USA Today’s top 100 books to read while stuck at home social distancing From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Giver of Stars, discover the love story that captured over 20 million hearts in Me Before You, After You, and Still Me. They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . . Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady … 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 and perfect for fans of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, 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?
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Better than the movie!!!
ME BEFORE YOU is a delicious surprise—funny and hopeful and heartbreaking, the kind of story that will keep you turning pages into the night. Lou Clark and Will Traynor will capture your heart and linger there long after their story has ended.
Jojo Moyes is a wonderful writer and a fantastic storyteller. Me Before You is a mesmerizing read and not one that you’d think would have laugh out loud moments, but it did.
It tackles some difficult subject matter and makes you really stop to think about how precious life is, why each day should be lived to the fullest and never taken for granted, and how everything you know and have come to expect can change in an instant.
It has been some time since I have had a reading experience as intense as I did when I read this novel. There were times I laughed out loud and other times when I had tears streaming down my face. The final 75 pages filled me with so many emotions that I felt almost overwhelmed. I wanted to read on, needed to in fact, but yet was afraid as to what the final outcome of the story would be. I can say that in no way was I disappointed with the ending. It was poignant and beautiful.
I would recommend this book to just about everyone. At the core, it’s a beautiful love story, but it’s also so much more. It’s a story about the meaning of life and how we choose to live it. I loved this book and even weeks after I finished it, the story is still resonating with me. I know I won’t forget Will or Louisa anytime soon.
I’m currently reading Me Before You – about halfway through.
I loved this book and the movie!
It has been a long, long time since I picked up a book and simply could not put it down. I literally wiped out my schedule for a whole day, even reading while I ate and went to the bathroom, so I didn’t have to put this thing down.
The depth of every character in this book, their arcs, all their motivations… it’s some of the best character development I’ve ever read. As a novelist myself, I want to study Moyes’s writing to get better at this aspect of writing. Each character’s motivations are clear but also infused with tension because regardless of what other characters see on the surface, there is guaranteed to be a whole lot more going on behind the scenes. I probably could have done okay without the POV switches that happen later in the book because, again, Moyes’s portrayal of that each character and the way she reveals depth using mannerisms and body language was more than enough for me.
I was totally drawn into the world she created and at the end sobbed like my dog had just died. I can’t believe it took me so long to get this one, and I can’t wait to read the sequels!
I cannot even put into words what this book did to me. Me Before You was the first novel I ever read and I do not regret it! The sensory detail was spot and and her character building is stronger than whiskey. Completely recommend to everyone as long as you are down for a good hard cry!
Jo Jo Moyes, Me Before You, nearly didn’t make it to my bookshelf. It was only because it was forced upon me by my book club that I considered it. My first reaction was to just skip this one, and not attend the meeting. Then, providence brought it to my attention and with the click of a button, it was mine.
I’ve never felt a loss of words–I’m an author after all. However, Jo Jo Moyes Me Before You has left me tearfully speechless. I’m finishing an edit on and I have been working ten hours a day on it. For me to spend the next three or four hours with my nose pressed to someone else’s book is a testament to how absorbing that book is. I finished Me Before You in three days because I could not put it down. I don’t think I even showered (possible mistake sharing this). The fact that I have finished it is in itself a loss. I will miss it terribly, even if my Kleenex use will return to a more practical consumption.
Unlike real people, there can be perfection in characters. Not in what they do, but in the believability of their actions, emotions, their voice. I fell in love with Will and Louisa. Yes, I wanted it to end differently, but it was not my choice. Which gets to the core of what this book is all about. Choice. Most of us have the choice to create whatever world we want for ourselves. I don’t mean financially, or job-wise, although we probably have even that ability. The choice to open ourselves to love. To greet each day with our eyes open to the possibilities.
I tried to put myself into Will’s shoes, Louisa’s shoes, Camilla, or Steven’s shoes. Shit, I tried every shoe on in the book except the bumblebee yellow and black tights (you’ll have to read the book to understand). What would I do? The answer is I don’t know. I understand what Will felt, why he chose what he did. Some of the reviews I’ve read indicate that some reader’s felt that Will was selfish and heartless. I don’t think so. I think his actions were unselfish and it was love, pure, without motive or reward that guided his choice.
I encourage you to read this breathtaking story (just keep a box of tissue close by).
So sad, so hard to put down
ME BEFORE YOU REVIEW
Jojo Moyes writes of a different love story in her novel Me Before You. It isn’t the typical boy-meets-this-gorgeous-girl-or-girl-meets-this-dashing-man-they-live-happily-ever-after-kind of love story. Of course we love happily ever after love stories but these are stories just like the rest of the others. But even if it does not have a happy ending, Me Before You was so well-written and served its purpose of breaking my heart and also (a bonus) had me raising questions about love and life. It made me think that love, in all its complexities is a wave. You carry on through life going through the motions trying to calm the tide every so often then at some point in time; you meet someone who takes you for a ride. Being with the one dear to you throughout this life makes navigating through it a little easier; maybe yes, maybe not… but it will make it a little different and happier that’s for sure. You go along hoping it would last forever with the one who became so dear to you but then crashes you to the shore and you find yourself gasping for air because you realize you could not live without him anymore. Life will never be the same after. You will no longer be the one you used to before him.
At least that’s what happened to Louisa Clark. An ordinary girl who was used to living a simple life in a small place she calls home. She was comfortable and felt safe leading a life in their town. She had a steady boyfriend, a normal family and a common struggle of finding a stable job. The only thing in her mind was just to find a job that rewards her and that she could love. A job that would not suffocate her, ironically. That was the plan. She was never the type to explore and think of possibilities beyond the things she has been dealt with. There was even a point she did not know what to make of the future since she hadn’t thought about it…yet. She hadn’t had much faith in herself having a sister who seems to be smarter than her. Mundane. Unsurprising. No complications. That was her life before Will Traynor.
