The Choice
By Nicholas Sparks, Grand Central Publishing
pp. 272, $13.99




Sometimes one choice that you have to make changes your life forever. In the novel The Choice by Nicholas Sparks, Gaby has to do just that. Gaby is twenty-six years old with a pleasing job, a beautiful new house, and a dog that she has wanted since she was a kid. Everything about her new life in a new town is going well, except for her next-door neighbor, Travis,

Living in a small town in North Carolina in a waterfront house, Travis Parker has the life all young me wish to live. Wanting to live his life to its full extent, Travis travels, hangs out with his friend, jet skis, parasails, and does every other water sport known to man. Travis is in no hurry to have a serious relationship, until Gaby shows up.

In the story, Travis’s perfect life is turned upside down when Gaby moves in next door. With her stunning red hair, beautiful looks, and bubbly personality, Gaby has Travis doing everything he can to get to her. But, the one problem is, Gaby already has a serious boyfriend named Kevin. Since Kevin is away on a trip, Travis, not wanting to miss the opportunity, invites her over to go parasailing on his boat with a couple of his friends. Obviously impressing her, he spends more time with her the next day and then they have dinner at Gaby’s house. Travis can tell that Gaby is falling for him and Gaby knows it too. Gaby is conflicted about whether she wants to stay with her current boyfriend or start a relationship with Travis. What will happen between Gaby and Travis? How will Gaby tell her boyfriend if she fall in love with another man?

Nicholas Sparks’ writing captures the love and romance between Gaby and Travis, adding excitement to the story. When Travis goes over o Gaby’s house for dinner, Sparks describes Travis’s strong emotions towards Gaby: “He found himself unable to turn away, nor could he find his voice. Instead, he stared wordlessly at Gaby, Trying to sort through the jumble or emotions that began to crowd his heart.” (P. 107) Nicholas Sparks’ descriptive writing really makes this scene come to life and made me thing of what it would be like to be a grown woman.

Gaby is a person who feels as if her life is simple and that nothing could go wrong until she meets Travis, and she must make a choice that could change her life forever. This is what makes The Choice an enthralling book, and I recommend it to everyone who loves to read romantic and captivating stories. This book taught me that anything could happen that can change your life when you are independent, and have the chance to make your own decisions.