Character List
- Katie- main girl who ran away from an abusive relationship.
- Jo- Alex's dead wife who was a ghost the whole time.
- Alex- a widowed store owner
- Kevin- Katie's abusive husband
- Josh- Alex's son
- Kristen- Alex's daughter
Quotes
1.) “Every couple needs to argue now and then. Just to prove that the relationship is strong enough to survive. Long-term relationships, the ones that matter, are all about weathering the peaks and the valleys.”
-This quote was significant because Alex and Katie did get into a fight and they did stop talking. When they made up and started talking again they got through everything and tried to get past it. It shows that Alex and Katie were going to be a long-lasting couple because they could make it through arguments. It also shows Nicholas Sparks main theme of everlasting love no matter the fights they come to.
2.) “She wasn't exactly sure when it happened. Or even when it started. All she knew for sure was that right here and now, she was falling hard and she could only pray that he was feeling the same way.”
- In this quote Katie started to realize what love really is and how you really should be treated in a relationship and that is when she knew she was falling for him. Nicholas Sparks theme about love is shown in this quote because she is finally falling for him and not holding her guard up against men after her previous abusive relationship.
3.) “Because everybody lies. It's part of living in society. Don't get me wrong-I think it's necessary. The last thing anyone wants is to live in a society where total honesty prevails. Can you imagine the conversations? You're short and fat, one person might say, and the other might answer, I know. But you smell bad. It just wouldn't work. So people lie by omission all the time. People will tell you most of the story...and I've learned that the part they neglect to tell you is often the most important part. People hide the truth because they're afraid." -Jo”
- Jo is trying to tell Katie that the whole time she knew the story she told her about her "friend" that was in an abusive relationship and ran away was about her and she was just too afraid to tell her and she understood that. Jo knows that sometimes you have to lie to protect yourself in order to stay safe. Katie was learning the lesson that in some situations lying is okay as long as it is in the right way of protecting safety instead of consequence.
4.) "I'm not sure anyone's life turns out exactly the way they imagine. All we can do is is try to make the best of it. Even if it seems impossible"
- This was a way of showing you that even though bad things are happening you can get through it and you can make it better or find away to get away from the bad in life and find the good. Nicholas Sparks always has a theme of happiness and he's trying to say you need to find it in everything to have a good life because the better the life you have will depend on how happy you were able to keep yourself.
5.) "When she looked up at him, it was suddenly easy for her to imagine that her fears were pointless. That he would love her no matter what she told him, and that he was the kind of man who loved her already and would love her forever."
- Nicholas Sparks theme of love is showed in this quote because he shows she has finally found a person who is generally nice to her all the time and will treat her the way she needs to be treated to be happy. It is also important because this was one of the moments when she realized that he really did love her and she had a chance to get away from her past to move on and be safe and happy.
-This quote was significant because Alex and Katie did get into a fight and they did stop talking. When they made up and started talking again they got through everything and tried to get past it. It shows that Alex and Katie were going to be a long-lasting couple because they could make it through arguments. It also shows Nicholas Sparks main theme of everlasting love no matter the fights they come to.
2.) “She wasn't exactly sure when it happened. Or even when it started. All she knew for sure was that right here and now, she was falling hard and she could only pray that he was feeling the same way.”
- In this quote Katie started to realize what love really is and how you really should be treated in a relationship and that is when she knew she was falling for him. Nicholas Sparks theme about love is shown in this quote because she is finally falling for him and not holding her guard up against men after her previous abusive relationship.
3.) “Because everybody lies. It's part of living in society. Don't get me wrong-I think it's necessary. The last thing anyone wants is to live in a society where total honesty prevails. Can you imagine the conversations? You're short and fat, one person might say, and the other might answer, I know. But you smell bad. It just wouldn't work. So people lie by omission all the time. People will tell you most of the story...and I've learned that the part they neglect to tell you is often the most important part. People hide the truth because they're afraid." -Jo”
- Jo is trying to tell Katie that the whole time she knew the story she told her about her "friend" that was in an abusive relationship and ran away was about her and she was just too afraid to tell her and she understood that. Jo knows that sometimes you have to lie to protect yourself in order to stay safe. Katie was learning the lesson that in some situations lying is okay as long as it is in the right way of protecting safety instead of consequence.
