Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Published: December 2012

Publisher: Viking

Pages: 369

Copy Provided by: Bought

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

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.

Review:

I was originally drawn to this book because I saw a copy at the bookstore and it looked like a movie starring Lily Collins and Ethan Hawke.  And I thought to myself - Lily Collins? I LOVE Lily Collins. So of course I bought the book and started reading. It was only much later that I discovered what the book was about and that Emeilia Clarke was playing the role of Lou.  So let me tell you about this book. I had zero expectations and didn't know what it was going to be like but I found the characters to be incredibly likeable and easy to identify with. It made me emotional but not so much that I was crying or screaming at my book. However, it was a great story with really good life lessons.  As a reader, we see Lou grow and her character blossoms into a girl with direction who leads instead of being led.  I love how Will Traynor learns to inspire Lou to do something with her life rather than just let every day pass her by.  The way these two characters bond throughout the book is beautiful and you really do feel pity for Will and his circumstance.  I enjoyed the story immensely and am making plans to see the movie with some of my girls.  Now for my comments that will be spoilers. 

**Please do not continue reading UNLESS you have read the book yourself and feel free to leave your own opinions in the comments....**

Something that REALLY irked me in this novel was that Lou poured her heart out to Will and he didn't really express his feelings back to her. Yes, he cared about her but do we really know if he was falling for her too? All she gets back after telling him how much she loves him is - You are not enough. REALLY???!!  Even if that were the case, couldn't he have been better at expressing it?  Yes he leaves her some money and it is a nice gesture that he gives her the means to take this "new Lou" with goals out for a spin but even in his note, he doesn't say much except Love, Will.  I say that kind of thing to a relative. I wanted more mushy stuff at the end Miss Moyes. C'mon! Throw me some romance after I have invested all that time in the story!!  I already have Book #2 - After You and I'm REALLY crossing my fingers that Lou has a better, more romantic life now that stuff is happening in her life. Don't fail me now!!