Click for Source Image by Laura W
I have to admit something. It’s not very often that I finish a book and immediately reread it. Actually, it has never happened for me, an avid reader. I have never finished a book and immediately started it over again. However, I did with Jojo Moyes’ 2012 hit novel, Me Before You. The novel has hit the tops of the best-seller lists in Britain. I’ll be frank though, read this review with caution.
I have to admit something. It’s not very often that I finish a book and immediately reread it. Actually, it has never happened for me, an avid reader. I have never finished a book and immediately started it over again. However, I did with Jojo Moyes’ 2012 hit novel, Me Before You. The novel has hit the tops of the best-seller lists in Britain. I’ll be frank though, read this review with caution.
Click for Source Image The story is about love. It’s also about family. However, the main message is that of learning to live. 26 year old Louisa Clark, better known as Lou, loses her job in a café and must find herself a new job. After much effort, she finds one working as a personal care assistant to 35 year old Will Traynor. After being hit by a motorcycle several years earlier, Will is now a quadriplegic, requiring constant care. Will is angry, resentful and bitter. While he already has a nurse to attend to his medical needs, Will’s mother hopes that Lou will somehow cheer him up.
The initial outcome seems bleak, as Will is rude and is prone to outbursts. However, Lou is able to grow a backbone and deal with Will and his difficult ways. Where the two have the most difficulty is relating to each other. Lou has never lived her life to the fullest. After being assaulted by several young men a few years earlier, none of which was Lou’s fault, she has lived her life on the straight and narrow. Her confidence to explore the world outside her little village doesn’t exist. Lou leads a cozy existence. Will has, but is no longer able to. The story develops and both end up teaching each other a great deal.
Me Before You sounds like a typical romance novel, or typical transformation/My Fair Lady novel. It isn’t, though. It’s far from it. The story reads well and moves at a decent pace. The characters are human, almost entirely believable and one could almost forget this isn’t a real story. It’s so very difficult to put the book down, as while one may not have experienced what Will and Lou have, there is something within the novel that is relatable. What makes this particular story stand out even more is that it touches on the difficult subject of assisted suicide. While the final outcome of Me Before You is tragic, it’s also not. Lou finally learns to live her life. She is finally able to just live. Jojo takes from her experiences as a novelist and puts them into her novels. She has held nothing back and has, quite honestly, gone right for the feels with this book.
Me Before You is one of the most genuine novels I’ve read in a long time. I’ve read it several times since first reading it and have cried every single time. It’s beautifully written, brutal, honest, and yet tender all at the same time. Highly recommended.
The initial outcome seems bleak, as Will is rude and is prone to outbursts. However, Lou is able to grow a backbone and deal with Will and his difficult ways. Where the two have the most difficulty is relating to each other. Lou has never lived her life to the fullest. After being assaulted by several young men a few years earlier, none of which was Lou’s fault, she has lived her life on the straight and narrow. Her confidence to explore the world outside her little village doesn’t exist. Lou leads a cozy existence. Will has, but is no longer able to. The story develops and both end up teaching each other a great deal.
Me Before You sounds like a typical romance novel, or typical transformation/My Fair Lady novel. It isn’t, though. It’s far from it. The story reads well and moves at a decent pace. The characters are human, almost entirely believable and one could almost forget this isn’t a real story. It’s so very difficult to put the book down, as while one may not have experienced what Will and Lou have, there is something within the novel that is relatable. What makes this particular story stand out even more is that it touches on the difficult subject of assisted suicide. While the final outcome of Me Before You is tragic, it’s also not. Lou finally learns to live her life. She is finally able to just live. Jojo takes from her experiences as a novelist and puts them into her novels. She has held nothing back and has, quite honestly, gone right for the feels with this book.
Me Before You is one of the most genuine novels I’ve read in a long time. I’ve read it several times since first reading it and have cried every single time. It’s beautifully written, brutal, honest, and yet tender all at the same time. Highly recommended.
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