Who has Read Me Before You from Jojo Moyes?

[Sarah_Khan]

I only watched the movie adaptation of the book; it has a very sad ending though Should I read the book ? Anyone ?

Personally I think if you've already seen the movie then you can pass on reading the book. The book isn't exactly that good in terms of the writing, I think the plot is the only good aspect which you already know about... so I don't think you would be gaining anything by reading it. But that's just my opinion a lot of people actually love the book...

[suzanneseidel]

I only watched the movie adaptation of the book; it has a very sad ending though Should I read the book ? Anyone ?

After reading the book I definitely don't want to see the movie. It's too sad! I don't know if I could go through all that knowing how it's going to end. I don't think the book had any spectacular literary features you need to experience or anything. It's just a good romance story ("good" in the sense that I enjoyed it). So if you'd like to put yourself through the suspense and heartache again, go ahead and read it.

I will say that I appreciated this book not just because I love a good romance but because it caused me to think about assisted suicide in a new way.

[Mikekim11511]

I have to say this book had me actually sobbing.I love how their relationship grows in this book. The author did anamazing job at making you feel every emotion possible during reading this book and that is true talent. Of course the movie wasn't as good as the book ?

[Ann2305]

This books rips your heart out! Not only because you have so much empathy for Lou and the excruciating pain that she must be feeling, but also because you understand why Will chooses to make the choice that he inevitably makes. It makes you reflect on your own life and what you would do in his situation

[Genaaa]

This movie absolutely destroyed my emotions, yet it's still one of my favorites. I just saw the movie for it a month or two ago, and despite knowing what was going to happen, I still cried so much at the end.

[red_velvet_girl7]

One of a kind novel Me Before You is a must read. Very inspiring. It left me in a bawling mess with bloodshot puffy eyes and running nose.
I loved the story as well as the characters. I fell in love with Will and Lou. And the quotes from this novel are simply amazing.
This is the kind of novel which makes you realise how important it is to LIVE WELL. JUST LIVE.

[Ktrina02]

I finished this book a couple of weeks ago. I was exciting to learn the protagonist's sister was named Katrina (that's also my name) but I felt Lou was a bit selfish and immature, she expected too much of Will.

[open-book]

This book broke my heart. I have never before felt so many different emotions when reading a book. That is quite a big statement for me because i go through at least 1 book a week, but i kid you not, by the end i was literally sobbing. I cried so much that the last few chapters were actually hard for me to focus on, but at the same time i literally couldn’t put it down. I found it so tragic that even this morning i woke up with a heavy feeling in my heart. Trust me i know i sound dramatic; I’ve always rolled my eyes at people that get so over the top when reading fiction, but honestly do not judge until you read it.

Overall i enjoyed the book, it was well written with witty personalities that kept me interested. However, truthfully if i had known even a hint of the ending, I’m pretty sure i wouldn’t have read it. I love a good romance, having read so many; I’m open to a bit of heartbreak.. But this? Such a final, unchangeable, deep rooted, dark heartbreak!? No thanks! It left me feeling emotions i would rather have not inflicted upon myself. Saying that, it’s still a good book and if you have a less sensitive heart than mine, i would definitely recommend it.

Before reading any book i like to be almost oblivious to what is going to happen. Just a quick idea of the genre is enough for me to know if i will like it or not. The same goes for this one, i had no idea other than it’s about a girl who is with the wrong guy and then finds ‘the one’. There is so much more to this book than i first anticipated and definitely a deep rooted moral message depending on your perception of the ending.

There are many themes in the book that i will outline, as well as background themes that i enjoyed. Firstly the theme throughout that i loved was that of a very British dark/dry sense of humour. The book is also set in the North of England which added to its overall charm. It had me laughing and giggling from the heart. This humour sewed into the very tragic themes is what made this book readable for me. Without this I’m not sure i would have got through it, not because of the quality of it but because of my sadness towards it.

Another side of British life that i think was portrayed very well in the book is the stark contrast between the lives of the upper class in comparison to the struggling backdrop of many working class families. Many real issues were explored in the most non judgemental way possible. I liked this insight within the overall plot very much and found most, if not all of it to be absolutely accurate.

This book explores the impact of life changing events and had me thinking of the vulnerability of life itself. We take for granted the ease of our everyday lives and are oblivious most of the time to how quickly this can change. For Will, a male character who ends up severely disabled, all it took was a blink of an eye. An exact pin drop point in time that changed his whole world from him being a company owning, extremely successful, full of life young man to a wheelchair bound, paralysed, tormented by disease, shell of the man he used to be.

