Favorite Friday: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (Book Review)

Let me start this by telling you that I read... a lot! I'm a huge fan of science fiction, dystopian, and history books. I'm not big on romance, even though I have to admit that on rare bases you will catch me getting lost in a Nicholas Sparks novel. But like I said, on very rare bases. In the last couple of weeks I made the decision to step out of my comfort zone and try different books. I immediately got hooked on "The Girl on the Train", which definitely is a must read, and I can't wait for the movie! Still, the book that had the most emotional impact on me was "Me Before You" by Jojo Moyes. 


I have to admit, I often choose books simply by their cover (I mean, who could resist reading a book with a beautiful and artful cover design?). At first, the cover of "Me Before You" stroke me as different and nothing I that would catch my eyes immediately. Still, I liked that the author seemed to stay true to this particular design with her other books, which is definitely sometimes I rarely see. The title also interested me, since "me before you" is a very strong statement that made me wonder about the story behind it. So I started reading, and let me tell you: I cried. A lot. 

"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."
(Source: Goodread)

No, this is not a love story. At least not in a traditional sense. It's a story about finding yourself and your purpose of life, about courage, and love (but in a much deeper and caring way than I know it from most novels). This book is about inspiration. About finding that one person that brings out the best in you. It's also about the tragedy of loosing someone, which makes the book such an emotional journey.

As a caregiver, I probably got more emotional about this story than I would normally have. It's just such a true story, so real and honest. The author does not bullshit you, she does not end the book with the perfect happy ending that you would like, because that's not how life works. But trust me, you will appreciate the ending, its message, and the courage you will get from it.

"You only get one life. It's actually your duty to live it as fully as possible"

Jojo Moyes

Don't forget to follow my blog on Bloglovin