Me Before You by Jojo Moyes is a spectacularly written book about a girl named Lou Clark who after losing work at a tea shop, becomes employed by a wealthy family to care for their quadriplegic son who has lost his will to live. A man that was once a financial whiz and lived a full life of bungee jumping, white water rafting, and lots of sex can't bear living as "best before date". Initially when meeting Will Traynor he seems mean, bratty, and hopeless but with the help of our heroine Lou, the layers of his character shine through.
Speaking of Lou, she's stuck in a rut. Her life has been mundane and full of sameness and she's perfectly happy with that. The idea of stepping out of her comfort zone and doing things differently actually scares her. What annoys me most about this is that her family does not encourage her to be all that she can be. She seems to be their punchline at times. In the months after meeting Will Traynor, she blossoms and comes of age in an awesome and believeable way. Because of Jojo Moyes in-depth character descriptions, the reader is able to follow their changes and fall in love with the characters and feel the above mentioned emotions towards them and their circumstances.
There is really a lot that can be said about this book. I could probably go on and on about the parts that really had me captivated but we don't have all day here and I don't want to spoil anything for future readers. There are many important topics that it explores and essentially sets up persuasive arguments for both sides enabling the reader to make their own decision. I think that although this book may attract fans of Jodi Piccolt or Jane Green, there are real issues that it deals with such as death, choices, living vs being alive, personal growth, love, fidelity, and family. I don't think I will forget this book and I'm happy to have had the opportunity to have read it. *****
No comments:
Post a Comment