4.) "I'm not sure anyone's life turns out exactly the way they imagine. All we can do is is try to make the best of it. Even if it seems impossible"
- This was a way of showing you that even though bad things are happening you can get through it and you can make it better or find away to get away from the bad in life and find the good. Nicholas Sparks always has a theme of happiness and he's trying to say you need to find it in everything to have a good life because the better the life you have will depend on how happy you were able to keep yourself.
5.) "When she looked up at him, it was suddenly easy for her to imagine that her fears were pointless. That he would love her no matter what she told him, and that he was the kind of man who loved her already and would love her forever."
- Nicholas Sparks theme of love is showed in this quote because he shows she has finally found a person who is generally nice to her all the time and will treat her the way she needs to be treated to be happy. It is also important because this was one of the moments when she realized that he really did love her and she had a chance to get away from her past to move on and be safe and happy.
Character Profile
Jo- Jo is a kind person. She is the type of person to look out for other people. When Katie first came to town Jo was the first person to talk to her and make her feel like she had someone there for her and make her feel safe. Jo is also a family person. Even though she is a ghost when Jo realizes the good that Katie has in her and sees how Alex looks at Katie she tries to get her to talk to him. She does this one for Alex to be happy and two because she wants her kids to have a good mother figure that would make sure they do good in life. She sees how Katie is good to the kids when she sees them and how Katie is a kind person and knows she is the right person for not only her kids but Alex also.
Katie- Katie is a person with a good heart. She looks out for other people and is always nothing but nice to the people that surround her. She is even polite to complete strangers. She is also a very guarded person and doesn't like to talk to people about herself or get any personal connections with others due to her past with her abusive husband. Katie is also a quiet person she doesn't really talk to anyone and she has always has kept to herself especially after the situation with her husband. Overall she is a nice person who would do anything to help somebody else.
Kevin- He is a mean person. He doesn't have any respect for anyone and is never nice to anyone. The only way he feels tough or strong is by hitting his wife Katie and making her feel terrible. He is a drunk and when he gets drunk he gets worse, hes angry and is rude to everyone that surrounds him at the time that he is drunk. He also isn't worried about he is effecting with what he does he couldn't care less. Like when he goes to burn down the house that Katie was supposed to be in, he didn't think twice about what could happen if Alex or the children were in there he did it anyway.
Katie- Katie is a person with a good heart. She looks out for other people and is always nothing but nice to the people that surround her. She is even polite to complete strangers. She is also a very guarded person and doesn't like to talk to people about herself or get any personal connections with others due to her past with her abusive husband. Katie is also a quiet person she doesn't really talk to anyone and she has always has kept to herself especially after the situation with her husband. Overall she is a nice person who would do anything to help somebody else.
Kevin- He is a mean person. He doesn't have any respect for anyone and is never nice to anyone. The only way he feels tough or strong is by hitting his wife Katie and making her feel terrible. He is a drunk and when he gets drunk he gets worse, hes angry and is rude to everyone that surrounds him at the time that he is drunk. He also isn't worried about he is effecting with what he does he couldn't care less. Like when he goes to burn down the house that Katie was supposed to be in, he didn't think twice about what could happen if Alex or the children were in there he did it anyway.
Book Review
Professional Book Review
Nicholas Sparks is one of those authors who I started reading when I was extremely young, and I have always filed him away in my mind as writing tragic, but real love stories. While Safe Haven is certainly a stellar example of a love story, and there's certainly a tragedy, I have to hand it to the author for trying something a bit different. Though I'm still reeling from this unexpected new thing, I can objectively say that this adds a new dimension to his writing and made this novel a very interesting read indeed.
