Me Before You

I have never been one to read manuals, that is because the instructions actually make sense when I am using the appliance, and not trying to assemble it. I like to learn on the job. it’s just easier that way. and so it happened that when I picked a book by Jojo Moyes, I did not take time to read the reviews, let alone the finely printed words at the back of the book, that actually take the time to explain to you in brief what the book is all about, instead I just dived in! and for the first time in my life, I wish I had taken the time to read the manual before jumping in, because as it is, this book gave me the biggest book hangover since the Kite Runner! I mopped around for days, and refused to pick another book, as I was tired of my heart being broken. I was that hunkered, two tablets of  Alka Seltzer could not cure my hangover! I wished I could find Jojo Moyes and yell in her face YOU RUINED MY LIFE! dramatic no? ok, then, let me tell you about the book and let you judge for yourself my level of drama, yes? 

Me Before You, is a heartbreakingly romantic novel, that brings to you two people who have nothing in common. Will Traynor, a once upon a time player, with a large life, and of course wealthy and Louisa Clark a simpleton who works as a waitress in a local english cafe. She looses her job as the cafe is closing down , and as fate would have it, Will’s mum is looking for a care giver for her son, who almost lost his life in a tragic accident, but survived leaving him as a quadriplegic with a deformed face and hand, and so as luck would have it, Louisa out of sheer need for a job as she is the breadwinner in her family, accepts the job to be Will’s caregiver, and that is where ladies and gentlemen our story begins. 

This is a love story that’s eloquent not so much in its delivery as in its humanity. We see a mother’s great devotion to her son, in his hopeless state, as difficult as it is, she tries her best. A Father who see’s his once strong son as apathetic and weak, and a strained marriage as a result of their son’s accident. Lou seems to make Will at least “halfway happy,” and her determination to impress him leads her to read improving authors, to watch foreign movies, even to join the once-fearful local library, where she uses the computer to communicate with other caregivers and quadriplegics. Reading these e-mail exchanges is a reminder that the fictional burden borne by Will Traynor is shared by thousands of real people and that the anxieties Lou faces are shared by still more. 

The ending breaks my heart, not only do we see a young man who was once so full of life and vibrant with a fine taste of adventure at his sleeve, we also see a man who has struggles adjusting to his new life, even though everyone around him seem to be doing the best they can, to make him as normal as normal can be, the struggles within him are so immense, that leads him to making that one decision that will break your heart forever and cry for days on end, and probably make you swear off, ever touching a book by Jojo Moyes ever again, but then again you will. Because the truth is, she is a talented author who is extremely good at her job, and once you start reading her books, there is no  stopping.  

If you love a good old fashioned love story, this is definitely the book for you. If you love to cry this book will work just as well for you. However if you like a more macho grizzly Game of Thrones kind of book, then maybe steer clear of this one, as it may not work for you. And just for the record, the movie was not half as good as the book, it did not even come as close, to the descriptive way Jojo Moyes created an affair to remember between Will and Lou. 

Favorite Quote “I just… want to be a man who has been to a concert with a girl in a red dress. Just for a few minutes more “

Your Turn 

Have you read the book? are you also on a mission to hunt down Jojo Moyes and yell in her face? The more the merrier! So what were your thoughts on the book? Share your feelings in the comments below! It will be our little group therapy, I know we need it! 

xo 

The Book Swag