I hadn't heard of "Me Before You" by Jojo Moyes until I saw the trailer for the movie. Of course, after I saw it, I just had to pick it up, and I'm glad I did. That being said, I have to admit I didn't love it. It’s still a solid 4/5. So, let me tell you what I believe is the good and bad of "Me Before You"…
The Good
To me, one of the most important things when I read is that I feel for the characters and that I care about them, and I sure did with Louisa Clark and Will Traynor.
I also love seeing growth in the characters of a novel. Throughout the book we see both Louisa and Will grow. At first, Will is a bit harsh toward Lou; but as time goes on we see that change, and because of Will, we see Lou try new things, and she opens her mind to better things.
Family. Family plays a big role in this story, and I always love seeing that. We see the struggles the Clark family goes through, but more importantly we see the importance of family. In fact, I believe one of the most touching moments in this story is a scene between Lou and her father. I also loved seeing the relationship between Lou and her sister, Treena. It felt real and genuine, which just further magnifies the family aspect of this novel.
I also thought the relationship between Lou and Will was great. From the adventures they go on, the sweet moments, to the bad ones, I was always wanting to know what was going on.
We see more than just Louisa’s point of view. The other points of view (Will’s mother, father, and his nurse) are brief, but I’m glad we saw them. It made me understand the Traynor family.
The Bad
The only major negative thing I have to say is about the writing style. I’m not sure if it is like this with her other novels or if it is just specifically this one, but it was the one thing that threw me out of the story here and there. It felt like Louisa was simply telling us what happened instead of showing us what happened. Those are the moments in the book that made me fall out of the story. The reason I question if it may only be this novel that she does this in is because it seems like the story is told by looking back on things, or as if the speaker is telling the story after it has happened. That’s why I couldn’t say I loved the book. I felt like I could connect more with the story if it hadn’t been written this way.
Anytime Louisa’s boyfriend came up I just didn’t care. I don’t think Moyes wrote in Patrick for us to really like him, but I felt like I should have at least liked him a tiny bit before turning my opinion around. Patrick was boring and it never felt like there was a real connection between him and Lou, ever. That relationship also took me out of the story a bit.
In The End
It might take you a little over 100 pages to get into the novel, but it’ll be worth it. The story between these characters is an unforgettable one. If you’re like me, you’ll get teary-eyed here and there and you might "aw" out loud and smile. Louisa Clark is adorably dorky and always stays true to herself, which will surely make you love her and root for her every second. It isn’t your traditional love story, but that is what makes this novel a refreshing read. All I can say is that I loved watching the movie trailer again after reading the book and recognizing all my favorite quotes. Reading the book just made me even more excited to watch the film. (Below is one of my favorite moments in the book—and soon to be movie.)
