Me Before You // Book Review

Do you ever start a book and think, I need to keep reading this! That is what “Me Before You” was for me. With social distancing going on my reading has been a bit all over the place, but this is one of the few books that really brought me out of my reading slump and back into the groove. Now you might be thinking, what makes this book so great? Well, let me tell you!

The Romance

Romances are different in every book, some are hot and steamy, some are a slow burn and others let your imagination do the work. With “Me Before You” the romance was something that was not expected, it wasn’t your typical hot guy and smitten girl, Louisa and Will hate each other in the beginning. She accepts a job to be his caregiver for six months and they really struggle to get along in the beginning. I love their clashing personalities, their bickering and stubbornness really bring a lot of reality to this story. Seeing their romance grow slowly and safely is really heartbreaking. By the end of the novel I was rooting for them, hoping that they would be together for a long time, but that just isn’t the case. It breaks your heart in the end because you know that this romance made them better people.

Disabilities

Often books talk about really difficult situations. This one is no different, you hear about the life of a quadriplegic, someone who had lived an amazing and big life, and it was taken from him in an accident. While we aren’t with Will during the first 2 years of recovery, we hear the struggles he has been through during the past 2 years. The way Jojo talks about Will’s disability really makes you appreciate all the people living with this right now. While Will is stubborn and very angry with this current state of living, you do feel for him during the book. I often just wished that I could hug him and make it alright. The nice think about Louisa is that she saw him for who he was, and not for the fact that he was just a body in a wheelchair. So often people might only see someone’s disability and not the person themselves. I think this was something beautiful that was expressed throughout the whole book. 

Reading Experience

I was lucky enough that the weather was beautiful while I was reading this book, I was often out in the backyard reading it in my hammock. I knew after the first chapters that I wanted to keep reading. I read all 369 pages in 2 days. I found it a very easy book to read, often I found myself relating to Louisa in a way. She is living her life day by day and really isn’t concerned too much for her future. So often I felt the same way but finally finding something that makes life worth living can be thrilling. I think Will encouraged her to really become her own person, and it was lovely to read. I rated this book 4 stars out of five, simply because it was a bit cliche but it was enjoyable to read. It just didn’t hit me fully, but it was a good read. 

I am worried about the movie adaptation though, who knows how that will go. I have seen the trailer but I will update you guys when I watch it if I ever do.