Katie seems sweet and unassuming, and just one of the folk, but you can tell that she's put up a wall around herself. Readers get to witness that wall begin to crumble little by little as Katie starts forming relationships with Alex, Alex's children and her neighbor Jo. Eventually, we finally get to see vulnerability and fear that Katie has been disguising all this time, although we don't necessarily find out exactly what's really going on until well into the novel. When I discovered what her secret was, my heart broke for her immediately and all I wanted to do was find a way to make sure that she would stay safe, sound and never had to be afraid again.
Enter Alex. Or really, before him, enter Alex's children. There's something disarming about children, something so innocent and pure that you really just cannot help to respond to that. This is what catches Katie by surprise, and eventually what helps her begin to lower her guard. I enjoyed reading about her interactions with the children, as there was no doubt in my mind that they were key to getting her to feel relaxed.
And then there's Alex. Oh Alex. I totally swooned over him in the book even though he's definitely much older than me. He's a widower raising two kids and running the town general store, and in my mind, he's that handsome, slightly older gentleman. He's responsible enough to keep the store stocked, running and with a loyal customer base. He's also a good father who does his best being dad and mom to the kids, and makes time for them. He's also a bit of a romantic, and he clearly loved his wife. When he starts having feelings for Katie, it's clear he's a little nervous and unsure of what he's doing - but that he's willing to try. Cue the swoons from me.
I love the romance in Nicholas Sparks novels, as that is usually what ends up getting to me most of all. Safe Haven is no exception, as I was definitely rooting for Katie and Alex. I could see the potential problems in their relationship, as well as the potentially awesome things too. But it never stopped me feeling like they were meant to be, and that feeling stayed with me throughout the novel.
I hinted at the beginning that there was something unusual about this Nicholas Sparks book, and I will simply say that the story had an unexpected sort of thriller feel to it. I'd hate to spoil this book for the rest of you, but it's definitely a different direction for Sparks. I hesitate to really decide whether I like it or don't, but I will say that it was very well-done indeed.
Nicholas Sparks is certainly skilled at telling these beautiful stories, with characters that feel authentic and settings that make me want to go and visit a small town. While he managed to inject something new into Safe Haven, it certainly comes across as a quintessential Nicholas Sparks tale - a romance, a tragedy and perhaps a chance for a new, well-deserved happily ever after. I enjoyed this one, and I can wholeheartedly recommend it for fellow Nicholas Sparks fans.
My Book Review
The book Safe Haven has a some good parts but also many bad. Nicholas Sparks always has a love aspect to all of his books. As Katie is falling in love with Alex she is finally realizing the relationship she had with her husband Kevin isn't really how it is supposed to be. He uses her new found love to show how bad her past relationship was and how it really shouldn't be like that. I liked when Alex and Katie started to fall for each other because you could see how she was slowly putting her guard down as she realized that not all men are the same and sometimes you can have a guy who isn't going to hurt you.
I liked this book because it had a sense of young teenage love to it. They started to fall for each other but neither of them would say anything with the fear of not knowing if the other one liked them. The more they saw each other the more they liked each other and you could tell every time with the way the author would describe how one person saw the other as they did something. You could see Alex start to realize he could like or love someone else but still have Jo close to his heart which he never thought he was going to be able to do considering how they ended and to him, Jo and him were gonna last forever.
This book should be recommended to other people because it does have a happy ending. Although it does have some bad parts like her husband beating her or him coming after her she does get away. It has love in it that puts the good ending in the bad things that happened. If she never would've been in a bad relationship she never would've been able to meet someone new who would treat her right and not hurt her. Although it took an extremely bad thing to happen it shows you that bad things will happen to you but it can only go up from there where you will find happiness and good things will happen to you. It also shows the dangers of being in a bad relationship which could tell people to always leave if you are not safe.
Nicholas Sparks is one of those authors who I started reading when I was extremely young, and I have always filed him away in my mind as writing tragic, but real love stories. While Safe Haven is certainly a stellar example of a love story, and there's certainly a tragedy, I have to hand it to the author for trying something a bit different. Though I'm still reeling from this unexpected new thing, I can objectively say that this adds a new dimension to his writing and made this novel a very interesting read indeed.
