Book Review #2: Me Before You

As I stare at the book cover, ‘Me Before You’ by Jojo Moyes, I am struggling with where to begin. There is so much I want to say about this utterly breathtaking and enchanting novel. It has easily become one of my favourite books of all time.

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‘Me Before You’ is a novel which is centred around the fateful and unprecedented entry of the quirky Lou Clark into Will Traynor’s life. 

Lou Clark had lived a stationary life, heading nowhere until she lost her job at The Buttered Bun tea shop. She is also failing to face her true feelings towards her boyfriend Patrick. Will Traynor is a quadriplegic. His motorcycle accident took away his once strong desire to live. He now struggles daily with the present; dreaming of his past and lives a joyless life whilst burying a chilling secret.

Little do they know how much they will impact and influence each other’s lives for all time.

There is so, so much more to this book than what I have revealed to you all! Its full of shocking twists and turns which constantly makes your heart skip a beat. There is so much emotional depth portrayed through each of the characters, that it’s hard not to share their emotions. My heart was warmed by this book; singing along with the triumphant moments and falling to the pit of my stomach in the heartbreaking. Moyes has done so well in creating such relatable characters in this novel that I felt connected each of them.

Something I also really loved was the first person narration, which was employed by a few of the main characters. I LOVE  it when authors write in this style because I naturally find that I have so many questions about how other characters in certain situations feel and what their views are. 

‘Me Before You’ touched on many important questions that really got me thinking about my own life and my future. It made light upon the importance of having dreams, not letting anything hold you back and how the people you surround yourself with positively or negatively affect you. These are often overlooked.

I really hope I am not making this book come across as a fluffy and predictable read, because that is something it definitely is not.  

Even though a main character of this book is a quadriplegic, Moyes has so evidently taken time to research and have a deep understanding of what it is to be a quadriplegic. She was extremely sensitive with her words and descriptions. I really appreciated it in how she made it simple, yet a huge awakening for myself to read and understand the extent of the difficulties and the restrictions quadriplegics face on a daily basis. I also loved how she incorporated humour and banter into each of the characters interactions.  Her descriptions of absolutely everything in this novel were so deeply thought out, I loved it!!

I found the ending of this book so incredibly emotional, yet so beautiful and uplifting that I honestly had to read the last chapter of the book in my room because I was not too sure how I would react! All I can say is that, this book will DEFINITLEY make you cry. When I finished the novel I can say for certain I have never felt so empty yet determined to life my life to the fullest! (As cliché and vomit worthy as that may sound) I think we all take our lives for granted, when in actual fact each day is so incredibly fragile.

I was so torn finishing this book. It left me with so many twisted and contrasting emotions that I felt so far from consciousness.  Though honestly, I really do think it was the perfect ending. I dreaded the moment I would finish reading the final page; but I guess that’s when you know you have had a great read. I was left asking myself the question, ‘what book can top this?!’.