If you have yet to read JoJo Moyes’s novel Me Before You, here’s a quick synopsis: The main characters, Louisa Clark and Will Traynor, change each other’s lives. How? Read the book. And for heaven’s sake, don’t watch the movie first.
As for my own take on the novel, the first thought I had after finishing it was “I need more, more and more.” It’s not your everyday romantic cliché – it’s much more than that. The book offers a refreshing, new insight on romance, and every chapter forces you to read the next. When you realize it’s is coming to an end, you’ll try to put the final chapter off for as long as you can. Unless, of course, you’re like me, in which case you’ll stop your entire life in the hopes of finishing the book quickly. If you don’t, then you’ll lay in bed thinking about what’s going to happen next or you’ll be sitting with your family over dinner thinking, “What if Will And Lou do something while I’m away?” That’s what the book does to you – it promises to keep you on the edge. By the end of it, you’ll think of them as Lou and Will, the personable people, not the characters. It’s this attachment that will give rise to the ultimate book hangover.
In general, Me Before You is a satisfying read. It’s unexpected, heartwarming, and even heartbreaking towards the end. The first few chapters may not motivate you to continue with the novel, but eventually, you’ll reach a point where you can’t put the book down.
Whoever you are and wherever you live, the societal problems and ills that are present in this book will apply to you to some degree, which means that you’ll have something in common with the characters, one way or another. A friend of mine even said, “The perfect gift for my friend is a copy of Jo Jo Moyes’s book. It’s a reminder that there’s no such thing as a perfect life with abundant happiness.”
The reality of the book grips you, but the variety of characters make you stay. It’s something the author deserves credit for, especially since each character has a specific role. For example, Treena, Louisa’s sister, is confusing at times, but the voice of reason at other times. She also holds the ability to make her sister feel insecure about herself without even being aware of it. In fact, as we eventually learn, Treena can coax her sister into pretty much anything, and we owe it to her; she talks Lou out of quitting her job and leaving Will.
But, it’s not just the characters that draw you into Moyes’s masterpiece, it’s also the sensitive subject matter she touches upon, such as rape, depression, suicide, and the oppression of women (which is dealt with on a larger basis in the sequel After You). Moyes gives us an individual’s outlook on these problems and reminds us that the victim should never be blamed, we all need someone by our side, and people who are unable to express themselves find different ways to do so.
Of course, at the centre of all of this lies the relationship between Will and Lou, one that holds all the perfect ingredients together: respect, honesty, and humor. The relationship escalates to a point where we’re fooled to believe that everything is going to fall apart, but we’re surprised at how easily things may just fall back into their exact place.
All in all, this book will touch your very core, driving you to read the sequel, which, to be honest, is as addictive as the first book. Moyes masterfully fits a great story about love, friendship, family, life, and death between the covers of a paperback.
The book is by no means perfect, but its imperfections are the very reason it should be loved. Because, after all, who would ever want perfection in non-fiction?
By Yumna Husseini
Please note that opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views and values of The Blank Page.
