Reader reduced to tears

All Things Literary

It’s official — a good love story turns me into a complete and total emotional wreck, tears and tissues included.

I just finished James Patterson’s "Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas," and in completely uncharacteristic fashion, I cried my eyes out. I have no doubt that the people who passed by me in the halls of ISAT thought I was a bit strange, as I sat with tears running down my face. But trust me, if you read this book, you would understand what I was going through.

Katie Wilkinson is living a charmed life — she has a prestigious editorial job in New York City and believes she has finally found the man she wants to marry. Yet in one drastic moment, Katie’s life is turned upside down as Matt abruptly walks away from her, leaving behind only a diary for her to read as explanation.

From this point on, the story is told from the diary’s perspective. What Katie finds among the pages is the story of one mother’s journey from marriage to motherhood, chronicling her life from how she met her husband, to her hopes for her future, to her dreams of having a baby.

It becomes obvious that Matt, the man who has just left Katie, is this woman’s husband, and that this diary is chronicling their lives together. What is most significant, however, is that the diary is written as a letter to a little boy named Nicholas, the son of Matt and his wife, Suzanne.

As Katie reads the diary, she is horrified and saddened by the unfolding events, yet she begins to understand why Matt may have left her. Desperate to understand the whole story, Katie forces herself to continue reading, so she can finally comprehend what Matt has been through.

First of all, never did I expect James Patterson to write a book like this—maybe that’s why it took me by such surprise. Patterson typically writes psychological thrillers ("Kiss the Girls," "Along Came A Spider"), so this change was definitely unexpected.

However, I think this radical departure from his typical writing made me appreciate the beauty of the story even more. Patterson proves with this novel that he has the range to write both suspense and romance, without ever compromising his captivating storytelling.

I can attest to his storytelling ability — I finished this book in just two days.

But the story was so much more than just captivating — it felt personal. The diary is filled with such honest and beautiful entries, and the mannerisms that characterize Suzanne’s writing are without a doubt endearing to the reader.

So of course when the diary entries turned tragic, I couldn’t handle it. I felt so connected to the woman writing this diary to her son that, just as I felt her happiness, I equally felt her loss. Cue the tears in the ISAT hallway.

Yes, this book was an emotional rollercoaster, and yes, I embarrassed myself by crying in public, but this book was worth it. Patterson has created a unique and touching love story, and his versatile and poignant writing ability is a welcome change from his typical fare.