Goodreads – Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.
What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to lose her job or that knowing what’s coming is what keeps her sane.
Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he’s going to put a stop to that.
What Will doesn’t know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they’re going to change the other for all time.
Me Before You is a book which has been recommended to me on various occasions and I never got round to picking it up. Frankly I had heard about the ending and being the giant emotional mess that I am, I think I was scared to experience it but I’m so glad I finally gave it a go because it’s beautiful and heart wrenching and it is easily my favourite book so far this year. (most likely forever)
I whole heartedly believe Me Before You deserves the 5 star rating in which I am giving it, JoJo Moyes is a writer who prior to this book I wasn’t familiar with but I found her writing to be exquisite; it was a perfect mix of just enough description to paint a full picture but not too much to make you bored. In fact I fell into the story so easily and felt like I knew the characters personally. Additionally to this her writing was consistent throughout and it kept me interested and intrigued as to what could happen next. Me Before You is a very emotional book, but I never expected it to fill me with so much hope for Will and hope for a certain outcome which ultimately I knew wasn’t going to happen but I held onto that hope with a very strong grip.
Additionally to this, I found myself laughing on numerous occasions throughout the book. Despite it being of a serious subject matter its filled with little jokes along the way and having seen the new extended movie trailer for the upcoming film I did picture Sam Claflin and Emelia Clarke as Louisa and Will. I think Emelia Clarke’s own personal tendencies and characteristics are perfect for Louisa’s Character.
As a whole Me Before You is a romance novel unlike any other, it is the first book I have read which features a protagonist who is suffering from a disability therefore it already set the book apart from others I have read but what also set this book further apart was the heart wrenching love blossoming between Louisa and Will. Firstly they both seem like polar opposites, she loves bumble bee tights whilst he likes to visit the Orchestra or watch Foreign Films with Subtitles. However opposites surely do attract and soon the tension began to build, as a reader I felt like Me Before You offered such a wonderful and unique experience as it drew so many different emotions out of me as each chapter passed and I felt like I was part of the story. It was as if I was experiencing it first-hand rather than as an outsider.
Another unique element to this book and JoJo Moyes writing style is her incorporation of numerous point of views, on the whole the book is from Louisa’s Point of View but as the book progresses and the heavier themes such as Dignitas (Assisted Suicide) are introduced we begin to experience Chapters From Nathans point of view to Will’s parents. This allowed us to build a bigger picture of the story from his loved one’s point of views, we could experience more emotions and understand their thought processes as they each had known him longer than Louisa’s 6 months.
You can go into this book having strong views for or against assisted suicide but the book truly makes you see the point of views and arguments of the person who is suffering and their loved ones. Will’s story was heart breaking, I had so much hope that suddenly there would be a treatment that could fix his disability then he would go back to being the old Will and he and Louisa could live Happily Ever After, like a fairy-tale but the book stayed truthful to real life and their story ended in a much sadder but still beautiful way.
Overall I think Me Before You is a book worth reading no matter the genre you love, it is truly a beautiful but heart breaking story. I have recommended it to so many of my friends already. Once I had finished it I wasn’t sure whether I should do this review straight after or if I should of waited until the morning when my tears were dry, but I couldn’t wait to share my thoughts and hear what you thought during your readings of it.
Furthermore Have you read Me After You? What were your thoughts on the second book? I really want to read more based on Louisa and Will but I don’t know if I can cope with the emotions this book has made me feel. JoJo Moyes is absolutely brilliant!
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