If you have a lot of friends who are avid readers, or you
frequent any book recommendation sites like I do, then you have heard of this
book. From the first time I read the description, I knew I had to read it. It
only took one personal recommendation from a friend for me to buy this book,
and I’m very glad that I did. Warning: Do not go into this book thinking that
it will be all fun and games, because this book is extremely emotional. But the
lessons you will take out of it will absolutely be worth the heartache.
The story follows Louisa Clark, a small town woman living in
England who has just been fired from her cozy job working at a café. She still
lives at home with her parents, who are struggling to support themselves. Out
of desperation and necessity, she takes a job as a caretaker for a quadriplegic
man with an overbearing mother and a negative outlook on life. Without giving
too much away, I will say that the rest of the book explores the relationship
between Lou and Will, two people who grew up in the same town but led
completely different lives.
An interesting aspect of this book is the appearance of
multiple points of view. The narrator switches a few times, especially towards
the end, and at first these chapters really threw me off. I felt like I had a
great relationship with Lou, as silly as that sounds, but I was uncomfortable
when the POV was abruptly switched. These chapters aimed to lend a different
perspective to the story, but honestly, they felt unnecessary to me. I felt
removed from the narrative and I didn’t really learn anything imperative from
those chapters.
The book is advertised as a love story, and although it is
the driving force of the narrative, it is not the main focus of our
protagonist. I really don’t want to give away any spoilers for this book,
because I was glad that I didn’t know too much going into it, but there is a
greater issue at hand that becomes the main conflict of this story. The romance, for me, felt a little rushed
towards the end of the novel. I understood the bond between these characters
perfectly, I just didn’t want the actual ROMANCE aspect of it to be over the
top or too dramatic as there were other elements that were more important.
The most important thing I took out of this book was the reminder that life is short, and it is imperative that we live everyday to its fullest, because you never know what could happen to you on any given day. You cannot let the roadblocks in your life deter you from making the most of the time you have on this earth. That is the kind of lesson that everyone needs to be reminded of.
With that being said, and without spoiling the ending, I was
satisfied with the way the book came to a close. I knew going into it that this
story would not be traditional, and I was glad that the author maintained a
sense of realness with every aspect of the story. I really felt like I came out
of this novel with a newfound understanding of the trials and tribulations of
caring for someone with a debilitating disability. I would absolutely recommend
this book.
Title: Me Before You
Author: Jojo Moyes
Genre: Fiction
Recommendation: Yes
Best Reader Audience: Adult females (and men who are in tune with their emotions)
Final Rating: Four out of Five Bunny Bums!
Do you want to explore this unconventional and touching relationship? Use the link below and your purchase will help support the Lone Book Club!
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