed Miles’ wife. I don’t know how to explain it clearly here but yes, you read that right. Well, I already assumed before that the killer is someone related to Sarah. I even thought that it was Sarah herself, but through the chapters that are narrated by the killer, I found out that he was a guy. That’s the time when I suspected that the killer was Brian. Although I’d predicted it, I can’t deny the fact that the revelation is indeed a huge revelation.

I really appreciate that there are chapters on his own point of view. It builds the curiosity in me, especially that I have a secret fond of solving crimes like in Criminal Case so I absolutely want to know who the killer is. I love the novel, moreover, because it is so creative with no signs of cliche. Everything was in place even miles being a sheriff and a widower and Sarah being a heartbroken teacher.

But there’s one thing I hate. After Miles knew that the killer was Sarah’s brother, despite of his rage to Brian, and also to Sarah because he thought she used him, he forgave the two but let Sarah go. After a few years, Miles came back to Sarah. I know I have to be happy but I hate that it has an open ending. I want words that will describe their relationship after that. But still, A Bend in the Road is the best novel ever.