Novel Review: Me Before You (Me Before You, #1) by Jojo Moyes

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Penguin

Release Date: 2012

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Teaser Tuesday.

 

Goodreads Synopsis:

The New York Times bestseller, soon to be a major motion picture; US release on June 3, 2016.

They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

A Love Story for this generation, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?


From the Trade Paperback edition.

The Cover:

My copy of this book was the movie cover, which I actually think is super cute. I don't usually care for the movie-version of book covers, but I do really like Emilia Clarke, and I think they look super cute as the main characters. The original covers are also really pretty, with big lettering of the title, and the colors used are pretty and fitting. I like how both covers are relatively simple and sweet.

Review:

Even though this is a very slow-burn, family-oriented story, it kept my interest from the beginning. Louisa is an odd girl, as everyone likes to remind her. She's quiet and thoughtful, but cheerful and wears odd clothing. She isn't afraid of being herself, though. The only point that bothered me about her, was how picky she was being about what job she got, despite needing one very badly. She also makes a very cringey scene at one point, at the horse race.

After losing her job, and since she lives with her family and is trying to help pay the bills as the only other person with a job, she has to get another one quick. She ends up being the caretaker of Will, a very rich previous-businessman, who's been paralyzed below the neck. He's angry, and sarcastic, and he doesn't want anyone's help or kindness. He also wants all of this to end.

I was afraid this was going to have a bad ending from the very beginning—and was pretty sure it would—but it still hurt. Louisa grows closer to Will as he starts wanting to open her world. She's been in this small town most of her life, and doesn't really consider going other places. She hasn't wanted to, or has been too afraid. He wants to change that, because he knows there's amazing things out there, even though he doesn't think he can enjoy them anymore.

This dealt with a rather dark, controversial topic, which surprised me. Part of me hates how it all ends—a big part, because it's awful and unfair and I hate it—but, I also sympathize. Will is constantly in pain and always on the edge of being even more terribly ill, and will always have to rely on someone else. He used to be extremely active and adventurous, and he doesn't want to be stuck in a chair his entire life. I get it, and it's his life, his right. It's still awful, though.

I really loved this book, honestly. Louisa and Will don't even really get to start a real romance, and yet their connection is strong. And it's awful. I haven't cried as hard at a book, ever, I don't think. I was practically crying my eyes out, for like an hour, as I read the ending. It's gut-wrenching, in ways I didn't expect, a lot more strongly than I ever expected.

I kind of don't want to read the next book, because I think this one was so good on its own, that I don't think it needs more, and I don't want to ruin it. But I also really liked these characters, and so I might pick up the next book to follow them further anyway.