Me Before You — Jojo Moyes: My Review
A somewhat introspective, poignant look at the life of a quadriplegic man and the woman he falls in love with…
Warning: Spoilers…
I bought Me Before You because it was mentioned in Save the Cat and I was studying screenwriting at the time.
The book gives us an intimate look at the daily life of a quadriplegic man named Will Traynor.
His mother hires Louisa Clark to care for him on a six-month contract.
What she doesn’t know is that her real job is to make Will change his mind about ending his life.
In the beginning, Will is averse to her presence, but Louisa persists and eventually, wins him over.
He starts to like her, though his stubbornness would never allow him to admit it to her.
The Beginning
In the beginning, we can see that Will doesn’t want someone coming into his home, being in his space, trying to get him to be happy.
His situation isn’t ideal. And he doesn’t hide that on lots of occasions.
Will slowly warms up to Louisa and they develop a rapport — not a friendship.
At least, not yet.
The pace is slow, but interesting.
We get to see little peaks at what Will’s life is actually like.
Not being able to go to the bathroom when you want. Not being able to feed yourself because of weak hands.
All the while knowing the life you’ve left behind.
Will was pretty active before his accident. He’d often go on wild adventures that had him hiking up mountains and traveling the world.
But being resigned to a chair is the opposite of his former existence.
Now, he’s just existing. And it’s more than he care bare.
The Middle
When Louisa finds out that her real job is to change Will’s mind about ending his life, she’s furious.
She up and quits. It’s far too morbid. And she’s not quite convinced she can do it.
Will’s mother has to come to her unfabulous home in all of her fabulousness to beg Louisa to come back.
Louisa doesn’t immediately come running.
It takes some convincing.
The End
But eventually, she does end up going back to help save Will’s life.
After all, he’s not just her employer anymore.
He’s grown to be more than a friend to her.
So, she plans a huge trip for him, doing as many fun things as they can (with his limitations).
They go on the trip and…it doesn’t change his mind.
I went into this book knowing Will was going to die (thanks to Save the Cat), but somehow, it still didn’t prepare me for reading the actual scene.
He ends up going to the hospital that helps him end his life humanely. Assisted suicide, in a sense, for people in pain or people suffering immensely.
My Takeaway
Although it’s not your traditional romance, the book was more moving than a lot of romances I’ve read.
Getting to see the intricacies of the relationship between Will and Louisa was touching, to say the least.
Watching them fall in love in slow motion was painful, knowing that they could never be together in the way they both wanted.
Even more crushing is the fact that Louisa has to lose Will in the end. She can’t even just remain friends with him, keep him close.
It’s just too much for Will to live in a chair without the use of most of his body.
Overall, the book was an amazing read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Grab your own copy. Especially if you’re an aspiring novelist.
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