The Return by Nicholas Sparks is a recent book. It’s not historical fiction, either; in fact, the story takes place between 2014 and 2019. This makes it a bit of a departure for me.
The narrator is Trevor Benson, a graduate of the Naval Academy and a veteran of Afghanistan. He’s a doctor who sustains traumatic injuries in a mortar attack in Kandahar. The injuries leave Trevor with a case of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) that he must live with. The injuries also leave him without a few fingers and one ear.
After leaving the military he travels to North Carolina to stay on his grandfather’s property for a time. He also tends the bee colonies his grandfather used to make honey. While there, Trevor falls for Natalie Masterson, a local policewoman. He also meets Cali, a troubled teenager whom his grandfather once befriended.
What Happens in The Return by Nicholas Sparks?
I went back and forth on how sympathetic a character Trevor actually was. Should I feel for him because he was a doctor whose life was thrown upside-down by injuries in Afghanistan? I’m sure I’m supposed to say yes, and thank the fictional Trevor for his service while I’m at it. But here’s the thing. People are injured and killed in war. He chose to be a doctor in the military—no one forced it on him. In fact, Trevor comes from a very wealthy family. After the sudden death of his parents he becomes what we might derisively call a trust fund baby.
He never flaunts his wealth, which is a plus. And rather than sit on his money, he does desire to have a career eventually. Yet, readers never get the feeling he has much at stake other than finding the love of his life. I suppose one could argue those stakes are plenty high, and maybe so. Yet, those are stakes that everyone faces in life—they don’t set Trevor apart from anyone else.
Natalie is a bit more sympathetic, as is Cali. Like Trevor, both have recently faced difficulties in life. Unlike him, however, they don’t have family wealth to help them through things. They still have to work at jobs. Both have secrets, too, and they turn out to be interesting ones that add to the story.
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Thoughts on the Story
Some things about the story were rather disappointing. The main character is smug at times but his conversations with Natalie are banal. The language of the book is imprecise as well. It features lots of qualifying words—somewhat difficult, etc.,—the literary equivalent of filler words such as “um,” “you know,” or “like.” And some things got past both author and editor that amazed me. Sparks often wrote “as” when he meant “because.” Trevor is studying for a psychiatry residency, yet he “peruses” the books he’s supposed to be learning from. That read really amateur to me. I’d expect a bit more diligence from my psychiatrist, anyway, if I had one.
These issues don’t make the book a bad story, just less impressive than it could have been. It is a romance novel, and Nicholas Sparks is among the most famous of romance authors. The guy does get the girl eventually, and to Sparks’ credit, he makes Trevor work hard to do so.
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Who Will Enjoy The Return by Nicholas Sparks
I’m not an avid romance reader. So, perhaps what I’ve described is more typical than I think it should be in romance books. Not every protagonist needs to either have flawless character or be someone redeemed from their former hedonistic lives because they found the significant other of whom they always dreamed. Trevor is a believable character. I just didn’t find him sympathetic enough to cheer for him without hesitation. That’s important in any novel, not only romances. Others may find him more sympathetic than I did, however. I’ll admit his efforts to help Cali scores some good guy points.
With the reservations stated above, the writing style of the book was fine, and it was an easy read, like romance novels tend to be. If you want to read about the guy finding true love without the author making it too easy, you’ll probably be happy with The Return. If you shout “Hell yeah!” to anything that involves veterans from sheer patriotism alone, then this book should make you happy as well. It might not be great literature, but it’s a decent romance story.
To check out my other recent reviews, please read:
East of Eden, by John Steinbeck
Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte
Killing for Coal, by Thomas Andrews
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As always, I welcome constructive and polite discussion in the comments section. Thank you for reading!