Review: The Lucky One

In his 14th book, bestselling author Nicholas Sparks tells the unforgettable story of a man whose brushes with death lead him to the love of his life.

After U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman buried in the dirt during his tour of duty in Iraq, he experiences a sudden streak of luck -- winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph -- his lucky charm.

Back home in Colorado, Thibault can't seem to get the woman in the photograph out of his mind and he sets out on a journey across the country to find her. But Thibault is caught off guard by the strong attraction he feels for the woman he encounters in North Carolina - Elizabeth, a divorced mother -- and he keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate love affair, his secret soon threatens to tear them apart -- destroying not only their love, but also their lives.

Filled with tender romance and terrific suspense, THE LUCKY ONE is an unforgettable story about the surprising paths our lives often take and the power of fate to guide us to true and everlasting love (Amazon.com).

I am not one of those raving Nicholas Sparks fans that talk about how his books are the end all and be all of the modern romantic tale. At times, I find his books to be a bit corny and hokey and this one was really no exception. Unlike his earlier novels (The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, A Walk to Remember), this book just does not seem to have the same zing. In fact, it's almost more of a zud...lol.

The story itself is told through the eyes of three main characters: Elizabeth, Thibault, and Clayton. All the characters are connected in different ways, and their actions with eachother are the true center of the story. At the beginning of the novel, we learn that Thibault is an Iraqi War Veteran, who has walked across the country looking for a woman he has never met. The woman is from a picture that he found half buried in the sand in Kuwait. Thibault views the picture as his "lucky charm," saving him from death many times throughout the war.

Thibault's first meeting with anyone his new town is with Clayton, a self centered, immature, ANNOYING cop from a famously rich family. It is easy to say that this character continually grated on my nerves. Every chapter that was from his point of view made me a bit queasy and I couldn't wait to finish them. Plus, he treats women as nothing more than sexual objects and that totally turned me off from his character.

I don't want to give anymore of the plot away because it will ruin the story for those who want to read it. I'm not saying it was a bad story, it just wasn't Sparks' best and I found it to be a bit far fetched. Who honestly walks from Colorado to the Carolinas with a back pack and a dog? If I were to do it all over again, I would have waited for the MMPB to come out and saved myself some money.
3/5