Dear John
Special Forces Army Sergeant John Tyree (Channing Tatum) is home on a two-week leave from Germany. He meets Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried) after he dives into the ocean to retrieve Savannah's purse that had fallen off the pier. John is smitten by Savannah and falls in love at first sight. Savannah is a college student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is on spring break and is helping build a house for Habitat for Humanity. John joins in with Savannah to help build the house. Along the way a budding romance occurs, and Savannah falls deeply in love with John. As she is about to go back to college, she promises to write John overseas during the next 12-months until he returns to her after completing his enlistment. Their love is put to the test when John reenlists after the 9/11 attack. Douglas Young (the-movie-guy)
The book review is below:
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Setting:Wilmington, NC and Lenior, NC. Begins in 2000 and ends with epilogue in 2006.
Dear John is a three part book that starts out with 23 year-old John Tyree, an army enlistee.
The Prologue starts of with the ultimate question, "What does it mean to truly love another?" John Tyree watches as he relives every memory, emotion, and touch while falling in love with Savannah Lynn Curtis.
Part I John as a little kid struggled with finding the balance between himself and his father. While on leave from the Army, he meets Savannah. She goes to UNC Chapel Hill in North Carolina and is in Wilmington, NC to work for Habitat for Humanity. They become quick friends after John dives into deep ocean water in order to retrieve her fallen purse. At a bonfire, with wild college students, John meets Savannah's friend Tim Wheddon. John quickly learns of how inviting and mature Savannah and Tim really are. After the initial meet, John and Savannah meet again at the beach where he teaches her to surf. They then quickly more than just friends. At the end of John's leave, Savannah meets with him at the pier. She mentions that she thinks John's distant father has Asperger's. Asperger's is a developmental disorder which would explain why John's dad is distant, has the same exact schedule and conversation everyday, and is fairly only interested in his gigantic coin collection. After having this conversation, John quickly gets mad and accidentally hits Tim right in the nose, breaking it himself. Savannah and Tim forgive John for what he did. Before he departs, he promises Savannah he'll marry her when he completes his deployment.
Part II, John comes home on leave and him and Savannah spend a very close night together while at one of the empty project houses for Habit for Humanity. Savannah writes him a letter, beginning with Dear John, that promises her love to him. John is very excited to come home to Savannah; however, due to 9/11, John feels the duty to reenlist in the Army. After years away from each other, Savannah writes John another letter. It starts with Dear John and ends with good-bye.
Part III John's father dies after suffering from several heart attacks. He sees Savannah one day and finds out that she married Tim and has been living with Tim and his brother Alan, who suffers from Autism. Tim, while in his death bed, asks John to make Savannah happy and marry her when he passes away. John, making the decision of his life, sells his father's coin collection in order for Tim to find treatment for his Melanoma. John decides to do this after realizing that if a man is selfless enough to let the love of his love go to another man, than he is worth living. Tim was on his death bed but still cared for Savannah's safety and happiness. The treatment for Tim works and he is released from the hospital. John does not regret ever loving Savannah.
The Epilogue ends while John is watching Savannah. He sees her staring at the full moon, proving her unending love for John.
