The Wish by Nicholas Sparks

A good romantic novel feels like a warm cup of hot chocolate on a winter evening. It's cosy enough to tug at your heart making it smile a little bit more. Nicholas Sparks has long been known for putting good romantic novels. I must admit it has been a while since I gravitated towards one of his works but this definitely caught my eye.

When I read the title and the plot summary of the novel, I really got curious on what this wish could be that it warranted this entire story.

I came in with really no expectations but that was a good thing actually. This book surprised me in more ways than I could imagine despite the feeling of calmness all throughout. Here's why.

The Story 

Don't worry, no spoilers ahead. This book is about a famous photographer who loves to travel and live a carefree but suddenly her life  came to a halt when she was diagnosed with cancer and her days got numbered. Each day she felt her physical body and emotions succumbing to her illness.

This starts with her story on the present day. She lives alone and did not seem to have a problem with it. She meets a new employee who at first she was unreasonably cold towards.  

In able to understand how she got to the kind of life she lives now, the book also takes us to the most important part of her past that paved the road. Something happened in her teenage year that caused her to live with her aunt in a small town far from home. This is where she meets Bryce, one of the very few people her age in that town. Bryce started tutoring her and their relationship developed even through what she considered the worst of times.

This book is a very easy but a beautiful read

Nicholas Sparks wrote the events in a manner that is easy to read but does not compromise the substance of the story. The setting is also beautifully described and I just found getting immersed in the town like I've been there as well.

Even though the main plot is in Maggie’s past, the present also holds an equal value because of her ordeal with her illness and how she warmed up to her new employee, Mark. She tells the story of her past to Mark and just like him, I just found myself wanting to know more about what happened with Bryce because obviously, they didn't end up together since Maggie lives alone in the present. 

A large part of the story is teenage love but...

...this should not bother you at all if you’re an adult. Their love story is actually not cheesy and unbearable. Theirs is a love that a lot of people might have experienced. 

"He could have any girl he wanted, while I was nothing but ordinary in all ways that mattered and a definite screwup in the biggest ways of all." - Maggie

Just when I thought that the twist of the story was what happened between Bryce and Maggie which was unreasonably very sad, I was surprised with a much bigger plot twist towards the end. I was prepared to read the last bits of the book only to be blindsided by the sudden revelation. It was uncalled for, but it was still beautiful.  

While reading the book, I had speculations on what the wish could be, but I didn't expect the actual wish and definitely didn't expect that it would come true.

So, should you read this?

I have not read much of Sparks’ works in the past few years because a lot of them were too romantic for my liking. However, this one seems to set itself apart from a lot of them.  More than the romantic part of the story comes a bigger realisation of love in all different aspects and how we should keep a strong hold to those we love most, give them the gift of time as much as we can and never give up on our greatest love. 

I would highly recommend this to those who have loved and lost and to those who love someone they'll never give up on.

"And in the end, isn't that the most important thing in life? To be truly known and loved by someone you've chosen?"