The Choice

Thoughts on the book:

Travis Parker is a confirmed bachelor, perfectly happy with his life of serial monogamy.  That is, until he meets his new neighbor Gabby Holland, who despises him.  It takes time, but he eventually wins her over.  They fall in love and she chooses Travis over her longtime boyfriend.  The first 3 quarters of the book is the story of how they fall in love and her decision to follow her heart.  The last quarter of the book deals with "The Choice".  Gabby is in an accident that leaves her comatose.  After months in the hospital, against the advice of doctors and even Gabby's own wishes, Travis decides to move her to long term care.  After 3 months there, she wakes from her coma and is able to resume her life with no complications.

Thoughts on the movie: 

The movie follows closely to the book, perhaps a little too closely.  The actors dutifully learned and repeated their lines.  I think the movie lacked feeling and the actors felt like they were cut from cookie cutters.

Conclusion:  

I was really put off by the fact that I read almost the entire book before getting to "the choice".  I was also really put off by the fact that in the midst of a seemingly random story, Gabby specified that after a certain amount of time, she did not want to be kept alive by machines.  Yet, her husband ignored his wishes and made his own decision.

I thought the book and the movie were both quite boring.  This was, admittedly, the first Nicholas Sparks book I've ever read and the third movie I've ever seen.  I felt that it lacked passion and purpose.



Brandi

How to be Single

HOW TO BE SINGLE by LIZ TUCCILLO

Thoughts on the book:

This book is about 5 women in their mid to late thirties who are not quite friends but are trying to survive being single in New York together.  Their individual situations are unrealistic, sad, amusing and just plain uninteresting.  Keeping in mind that I am the target audience, I'd call the book mediocre.  Going in with high expectations, I found that I could not get very interested, though there were some parts that made me giggle.  I would give the book 3 stars out of 5.

Thoughts on the movie:

Oh, where do I start?  I found the main character, Alice, quite unlikable.  She is in her early twenties and seems to have no idea how the real world works.  Rebel Wilson was the best part of the movie.  She was funny and slightly shocking, everything you expect Rebel Wilson to be.  It gets old pretty quick, though.  Honestly, it took everything I had to not leave halfway through and I'm pretty sure my mom fell asleep.  I'd give the movie 1 star out of 5. 

Conclusion:
Even though this was on my list of books that are becoming movies, I found that the two had absolutely nothing to do with each other.  Since the release of this movie, I have been unable to find any legitimate link between the two.  I think the author, Liz Tuccillo may have come to her senses and decided that she didn't want her book being remotely tied to this movie.  If that's the case, she's a very smart woman.

Join me next time for my review of The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy!

Brandi