In their unprecedented collaboration, Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan have crafted something genuinely unexpected—a supernatural love story that challenges both authors’ established formulas while creating an entirely new emotional landscape. “Remain” is neither the tear-jerking romance we expect from Nicholas Sparks nor the twist-heavy thriller typical of M. Night Shyamalan, but rather a haunting meditation on love, loss, and the courage required to help others find peace.
A Story Born from Profound Loss
The novel follows Tate Donovan, a New York architect recently discharged from a psychiatric facility following his sister Sylvia’s death from cancer. Seeking a fresh start, Tate travels to Cape Cod to design a summer home for his best friend Oscar. What should be a straightforward professional project becomes something far more complex when Tate takes residence at a historic bed-and-breakfast where he encounters Wren—a beautiful young woman who appears to be the inn’s caretaker but may be something far more mysterious.
The authors establish Tate’s fragile mental state with remarkable sensitivity, avoiding the common pitfall of romanticizing depression. His grief feels authentic and raw, particularly in the hospital scenes where his psychiatrist Dr. Rollins guides him through processing his sister’s death. Sylvia’s deathbed revelation that she possessed the ability to see spirits—a family gift she claims Tate has inherited—initially seems like the delusion of a dying woman. However, as Tate begins experiencing increasingly vivid encounters with Wren, the supernatural elements emerge organically from his psychological journey.
Two Faces of the Same Soul
Where “Remain” by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan truly excels is in its dual portrayal of Wren. During daylight hours, she appears as a warm, intelligent woman who engages Tate in conversations about books, plays Charades, and cooks elaborate meals. This version of Wren seems unaware of her true nature, living in a kind of perpetual present where the bed-and-breakfast operates normally despite having no other guests. The chemistry between Tate and this incarnation of Wren feels genuine and earned, developed through small moments—sharing wine while discussing E.E. Cummings poetry, or Wren’s gentle suggestions for improving Oscar’s house design.
But when darkness falls, Wren transforms into something terrifying. The nighttime version manifests as a tortured spirit trapped in the bathroom where she died, endlessly reenacting her final moments with horrifying violence. These scenes showcase Shyamalan’s mastery of psychological horror, particularly the sequence where Wren repeatedly smashes her head against the bathtub faucet while pleading for help. The authors resist the temptation to explain these manifestations scientifically, instead allowing them to exist in the liminal space between psychological breakdown and supernatural reality.
A Mystery Wrapped in Romance
As Tate delves deeper into Wren’s past, the novel evolves into a murder mystery. Working alongside Oscar, he uncovers a web of suspicious characters from Wren’s life: her abusive ex-husband Griffin, her obsessive former friend Dax, and her business partner Nash who may have been embezzling from their toy store. The investigation provides the book’s most conventional thriller elements, but the authors handle these scenes with surprising restraint, focusing more on Tate’s growing desperation to help Wren than on procedural details.
The revelation that Louise and Reece, the bed-and-breakfast’s caretakers, were responsible for Wren’s death comes through careful character development rather than shocking twists. Their financial motive—gaining control of the property through a poorly drafted trust—feels grimly realistic rather than sensational. The climactic confrontation, where Louise attempts to murder Tate to protect their secret, generates genuine tension precisely because we’ve come to care about these characters as people rather than plot devices.
Where Two Styles Converge
The collaboration between Sparks and Shyamalan produces a unique narrative voice that borrows the best elements from both authors. Sparks contributes his gift for depicting profound emotional connections and the healing power of love, while Shyamalan adds his talent for building atmospheric dread and exploring themes of faith versus rationality. The resulting prose style feels natural and unforced, suggesting the authors found genuine common ground in their storytelling approach.
The supernatural elements never overshadow the human emotions at the story’s core. When Tate finally helps Wren find peace—not through solving her murder but by proving that someone cared enough to seek justice for her—the resolution feels both spiritually satisfying and emotionally earned. The novel suggests that love’s power extends beyond death not through magical thinking but through the very human act of refusing to let others suffer alone.
Technical Mastery and Minor Missteps
The pacing occasionally stumbles during the middle sections where the murder investigation threatens to overwhelm the supernatural romance. Some readers may find the extended conversations with suspects—particularly the confrontations with Dax and Nash—feel more procedural than emotionally necessary. Additionally, certain secondary characters like Dr. Singer at the Mercy Center feel underdeveloped despite their importance to the plot.
However, these are minor criticisms of what is otherwise a remarkably assured collaboration. The authors demonstrate impressive restraint in their supernatural world-building, providing just enough explanation to make Tate’s experiences believable without destroying their mysterious power. The video recordings that capture sound but not images of Wren’s manifestations represent inspired storytelling, suggesting the presence of something beyond normal perception while maintaining plausible deniability.
A Meditation on Grief and Connection
Ultimately, “Remain” by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan succeeds because it uses its supernatural premise to explore very human themes. Tate’s journey mirrors the stages of grief, from denial through anger to eventual acceptance. His relationship with Wren—both versions—forces him to confront his own capacity for love despite the certainty of loss. The novel suggests that meaningful connections can form even under impossible circumstances, and that helping others find peace is often the path to healing ourselves.
The book’s treatment of mental health deserves particular praise. Tate’s depression never disappears completely, nor should it; instead, he learns to live with his grief while remaining open to new experiences. His therapy sessions with Dr. Rollins feel authentic, avoiding both the stigmatization and oversimplification common in popular fiction’s treatment of psychiatric care.
The Literary Landscape
“Remain” by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan fits naturally alongside other supernatural romances like Alice Hoffman’s “Practical Magic” and Sarah Addison Allen’s “Garden Spells,” but with a darker psychological complexity reminiscent of Shirley Jackson’s work. Fans of Sparks’s previous novels like “The Notebook” and “A Walk to Remember” will find familiar emotional territories explored through an entirely new lens, while readers drawn to Shyamalan’s films like “The Sixth Sense” and “Signs” will appreciate the careful balance between supernatural elements and human drama.
Similar Reading Recommendations
For readers who appreciate “Remain’s” unique blend of romance and supernatural mystery, consider these compelling alternatives:
- “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid – For complex relationships that transcend conventional boundaries
- “Mexican Gothic” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – For atmospheric supernatural romance with psychological depth
- “The Invisible Bridge” by Julie Orringer – For love stories that persist through impossible circumstances
- “Ghost Story” by Peter Straub – For sophisticated supernatural horror with emotional resonance
- “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern – For magical realism that explores love and destiny
Final Verdict
“Remain” by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan represents a bold creative risk that pays off handsomely. By combining Sparks’s emotional sophistication with Shyamalan’s supernatural sensibilities, the authors have created something genuinely new—a love story that acknowledges the frightening aspects of deep connection while affirming its transformative power. This isn’t the formulaic romance or predictable thriller that either author might have produced alone; instead, it’s a mature meditation on love, loss, and the courage required to help others find peace.
The novel succeeds not because it perfectly balances its disparate elements, but because it commits fully to its central premise: that love can indeed set us free, not only from our greatest sorrows but even from the boundaries between life and death. For readers willing to embrace its unique blend of genres, “Remain” offers rewards that linger long after the final page—much like the spirits it so movingly portrays.