I read the Sparks-Shyamalan book collab (Remain): Here’s how it went…

When I stumbled upon Remain on NetGalley a few months ago, I did a double-take. Nicholas Sparks, the king of heart-wrenching romance, teaming up with M. Night Shyamalan, the master of supernatural thrillers and mind-bending twists? My curiosity was instantly piqued. As a fan of Shyamalan’s films like *The Village* and a casual enjoyer of Sparks’ movie adaptations, I had to see how this unlikely fusion would play out on the page.

I requested the book, devoured it in a day, and I’m here to share my spoiler-free thoughts on this bizarre, fascinating, and ultimately uneven collaboration.

The Setup: A Ghostly Romance in Cape Cod

Remain follows Tate Donovan, a wealthy and emotionally closed-off architect fresh out of a psychiatric facility. Reeling from the death of his sister, he heads to picturesque Cape Cod to design a mansion for his larger-than-life best friend, Oscar. Staying in a historic bed-and-breakfast, Tate finds himself drawn to a mysterious and beautiful woman named Wren.

Their connection is immediate and intense, offering Tate a chance at the vulnerability and love his sister always urged him to find. But there’s a catch—Wren isn’t quite what she seems. The book quickly morphs from a romance into a “whodunit,” as Tate discovers Wren is a ghost and must unravel the mystery of her suspicious death before it’s too late.

What Worked: The Shyamalan Influence Shines

Let’s start with the positives, because there were several.

* **The Cape Cod Setting:** Sparks’ signature talent for crafting an idyllic, almost tangible setting is on full display. The small-town Cape Cod atmosphere is rendered beautifully, providing a perfect, eerie backdrop for the unfolding mystery.
* **The Engaging Mystery:** As a thriller reader, this was the highlight for me. The plot effectively presents a cast of suspicious characters—from a shady ex-husband to a disgruntled business partner—and I genuinely enjoyed playing detective. The book builds a good amount of suspense as Tate pieces together the clues.
* **A Page-Turning Pace:** Despite my critiques, the book is undeniably propulsive. The fusion of a personal emotional journey with a genuine mystery makes it a very fast read. I finished it in a single day, compelled to see how both the romance and the whodunit would resolve.

What Fell Flat: The Sparks Stereotypes

Unfortunately, the elements that pulled me out of the story were hard to ignore.

* **The Female Lead is a Mannequin:** My biggest issue was with the characterization of Wren. She is described almost exclusively through her physical appearance, and the descriptions are… clunky. An early line notes isn’t conventionally beautiful, only for the narrative to then constantly reiterate how stunning she is, focusing on her “crooked tooth” and “intense nose” as quirky exceptions. She’s perpetually in form-fitting yoga pants and crop tops, with sweaters forever falling off her shoulder. The word “beautiful” is used so frequently it loses all meaning, and Wren herself feels less like a character and more like a collection of male-gaze-oriented features.
* **A Predictable Twist:** While the mystery was fun, as an avid thriller consumer, I found the culprit and the final twist relatively easy to spot. The red herrings felt a bit transparent, and my initial prediction proved correct. It was satisfying to be right, but it lacked the shocking punch of a classic Shyamalan ending.
* **A Cynical Feeling:** It’s hard to shake the feeling that this collaboration was, at its heart, a commercial calculation. The official synopsis reveals the movie is already in the works, and the entire project feels engineered for a dual book-and-film promotion. While I don’t doubt the authors are fans of each other’s work, the execution often feels more like a marketing strategy than an organic creative union.

#### **Final Verdict: A Fun, Flawed Experiment**

Remain is a strange beast. It’s not a terrible book by any means, but it’s not a great one either. The compelling mystery and quick pace are bogged down by a shallow romance and a poorly written female lead.

**Who is this for?** If you’re a die-hard Nicholas Sparks fan curious to see him dabble in the supernatural, you might enjoy this departure. If you’re a thriller reader looking for a light, beach-ready mystery with a side of romance, you could have a good time—just be prepared to overlook some cringe-worthy descriptions.

As for me, this was my first Nicholas Sparks novel, and if the portrayal of women is typically this surface-level, it will likely be my last. That said, the mystery was engaging enough that I’m actually curious to see how it translates to film.

**My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5 Stars) – A mixed bag with a fun mystery at its core, let down by a superficial romance.**

Watch my full spoiler-free book review on BookTube to hear more!

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