The plot contains a number of surprises and raises thoughtful question. By turns funny and moving but never predictable. Ultimately a heart-wrenching love story, this novel is also funny and thought-provoking. Me Before You is a page-turner that sucks the reader into caring about the fate of the heroine. Moyes tackles several topical and divisive issues: voluntary euthanasia and the right to die how quality of life is dependent on perspective the stigma attached to being disabled, the patronising attitudes encountered and the attendant, if unintentional, discrimination suffered. The novel is mostly a first-person narrative told by Lou, but with occasional (clearly denoted) chapters from the perspective of other significant characters. And before that end is reached, there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and the odd surprise or two. Before long, Lou discovers the truth, and finds herself doing her utmost to bring enjoyment into Will’s life.įor anyone who has even glanced at the remarks on the cover of later editions of this book, the trajectory of the story and the ending will be predictable, but such is the quality of the characters Moyes creates, and their dialogue, that most readers will not be able to resist reading to the end, although this, as many advise, is best not read in public. She’s determined to stick it out: she can’t afford to lose this job. But Will’s anger, his mercurial moods, his negativity, these are an unpleasant, if understandable, surprise for Lou. She’s never worked as a carer before, but the pay’s better than at the chicken processing plant, and Lou’s been assured there’ll be no wiping of, you know, required (there’s a trained carer for that stuff).Ĭamilla Traynor has told Lou she’s basically needed as a companion for her son, Will, who is a quadriplegic since a traffic accident two years ago.

So when the Buttered Bun closes down, Lou needs another job pronto. Louisa Clark’s café wages are much relied-upon: her mum, Josie is the stay-at-home carer for Granddad all of her sister Katrina’s pay goes to bringing up her own young son and her dad Bernard’s job at the furniture factory is looking less secure every day.

Me Before You is the first book in the Me Before You series by award-winning British author, Jojo Moyes.

Me before you book review