Me Before You, by Jo Jo Moyes

5 emotional stars!

I actually finished this book a couple weeks ago. However I couldn’t formulate into words how I felt about it. I think I’m ready to discuss this hopeful yet heartbreaking book… I think.

This book follows Louisa whom is called Lou throughout I think the whole book. She lives with her eccentric family all in one house.  Her mother, father, sister and nephew.  Louisa is one of the main bread winners in the house. Her family seems to rely on her having this job so they can keep food on the table.  I’m not sure why their household is like this.  However I instantly loved everyone even if they didn’t make sense and sometimes seemed mean to each other.  Lou also has a boyfriend who has become obsessed with fitness lately and keeps putting Lou on the back burner.  Now that guy really ticked me off at times.  Lou on the other hand seems to be her own person she wears what makes her happy. The descriptions of Lou’s outfits were some of my favorite parts of the book. For the most part she just seems to want to to be happy all the time.

Lou ends up loosing her current job and goes down to the work center to find a new job.  After little hope she ends up getting a position from Will’s mother to keep him company. Will was paralyzed in an accident he only has some movement in his fingers/hands and can move his head some.

Will is broody and grumpy and mean… It is to be expected especially after all he has been through.  He doesn’t want Lou there, but she doesn’t easily give up.  She keeps pushing his limits getting him out and about.  They are definite opposites, but you know how that saying goes opposites attract.

I won’t sugar coat this book theme.  If you haven’t already heard this book deals with assisted suicide. Something no one thinks about until you are in the middle of it or it’s a blaring topic on the news.  I loved how Jo Jo Moyes played out both sides of this debate throughout the book.

This book was amazingly well written it just flowed.  There is a second book after this one I won’t even say the title because well spoilers.  However I will be picking up way more Jo Jo Moyes books…

book blurb.

Hardcover, 369 pages

Published December 31st 2012 by Pamela Dorman Books/Viking (first published January 5th 2012)

Original TitleMe Before You

ISBN0670026603 (ISBN13: 9780670026609)

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