After John’s father dies, he goes to visit Savannah. How has their relationship changed at this point? Is Savannah different from who she was in the beginning of the novel? Do you think Savannah is still in love with John?

Alright, it's not always agitating when John narrated his relationship with Savannah. It was good near the end, though. The conflict was real. Even though Savannah became more hateful than before (at least to my own opinion), it was nice to finally read something interesting between them. What happened to John and Savannah in the end wasn't something that everyone would call a happily ever after, but it's still acceptable to me. Since, you know, i don't really adore this couple. :pNow I'm a more cynical 24 year old, and a lot of the issues and relationship troubles for John and Savannah resonate with me a lot more than they did for my younger, inexperienced self. She said: “I’d like readers to come away with a more textured appreciation of how hard it is to stay connected in a healthy, happy, mutually satisfying romantic relationship where one or both parties are deployed far from home, in situations that involve severe danger. First of all i have to mention this is the first maybe the last novel which i read from endless number of romances of Sparks. It's more than a romance!

As fate must intervene in a story such as this, despite desperately wanting to be together, John continues to re-enlist for another term with the army. September 11 changed his perspective of the world, and felt it his obligation to do so. Savannah, as is understandable, finds it harder to wait for him, with no end date in sight. He served on the staff of Pace e Bene and co-founded Campaign Nonviolence, national week of action against poverty, war, racism and environmental destruction, across the USA.

Nicholas Sparks

Our hero John grew up with a silent, meticulously organized father that he didn't understand. In his teens he began to rebel, hanging out, playing pool and drinking. This continues for a number of years with John working menial jobs, getting several tattoos and going nowhere fast. Eventually John decides its time to grow up and he joins the army. In fact it's during 2 weeks leave that he first meets Savannah, diving into the ocean to rescue her sinking purse. Savannah is your stereotypical good-girl; raised in a stable family she's kind, pretty and hopes to save the world. It's also love at first sight for our couple despite the warnings from her tattoo phobic college friends. Together the pair plans a future together, counting down the days until John's discharge as Savannah helps him understand his father and he in turn feels contentment for the first time in his life.

And when her lips met mine, I knew that I could live to be a hundred and visit every country in the world, but nothing would ever compare to that single moment when I first kissed the girl of my dreams and knew that my love would last forever.” The story is about a romantic couple who fall in love over one summer. They are separated during the man's military service. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. This book needs to have a different title like maybe The Rehash or The Tragic Tragedy . Seriously how many times do we have to hear about the same scenes?!?!

New book explores romantic life in wartime, how and why relationships break down, and the consequences for men and women in uniform, through the phenomenon of the “Dear John” letter, that most notorious of wartime missives. Yet having finished this book a few days ago, I now think it involves all kinds of relationships, not just romantic. As this book taps into all kinds of love. Unrequited love, the love of a sibling, love between best friends, familial love. And yes, romantic love. All equally important, and all equally capable of having you soaring the heights or leaving your heart shattered in a million pieces. Sometimes i want John's life. No friends, special duty for his country, a beach house, surfing on the sea all day. So much lonely but real. Do you think Savannah should have waited for John to come home or do you think it was understandable that she moved on with her life?

Another topic that I greatly appreciated in Dear John was the subject of autism. John has a very troublesome relationship with her father due to this, and not knowing of his dad’s situation, he reacts in a certain way. And I love how Savannah is there to support him, and bond with his dad as well. I loved his hobby – coin collecting. As a stamp collector, I know how much joy there is in finding something rare, and finally completing a set. I was very sad about the outcome on this particular topic, but it is what it is. Wary of the outcome, John succumbs. He engages in little real conversation with his father, who is obsessed with coin collecting and seems unable to talk about much else. Savannah reacts to the situation by offering John a book on autism that she thinks will help him better understand his father’s behavior. John is hurt by the interference, and feels that Savannah is intruding. He brushes her thoughts aside and instead enjoys their time together realizing how much she is filling in his life. Let me start off by saying that I am not a re-reader. My philosophy is why re-read when you can read something new, right? But when I saw the re-release of Dear John by Nicholas Sparks (with Channing Tatum on the cover!!) and the fact that a movie was made based on the novel, I wanted to revisit John and Savannah.John eagerly awaits his discharge from the military so he can begin a life with Savannah, but John also has a deep sense of duty and loyalty to his country and fellow soldiers. After September 11, John makes a decision that will change his life and Savannah’s life forever. Do you think John made the right decision? Does Savannah think he made the right decision? Given the outcome, do you think John regrets his decision?