Review: Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

Synopsis from Goodreads:

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.

Review:
 

Me Before You by JoJo Moyes will stay with me forever. When Will Traynor becomes a paraplegic after an accident, he thinks his life is over. All his dreams; his career, his love-life and most importantly, his independence are taken away from him in an instant. By the time he meets Lou Clarke, his new carer; Will is jaded. However, Lou surprises him. It soon becomes Lou’s mission to make Will love life. 

I devoured Me Before You in a day. It was a beautiful, heart-breaking story. There were many instances where I was crying (which is totally unlike me) or had a lump in my throat. It was a highly-charged emotional story. I was expecting a light, fluffy romance from the cover but what I got was a gritty and honest story about serious ethical situations (euthanasia) with a side-helping of romance. 

Me Before You was depressing at times but I'm glad that it was because it was truthful. Moyes didn't sugarcoat anything which I'm thankful for. Me Before You, whilst fictitious, rings true. I loved Will and Lou. They were real people to me, with real lives and real problems. They helped each other to overcome so many barriers. I loved how Will’s paraplegia was dealt with in such a sensitive, emotional and realistic way. No patronising or preaching.

The story was mainly told from Lou’s point of view. However, a few chapters were narrated from other characters viewpoints, such as Will’s parents. I did wish that some of the story was narrated from Will’s point of view; however, Moyes is such an eloquent and accomplished writer that I bore the full emotional brunt of Will’s situation even when told from other people’s points of view. Actually, Me Before You may have had a greater impact on me because we are held a short distance away from Will's innermost complex thoughts.

As Moyes wanted, I felt as conflicted about the issues in the story as it was possible to be. After becoming so emotionally close to the characters, it made it everything very personal and real. Overall, Me Before You by JoJo Moyes was an amazing, unforgettable story which everyone needs to read. I cannot wait to read more from the brilliant JoJo Moyes. 

Rating: 5/5
Author: JoJo Moyes