Me Before You, an amazing book written by Jojo Moyes, makes readers feel a series of different emotions while reading. As a drama/romance with a page count of 480, it’s suitable for a more mature audience as a younger audience wouldn’t be able to comprehend what’s actually going on. There is a movie based on the book, which I have seen, but it pales in comparison by leaving out all the details that make the book so good.
Sweet and bubbly Louisa Clark has to jump from job to job to support her family to keep a roof over their heads. When things don’t go as planned at her current job, Lou is forced to find another job quickly. Her bubbly attitude is tested when she becomes a caregiver for Will Traynor, a wealthy young man who was left paralyzed in a motorcycle accident some years earlier. The way Will starts to see everything starts to change when Louisa shows him that life is worth living. As they spend majority of time together, their minds and hearts began to change in a way they could have never imagined.
I enjoy long reads and I’m glad this book is long because once I started reading I never wanted it to end, and I craved more with each chapter. When I found the book, I skimmed through the pages and found the page count best for me. Once I started reading, the actual book itself became flawless. Every time I flipped through the pages, something interesting or shocking would happen and I couldn’t stop myself from reading.
The two main characters are Louisa “Lou” Clark, a bubbly girl who is always cheerful even if it’s her against the world, and Will Traynor, a miserable gloomy guy who is the complete opposite of Lou. Out of the two, I enjoy Lou’s personality more. Louisa is an astonishing girl and a great fit for the story. I like how Jojo Moyes made these two characters because their personalities, even though they are opposite, compliment the story perfectly. Sometimes it’s hard to find authors who take the time to create great characters with unique personalities like Louisa’s and Will’s.
The story is written beautifully as it is unpredictable with many unexpected moments which sometimes left me in tears. For me, I like stories that I can visualize and feel what the characters are feeling and seeing, and the way Jojo Moyes writes allows me to do just that. This allows me to sympathize more with the characters, which is one of the reasons Me Before You is my favorite book. Jojo Moyes makes readers ask questions to themselves about events that happen in the book, but doesn’t leave the reader curious and answers all questions by the end of the novel.
Me Before You has a great story line that embodies the idea that every story doesn’t have to have a happy ending. Although it didn’t end the way I was expecting, it was amazing and well thought out. Even though I think that Will was selfish, in the end I was able to understand why and get inside the characters thoughts.
Me Before You is a great read that can leave readers with waterworks for several long minutes during, or even after finishing the book. It takes the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions that include happiness, sadness, anger, and many that can’t be put into words, but those traits are what make the book so amazing.
