Me before You is a book that challenges our choices, probes our relationships and generally pushes the boundaries of our understanding of love. “What do you do when making the person you love happy means breaking your heart?” This is the vital question that envelops the lead characters and leaves with a heavy lump in our hearts.
Moyes is a gifted storyteller. She fleshes out Louisa Clark and Will Traynor with authenticity and perfection. Louisa is perfectly happy leading her ordinary life and does not crave for extraordinary experiences. She has her reasons to set her life to a 5 mile radius even if it means that she has to stop dreaming. Her boyfriend Patrick is obsessed with fitness and she couldn’t care less about her curves. Life was ambling along until she loses her job.
Will on the other hand has travelled the world, challenged his comfortness and explored every nuance of risk. He wants to live life not just pass time until an accident changes it upside down.
We understand and accept why Louisa falls for Will and gradually begin to cheer for her. We want her to succeed in her mission that she is earnestly working towards. But everything she has believed and hoped for is pulled under feet…
Jojo Moyes is poetic with her prose. She attacks sibling rivalry, sisterhood, family values and morality with equal aplomb. The book leaves us questioning our stand on life and love. It sets us thinking about our choices and also encourages us to just live. Because the next second can change everything.
Recommended reads: The girl you left behind.
Lost in Thought 