Me Before You
Author: Jojo Moyes
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Release Date: December 31, 2012
Audiobook: 14 hours and 40 minutes
Narrators: Susan Lyons (Narrator), Anna Bentink (Narrator), Steven Crossley (Narrator), Alex Tregear (Narrator), Andrew Wincott (Narrator), Owen Lindsay (Narrator)
Source: Purchased from Audible.com
Book Description
They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .
Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has never 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, 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?
Review
This book was selected by my book club Mocha Girls Read as our book of the month for August. I have been thinking about picking this one up. Now I finally got a reason. Thank you book club.
Louisa is your average everyday young lady growing up in tiny village with an ordinary or more like a boring life. That is until she loses her coffee shop job and has to find a new job quickly. As one of the few bread winners in her family making an income is extremely important to the well being of the four generations living under one roof. When the job placement agency sends her on a interview for a care taking position, Louisa gets it and that is when everything changes. In comes Will, a rude and hard to get along quadriplegic who was once an well traveled adventurist. Will and Louisa don't get along but that is not saying much for and about Will. He has been in a deep depression living in the annex of his parents home with 24 hour care since he has tried to commit suicide. I know this sounds really heavy and deep and it is. Not the hot summer beach read but it was a great read. The story has moments of light and laughter here and there. Louisa's boyfriend is too funny but shhh! don't tell him, he thinks he is serious. And Louisa completely reminds me of Bridget Jones but a younger version.
There are so many controversial and conversation tidbits in this books. The issue of a young woman living in a small town and not having any experiences outside her small world, the issue of quality of life, and the big one is the issue of assisted suicides. That is THE heavy and controversial topic the book slaps you with.
From what I have heard a few people cried when they read this book. Is there something wrong with me? I didn't cry. I didn't get choked up. I felt sad and let down but not to the point of crying. Sorry. I am a softy but this didn't do it for me.
The narrators did a good job. I appreciated having a variety of voices for the different sections in the book. Overall, I really like the story. Will and Louisa are really well written and thought out characters. The ending I am not going to tell you about but I was hoping for a completely different ending. I am happy there were some loose ends tighten up here and there because that would have just been plain rude if it wasn't. If you finish the book you'll know what I mean. I think the author did a great job with this topic and made it interesting from a new point of view.
Reviews by Other Bloggers
That's What She Read
Ivy Book Bindings
Literate Housewife
Recommendations
I recommend this book to adult reads due to the topic of suicide.
Challenges
This book is number 17 in my New To Me Author Reading Challenge
This book is number 29 in my Audiobook Reading Challenge
This book is number 30 in my Goodreads Reading Challenge
This book is letter M in my A to Z Reading Challenge
Mocha Girls Read Book of the Month