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The Last Song is a 2009 novel by American author Nicholas Sparks. The Last Song is Sparks' fifteenth published novel, and was written specifically as the basis for the film adaptation by the same name. It was released on September 8, 2009 by Grand Central Publishing. The story revolves around the summer of Ronnie Miller's seventeenth year, during which she is sent to stay with her estranged father. Through their shared love of music, the duo reconnect.

In a meeting between Disney executive Jason Reed and Miley Cyrus to discuss Cyrus' career plans, Cyrus expressed a wish to film a movie similar to A Walk to Remember.[1] The film was based on a novel by the same name written by Sparks in 2002. United Talent Agency, which then represented both Cyrus and Sparks, contacted Sparks and asked him to write a screenplay and novel simultaneously with Cyrus in mind for the lead.[2] The part was intended to be Cyrus' breakout role from her popular Hannah Montana character Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana, with hopes of introducing the actress to adult audiences.[1]

Sparks told Variety Magazine that Miley Cyrus and her family "were very familiar with the work I’ve done in the past. That played a role in this project coming together."[1] Once Sparks' idea had been agreed to by Cyrus, her family, and the film's producers,[1] Disney bought the film rights in September 2008.[3] Of the writing process, Sparks told a crowd at the Paramount Center for the Arts that "On this one, I wrote the screenplay first and then the novel. That’s the first time I’ve done that.”[4] He later told Daily Variety, "This is similar to the way it’s gone with movies based on my novels; it’s just out of order. Certain opportunities garner your interest, and this was one of those."[1]

During development, the plot was kept secret.[5] The title was known as "The Untitled Miley Cyrus Project".[1][6][7] In an online chat in 2008, Sparks wrote that for him "titles come last" in the development of a book, and that though he had the idea for the novel he did not yet have the name

Following his father's death, Steve Miller resigns as a Juilliard piano professor in order to pursue his dream touring as a concert pianist. His long stays away from New York City deteriorate his relationships with his family; His wife Kim ends their marriage and his daughter Ronnie blames him for ruining their family. Ronnie has refused to speak with Steve or play the piano, their shared passion, since the divorce and becomes a rebellious partier. However, three years after the divorce, Kim forces Ronnie, now 17, to spend the summer after graduation visiting Steve along with her 10 year old brother, Jonah. Ronnie had been previously arrested for shoplifting; she is placed on probation with the agreement that charges will be dropped if she stays out of trouble.

Steve now lives in his hometown of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina in a rundown beachfront cottage provided by Steve's first piano teacher, Pastor Harris. Steve has volunteered to recreate the treasured stained glass window the local church lost in a mysterious arson. When his children arrive, Jonah immediately bonds with him over the window, but Ronnie is hostile and miserable. To escape, she visits the town's annual carnival, pausing by a beach volleyball tournament where she collides with player Will Blakelee as he dives for a ball. After storming off Ronnie then meets gothic Blaze, who befriends her and invites her to drink and hang out with her friends- thugs Lance, Teddy, and Blaze's emotionally abusive boyfriend Marcus.

Marcus becomes interested in Ronnie; crushed, Blaze frames Ronnie for shoplifting. Marcus offers to make Blaze confess if Ronnie has sex with him, but Ronnie refuses. Ronnie later confronts Blaze, and although Blaze admits she was wrong, she is trapped: she has been kicked out of her house by her mother, and is staying with Marcus, who forbids her to confess. To earn her keep, Blaze must do anything to keep Marcus happy, including sleeping with him and helping him, Teddy, and Lance earn money with their beach-side fire juggling performances.

Steve surprises Ronnie by believing her when she tells him she was framed, and she begins to soften towards him. She recognizes he has gone out of his way to appease her, including boarding up his beloved piano at her request. Instead, Steve pursues his quest to find God's presence or works on a piano composition using a piano owned by the church.

Steve shows Ronnie, a vegetarian and animal lover, a Loggerhead Sea Turtle nest Jonah encountered near their home. Ronnie vows to protect the endangered creatures, bringing her back in contact with Will, an aquarium volunteer. Ronnie detects Will flirting with her, though she cannot understand his attraction. Will gains her trust by showing her backstage areas of the aquarium and helping guard the Loggerhead nest at night.

Ronnie and Will find themselves quickly falling in love - Ronnie with Will's charm, and Will with Ronnie's non-conformity. The couple spends several blissful weeks together, though their romance is troubled; Will's mother and Ashley attempt to drive them apart and Scott, Will's best friend and beach volleyball partner, is annoyed Will is spending his time with Ronnie instead of practicing for their upcoming tournament. Marcus continues antagonizing Ronnie and blackmails Will with his knowledge of a secret: Scott was responsible for the church arson. Will and Ronnie also worry about the looming end of summer, which brings with it Will's leave for Vanderbilt University and Ronnie's court date. Distressed as they contemplate their problems while dancing at Will's sister's wedding, they decide to have sex. However, as they venture away from the party they are accosted by Marcus, who goads Will into a fight which wrecks the wedding reception. Worried the rich and powerful Blakelees will press charges, Marcus decides to raise money to leave town by putting on the most dangerous fire-juggling act yet the next day, the same day as Will's volleyball tournament. The act begins properly, but Blaze misses a catch and her shirt catches fire. Her screams and the flames attract the attention of the volleyball tournament crowd, including Ronnie and Will. As they drive Blaze to the hospital, Marcus and his crew steal away. Will is so enraged by the thugs that he nearly kills all three, stopped only by Ronnie. At the hospital, Blaze eventually recovers and reconciles with her mother.

Jonah and Ronnie realize Steve is becoming more tired, and are shocked when he begins to cough up blood the same night the Loggerhead nest hatches. After going to the hospital, Steve reveals why he asked them to come - he is dying of stomach cancer, with only a few months left to live. On top of this, Will reveals Scott's secret to Ronnie. Under the stress, Ronnie grows furious and breaks up with Will two days before he leaves for Vanderbilt. However, she reconciles with Blaze; Blaze confesses to framing Ronnie, but is released as an informant when she reveals the church arsonist was Marcus, rather than Scott. A few pass, but Ronnie refuses to return to New York as Steve continues to deteriorate. She compiles a list of questions about Steve's life for him to answer and secretly finishes Steve's piano composition for him. With no word from Will, Ronnie determines their time together is over. In Steve's final days, Blaze helps Ronnie transport Steve's piano to the hospital, where Ronnie plays the composition. Following Steve's funeral, Ronnie moves back to New York, auditions for Juilliard, and is accepted. To her amazement, she also receives a visit from Will in New York who reveals he didn't call because he knew Steve needed her more. He also reveals he has transfered to a new college - Columbia, also in New York. The novel closes as Ronnie and Will hold each other, anticipating their future.