Katie seems sweet and unassuming, and just one of the folk, but you can tell that she's put up a wall around herself. Readers get to witness that wall begin to crumble little by little as Katie starts forming relationships with Alex, Alex's children and her neighbor Jo. Eventually, we finally get to see vulnerability and fear that Katie has been disguising all this time, although we don't necessarily find out exactly what's really going on until well into the novel. When I discovered what her secret was, my heart broke for her immediately and all I wanted to do was find a way to make sure that she would stay safe, sound and never had to be afraid again.
Enter Alex. Or really, before him, enter Alex's children. There's something disarming about children, something so innocent and pure that you really just cannot help to respond to that. This is what catches Katie by surprise, and eventually what helps her begin to lower her guard. I enjoyed reading about her interactions with the children, as there was no doubt in my mind that they were key to getting her to feel relaxed.
And then there's Alex. Oh Alex. I totally swooned over him in the book even though he's definitely much older than me. He's a widower raising two kids and running the town general store, and in my mind, he's that handsome, slightly older gentleman. He's responsible enough to keep the store stocked, running and with a loyal customer base. He's also a good father who does his best being dad and mom to the kids, and makes time for them. He's also a bit of a romantic, and he clearly loved his wife. When he starts having feelings for Katie, it's clear he's a little nervous and unsure of what he's doing - but that he's willing to try. Cue the swoons from me.
I love the romance in Nicholas Sparks novels, as that is usually what ends up getting to me most of all. Safe Haven is no exception, as I was definitely rooting for Katie and Alex. I could see the potential problems in their relationship, as well as the potentially awesome things too. But it never stopped me feeling like they were meant to be, and that feeling stayed with me throughout the novel.
I hinted at the beginning that there was something unusual about this Nicholas Sparks book, and I will simply say that the story had an unexpected sort of thriller feel to it. I'd hate to spoil this book for the rest of you, but it's definitely a different direction for Sparks. I hesitate to really decide whether I like it or don't, but I will say that it was very well-done indeed.
Nicholas Sparks is certainly skilled at telling these beautiful stories, with characters that feel authentic and settings that make me want to go and visit a small town. While he managed to inject something new into Safe Haven, it certainly comes across as a quintessential Nicholas Sparks tale - a romance, a tragedy and perhaps a chance for a new, well-deserved happily ever after. I enjoyed this one, and I can wholeheartedly recommend it for fellow Nicholas Sparks fans.
My Book Review
The book Safe Haven has a some good parts but also many bad. Nicholas Sparks always has a love aspect to all of his books. As Katie is falling in love with Alex she is finally realizing the relationship she had with her husband Kevin isn't really how it is supposed to be. He uses her new found love to show how bad her past relationship was and how it really shouldn't be like that. I liked when Alex and Katie started to fall for each other because you could see how she was slowly putting her guard down as she realized that not all men are the same and sometimes you can have a guy who isn't going to hurt you.
I liked this book because it had a sense of young teenage love to it. They started to fall for each other but neither of them would say anything with the fear of not knowing if the other one liked them. The more they saw each other the more they liked each other and you could tell every time with the way the author would describe how one person saw the other as they did something. You could see Alex start to realize he could like or love someone else but still have Jo close to his heart which he never thought he was going to be able to do considering how they ended and to him, Jo and him were gonna last forever.
This book should be recommended to other people because it does have a happy ending. Although it does have some bad parts like her husband beating her or him coming after her she does get away. It has love in it that puts the good ending in the bad things that happened. If she never would've been in a bad relationship she never would've been able to meet someone new who would treat her right and not hurt her. Although it took an extremely bad thing to happen it shows you that bad things will happen to you but it can only go up from there where you will find happiness and good things will happen to you. It also shows the dangers of being in a bad relationship which could tell people to always leave if you are not safe.