Me Before You- Review

Jojo Moyes’s “Me Before You” is the first book of the series, followed by the sequel “After You”. It is a tragic, beautiful love story between caretaker Louisa Clark and paraplegic Will Traynor, who at first comes off as rigid, bitter and egotistical, but comes to care for his caretaker as she comes to care for him. As the story unfolds, their relationship evolves from a simple job to an aspiring friendship. Through ups and downs in the book, the reader is taken on an emotional rollercoaster as Louisa Clark does what she can to make her friendship with the obnoxious Will Traynor last.

To start off, “Me Before You” is filled with cliché romantic scenes that makes the reader’s heart ache for more, and the author’s use of relatability is able to keep the reader entertained, making sure to complement each romantic scene with an equally strong wave of depression. The plot deals with the contemplation of assisted suicide, and while the story itself is easy to read, the severity of the subject causes readers to put their hearts into the story and really connect with the characters presented to the audience.

Throughout the book, one aspect that keeps the readers involved is the way Moyes alludes to the characters’ past, without giving away too much information right off the bat. Will struggles with his present and his future, but his past remains mysterious, which further motivates the reader to continue on throughout the novel. The use of allusion throughout the book is heavy, but it explains the characters without getting too deeply involved in the plot and background. This helps to keep the story moving rather than hindering the reader with the speed of the book-- it’s not slow and it’s not too fast. The timing of every event throughout the book is perfect, nothing is rushed or out of place. Without the perfect pacing Moyes constructs throughout the novel, the book would feel overwhelmingly fast without any background or context.

The writing style of Jojo Moyes is easy to read and casual, so it doesn’t feel like a chore when reading like it does with some other works. . She uses vernacular and works hard to keep her situations relevant to the situations going on around in the real world. She writes each point of view as each character, not herself, and this really helps the reader indulge into the thoughts and perception of each character, rather than reading from the same point of view throughout the story, which could definitely get redundant.

In addition to the heavy characterization and deliberate writing style of this novel, the book has an abundance of imagery that is incredibly beautiful to read, which really brings the entire story together. Without the scenery of the castle or the annex, the story would be incomplete. The imagery of the small town where the story takes place makes the plot a lot cozier, allowing the reader to fully feel comfortable. The novel is not stiff or proper, it’s extremely casual and easy-going which allows for the reader to empathize with each character more. The obvious differences that are explained between each household of the Traynors versus the Clarks really illustrates a contrast effect for the reader. The Traynors are more uptight and classy, while on the other hand, the Clarks are so much more laidback and relaxed. This truly allows the reader to see through the characters’ eyes. The way each character interacts with their surrounding is reflective of their side of the town, their upbringing and their families. Because of this, the story ties all together, which gives the reader a further understanding of the book.

When the story starts to get more uncomfortable and the debate over assisted suicide is brought up, this furthers the reader’s fascination with the story which makes it that much more difficult to stray away from the book. The only downside to this is that Will’s past and his future are so controversial and carry so much stigma, that the reader ends up confused on how to feel about certain situations. On one side, it makes sense to agree with Will and his decisions, but on the other hand, is it really worth giving up one’s life for their own comfort, regardless of what friends and family go through? Is the selfishness of the act justifiable or not? Questions like these have the reader’s mind in a bundle, and makes it difficult to decide what is wrong and what is right. The heaviness of topics really wears the reader out, but it leaves space for an unbiased decision to be made from the reader’s point of view. The book deals with situations like this often which are interesting, especially regarding the nature of each topic, but can also tire the audience’s mind.

Throughout the book, assisted suicide is a major theme as Will continues to contemplate whether or not he should take this specific action. With more research and understanding, the stigma surrounding the dilemma does fade, but such a heavy topic carries controversy with it. Without giving away too much, “Me Before You” covers some difficult topics, but with an open, understanding mind, the book can transform the reader into having more of an educated view on the world. With the film just recently having been released, it is the perfect time to pick up this book to read. It’s a heart-breaking romantic novel with just the right amount of thrill to keep the reader hooked. It has refreshing viewpoints, uncomfortable matters and logical reasoning that really proves Jojo Moyes to be an incredibly talented author. “Me Before You” gets an 8.5/10.