The book further delves into the life of somebody living with such severe physical disabilities; the daily struggle to survive and the unimaginable pain. Even faced with such an aggressive physical battle the aspect i found most unbearable was the mental state of Will’s character; his broken spirit, so vulnerable, ashamed and frustrated by what he had become. This side of his character tore my heart out repeatedly; especially because of the insight to the strong, full of life person he used to be.

The hardest and probably the main topic explored within the book is that of euthanasia. This was one i was not willing to accept until the very end. The book gives you hope literally until all hope is lost. I don’t think i need to say much about this topic as it speaks for itself and quite frankly i still feel upset thinking about it and how it all turned out. Will’s decision broke my heart into tiny pieces.

I haven’t said much about the female protagonist Louisa, but i will say i loved her character. I loved her good heart and need to help Will. I loved her commitment and drive to save him. Through her eyes i saw a love that isn’t about a physical body or even about Will’s place in the world. It was about the person inside the shell, about his heart and intentions. Louisa’s love for Will is my interpretation of what real love is. The need to love somebody against the greatest of odds, with the knowledge that they may not be able to show you near anything physical in return, but knowing you have their heart, and that alone being enough.

In conclusion this book was a romantic, funny, heart wrenching and tragically tear jerking read.

[afreddy4]

This book had me laughing, crying, yelling, then back to laughing, then finishing with crying. I'm pretty sure my boyfriend thought I was having an emotional breakdown.

I don't normally pick up a book like this but it was so highly talked about and recommended that I thought I would give it a try. Similar to some of the people who have already commented, I don't think I would have read it had I known the ending however it was still such a good book that I am glad I continued to read. I had a feeling of the ending but continued to hope that it wouldn't be so.

I loved the evolution of Louisa throughout the book and actually saw a lot of myself in her. I am quiet and a go with the flow person, but my heart yearns for travel and adventure and it took meeting Will for Louisa to recognize that longing. Moyes did a wonderful job with her character, showing the flaws, but also the inner strength that she gained from a friendship and love with Will.

I thought she did a great job with Will's character as well. His spirit was broken, for lack of a better word, and he was mourning the loss of his independent life. I can't imagine going through something like that. I did however hear from a few of my friends who are living in wheelchairs that it wasn't a very fair description and it "hollywood-ized" disabilities. They were frustrated with how he was portrayed.

I thought this book overall though, was a great book. It was heartwrenching and it was one of the few books I ever cried multiple times while reading, but Moyes also includes humor and gets you thinking about what is really important.

[christacarb1]

I loved this book. I have yet to see the movie, but I'm the type of person that wants to read the book before I see the movie, as long as I know it's a book beforehand. This book made me cry and the characters are incredible, the way they change throughout the book. This book especially really got me into reading for pleasure again. When I was younger I used to be such a bookworm, but then college started and ended and I stopped reading for fun for a while. I've since picked it up again, and I can't wait to watch the movie for this book. Overall, I definitely recommend it.

[jellybean85]

I haven't read it yet, but I've heard people say it was a good book so I'm ready to give it a try. I didn't realize it was a book until they made it a movie.

[belleami]

I will preface this with the fact that I'm a huge Jojo Moyes fan. I loved this book, cried my eyes out, and read the sequel After You, which I suggest you read. Her books always touch a chord that resonates like the plucked string of a bass. Go forward and continue to read Jojo. I also suggest The Girl You Left Behind. A perfect read.

[Esterhg22]

I just finished this book, I love it, it took me like 2 days to eat it up basically.
The topic is a bit harsh, I'm a romantic, so I was crying and laughing and I even get mad with Will, I love it and hate it, I already order the following books just to see what's gonna happen with her, I love her

[Rebecca Farr]

When I first read this book, I loved it completely. It made me ugly cry in the middle of my classes because I hurt for the characters. And I loved it for over a year.
However, after taking a class on disability rights and the micro aggressions that are extremely oppressive towards people with disabilities, I found myself being more and more hesitant to reread it over time. Finally, I hated the book for its view on people with disabilities so I gave my copy away.
Seeing as how the author doesn’t have a disability, it’s understandable that she didn’t get all the verbiage and portrayals completely right. But showing people with disabilities as “less than” has horrific consequences in everyday life. Because I know what those consequences look like for people with disabilities, I can honestly say that I will never read the book or watch the movie again, and I will encourage my friends and family to do the same.

[mandy_funk]

I recommend this whole trilogy. I actually liked "Me After You" better than "Me Before You." I also really liked "Still Me." I just finished that one a couple of weeks ago. The books were all really hard to put down!