Life & Times...: Book Review: Safe Haven, Nicholas Sparks

Katie Fieldman is a 27 year old woman, newly arrived in a small town called Southport. She seems like she is running away from something ? Katie is not even her real name. Than who is she ? And what is she running from ? Alex is a retired army officer, now operating a general store and bringing up his two children after his wife's tragic death three years ago. They both fall for each other but they cannot be together because of Katies' past. What is it ? What will happen when Katie's past will catch up to them ? Will they be able to survive it ? Will Katie be able to get over all the scars left behind by her past ?

Published: 2010
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

Goodreads Review: Safe Haven

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I am not much of a romantic book reader but this was one book that I wanted to read for a long time. But it was a disappointment considering how badly I wanted to read it.

I loved the way he has described Katie's feelings. How she used to manage everything so precisely and tried to be perfect around him. The fact that she loved him too much to just leave. Katie's character has been described as very strong. What she goes through and the way she still manages to hold her head high, looking at herself everyday in the mirror, wondering what she has become. Leaving him seems very simple. But its not so simple when you are in love and you keep hoping that it will not happen the next time. But that next time never really comes. Her belief in him was so strong.

I was looking forward to reading the reason behind Kevin's madness. But nothing was told. The focus was kept on Katie and I felt like the other characters were ignored. Especially Kevin's. Sparks did not explain why he did, what he did. Maybe there was no reason for it. But even that should have been told. And it took FOUR years for his Captain and colleagues to figure out that he drinks a lot. In the books, everytime he hit Katie, he was drunk. And he was a detective. Didn't everyday crimes, adultery, murders, blood that he saw had any affect on him ?

Another thing, Alex was an ex-army officer. I mean come on. I get the fact that Katie would want things to be left alone. But when she knew that he was looking for her, then why the hell did not Alex do something about it ? He had contacts in the army, her neighbours the Fieldmans could have identified. He was in love with her, wanted to have kids with her but could not think of helping her. That kind of makes him an idiot.

Why? Oh, why did Nicholas Sparks had to create Carly as some sort of a ghost only seen by Katie ? I hated the fact that he created Carly as an illusion which helps Katie and is very much real to her. At first I thought that its a part of Katie telling her something. But Alex's dead wife giving Katie advice and eating dinner with her, that's a bit far fetched.

What I Learnt ?

I was really thankful for the normal life that we have and that we at times take for granted. Knowing that we don't live the life where people hit each other or are sexually assaulted, beaten, even shouted at everyday, makes us sleep peacefully. We take normal as granted. But normal is really extra ordinary. Something that people wish and pray for everyday.

Quotes From The Book:

"Little girls. They could melt the toughest hearts."

In the end, no matter how hard it is, acceptance helps people move on with the rest of their lives. But sometimes..."

"Everyone lies. Its part of living in a society."

"You see yourself as someone who couldn't get away. I see the courageous woman who escaped. You see yourself as someone who should be ashamed or guilty because she let it happen. I see a kind, beautiful woman who should feel proud because she stopped it from happening ever again."