Fiction: Romance genre

I read A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks and I have to say, it was one of the few times when I thought the movie was better than the book. I was disappointed by Sparks's use of near-cliche stereotypes. Landon isn't just popular; in the book, he's the class president. He isn't working with Jamie on a play; he invites her to the school dance because he needs a date. Jamie doesn't just volunteer; she works in an orphanage. I can't tell you the last time I saw an orphanage in North Carolina, but okay.

What I liked about the movie was that you see Landon's transformation and realization of his potential without cringing. In the book, I couldn't stop cringing. It's full of high school drama and cliches. His foreshadowing makes the plot twists too obvious. Even the plot structure is strange. There is not much of a climax, and the book seems to go straight from rising action to falling action. Overall, it was a disappointment for me. The movie was a better, more modern adaptation with the basics of Sparks's story.