Will Traynor who is a quadriplegic bound to his wheelchair for the rest of his life used to be an adventurer, a clever negotiator, a traveller, a daredevil, and a financial whiz. He was living his life the way he wanted it until he suffered an accident that took away almost everything. Two years before the accident he loved his life. But no longer being able to do the things he used to love, he was determined to end his life after six months even before he met Louisa Clark.
Then Louisa became his caregiver. They did not instantly like each other and had to endure each other’s existence for very different reasons of their own. Louisa did not like Will because he was “vile” to him and seemed to give her every reason to give up her job. Will did not like Louisa per se; not for her character but who she was to him. In fact, at the end, when Louisa and Will revealed each other what they felt in their last night at Mauritius, I like to believe, Will unknowingly told Louisa he liked her the first time he laid eyes on him despite her crazy dress and shoes. She was hired to look after him which reminded him more of who he no longer is. And he could not accept that and could not live with the fact. I liked that on their first encounter, Moyes did not focus on first impressions and did not take time to describe how Will looked like. How handsome he is despite his conditions. I loved how Moyes at different points of the story let Louisa gave away clues on how handsome he is. Not that how Will looked like mattered but what mattered was that Will grew on Louisa and the intimacy grew between them gradually which made Louisa’s feelings for Will deeper than any first impressions.
The storytelling was great in making the characters so believable and real especially that of Louisa’s. I found that Moyes not including Will’s point of view in any part of the story makes Will a weak character in the story. And that not including Will’s point of view solidifies his determination to end his life. I found that very effective and clever.
I liked how it seemed that Will went along with every Louisa’s plans for outings because he wanted her to be happy and to make her see that there is so much more she can do. I liked that without them fully realizing, they were looking after each other after all. It melts my heart every time I remember it.
I understood Louisa’s resentment towards Will. I even thought Will did not loved Louisa enough to be his reason to stay. And that’s the thing most heartbreaking about Me Before You. What if you fall in love with someone you can never be with for the rest of your life even if you want to so badly? What if you fall for someone who had lost his will to live? But surprisingly, I wanted to fall in love the way Louisa Clark fell in love with Will Traynor. Me Before You is funny and a light read, initially but just like what happened to Louisa falling in love with Will, the story would grow on you until it has the ability to break your heart fully in the end. I was not ready for the ending. The last chapters were heartbreaking but to me they were the most beautiful part of the story. I found myself crying as I am finishing it and then sobbing uncontrollably after I finished it.
It is also an inspiring read in a way that makes you evaluate how you live your life. Are you like Louisa before Will who seemed to have limited choices? Choices that appear to be limited because of your mindset? Are you like Louisa before Will who doesn’t seem to have the will to push herself further? Or are you Will before Louisa who lives life to the fullest? Will taught me that the possibilities are in front of us and that they are endless. You just have to see them and have the will to reach for them. You just have to push the boundaries that keep you in a box for so long. Paradoxically, Will Traynor chose to give up on pushing boundaries that were set by the wheelchair he was sitting upon. I think it’s where the strength of the book lies. It’s ability to bring out raw and genuine emotions. It’s heartfelt. It’s perfection.
Such a great read, especially if you’re in the mood for an ugly cry.
This is one of my fav books ever! I absolutely loved it!!!!
It’s was very amazing
Hard to get into at first,then it got more interesting and I wanted to find out what happened next. The 2 books that are sequels were very good as well. Couldn’t wait to see how it ended.
Fabulous
A flowing plot about a unique situation with likeable, quirky characters. Tragic & romantic elements held together with gentleness & humour from the perspective of the ‘girl next door heroine.
Set in a small town in England, the book tells the story of Lou Clark, a woman in her twenties who loses her job and ends up working as a personal aid to Will Traynor, a former golden boy who is now confined to a wheelchair as a result of being struck by a motorcycle two years before. Will is, perhaps understandably, not the easiest bloke to get along with, but Lou comforts herself with the fact that the job pays extremely well (her down on their luck family really need the money she brings in) and that it’s only for six months.
This book could have easily fallen into a familiar pattern at this point: crusty rich man falls for plucky poor girl and they live happily ever after despite his physical limitations. But though there is an element of that in the book, it’s the reason that the contract is only for six months that elevates this book to something more than mundane and packs the real emotional punch that will have you doing what I call the “ugly cry,” particularly if you are reading this book in public.
Spoiler alert: the reason for the six-month contract is that (SPOILER ALERT) Will plans on killing himself at the end of it. He’s made up his mind, but he’s told his parents he’ll give it six more months. When Lou finds this out she decides to make it her mission to change his mind by showing him that life is worth living, even confined, and this is where the heart of the story lies.
One of the things original aspects of the book was the portrayal of Lou. We’ve seen plenty of Will Traynor’s in commercial fiction — rich, entitled, outwardly awful, but inwardly kind when the right woman is around. But Lou is of a different sort. Her family’s grinding poverty, her lack of education or interest in a career and her perpetual cheerfulness in the face of these things. This is life, she seems to say, let’s make the most of it.
So I very much enjoyed this book, even though it made me cry in public.
I wish I had not already read this book, because I’d like to start it all over again. It is one of my favorite books of all time!
Loved, loved, loved the two main characters and I really liked the supporting characters as well. I enjoy a book that I can get emotionally involved in. I was never sure how the book would end
This book sticks with you long after the last page. It’s raw, emotional and not your typical love story.