Review of THE GUARDIAN by Nicolas Sparks
This is the September 2016 book club choice for the Rainbow Readers book club. I enjoyed the book. This review gives away the whole plot, so do not read the complete review if you plan to read the book.
The book is basically a love story that ends with a life and death drama.
The book starts out with Julie a recently widowed 25 year old who receives a Christmas present arranged by her husband before he died of a medical condition. It is an ugly puppy, a Great Dane, that she keeps and names Singer. Singer is 'The Guardian.'
The book fast forwards to Julie some years later waking up to find Singer sleeping on top of her and she complains of being unable to breath. Julie is just starting to date. Trying to find someone to be a human companion. Her marriage was a very happy one with her husband Jim being a part of a loving marriage. Singer is a constant companion and Julie speaks to him like a human that completely understands everything that she says.
Mike, a long time friend of Julie's husband is a good friend of Julie's. They feel very comfortable around each other and Mike would like to be more than just friends but can not get up the nerve to ask her out on a date. Julie meets Richard. He charms her and takes her on a serees of fantastic dates. Takes her on a balloon ride, a trip to the opera, and a picnic on the beach. She had a good time but does not feel fireworks going out with him When she tries to break it off with Richard Franklin he does not take it well. Turns out that he is crazy. As a child he killed both his Dad and Mom. They both were abusive and he took his revenge by killing them. Though there were suspicions the police were not able to prove anything and did not pursue it. The excuse presented is that the lives lost were nit very good people anyway.
Richard goes on to commit other crimes including killing his wife Jessica in a fit of jealous rage. The name Richard Franklin is actually an assumed identity. Richard stalked the real Richard, looking for someone whose identity he could assume. He then murdered him and assumed his identity.
The fact that he killed his Dad is at first strongly hinted at but not explicitly stated.
Mike wants to ask Julie out but does not have the nerve. She ends up asking him out. They become a couple. This enraged Richard who has found Julie who looks very much like his wife Jessica and wants her.
Richard goes out with Andrea a co-worker of Julie's at the hair salon. When she opens the door to his photography studio instead of the door to the bathroom she discovers his obsessive stalking of Julie. He beat her near to death and gets rid of the body in a ditch. While close to death and in a coma for some time in the hospital she does revive and survive.
Realizing that Richard was likely the one that beat Andrea, Julie and Mike go into hiding at Mike's brother Henry's beach house Realizing it was likely Richard largely due to the greet detective work of Jennifer the rookie cop that came from a police family.
Richard manages to track them down and launches a plan to poison Singer and to kill Mike and Pete the cop who are protecting her.
The ending is exciting with the reader not knowing who if anyone will survive. Singer despite having six times the dose of poison to kill him rallies and saves Julie's life when she once again rejects Richard and he tries to kill her.
Richard dies as does Singer. Mike, Pete and Julie recover.
In a vision or a dream, Julie sees Singer with her husband Jim presumably in heaven. Mike and Julie presumably live happily ever after.
