Book Review: Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

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.

My Thoughts

At first glance you may think you’re about to settle down into a lovely chick-lit romantic comedy…. You may be very mistaken! Me Before You is a romantic novel, and has its moments that will make you laugh and fall in love with the characters over and over again. There are also times where it will more than likely make you want to cry.

Without mentioning too many details as I wouldn’t want to spoil this book for anyone, I would say it covers what most will find to be a very sensitive subject. Should people have the right to choose their own fate and make the choice between life and death, even if those around them aren’t happy with their decision?

This is a very heavy subject and author Jojo Moyes has managed to write about this in a very heartfelt manner with a lot of love and laughs, but still reminding you how serious the subject matter really is and how this personally affects each character in the story.

It had me asking myself what I would do if I were put into this situation and how hard it would be. A subject that is generally ignored by those who are not affected by it in their daily lives yet should be addressed a lot more seriously than it actually is.

Once you get to know the characters you’ll think of them like you would your friends, and you’ll love them! Following Lou on this journey with Will is intense and exciting, it’s also heart breaking and shocking, I didn’t want it to end.

I’d have liked to hear more of Wills thoughts but I think the reason we hear the story in detail from everyone but Will is because this is a reflection of what it is like for a person in his position, people don’t want to listen or know what he wants. Everyone is being a little selfish purely because they love him so much, they don’t agree with his choice but for the wrong reasons. It’s not with his best interests at heart that they don’t agree, they’re actually more bothered about themselves and how it will make them feel.

I couldn’t put this book down, if you’re looking for a story that is both funny and romantic yet very serious and emotionally charged then this is for you.

It might be an emotion roller coaster, but you won’t want to get off.