Book Review -- Me Before You

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

My enjoyment rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Book hangover rating:  2 of 5 stars (new to GDD -- book hangover -- once you close the cover, how long do you think, linger, over the completed book? How long does it take to start a new one?  Scale 1-5; 1  forgotten once you close the cover -- 5 Can't stop thinking about it!)

Source:  Library

Genre:  Contemporary fiction

Objectionable material: some minor language, including Fbomb

 

Will’s confined to a wheelchair – Louisa’s hired to be his aide – both have physical and emotional baggage that they are trying to resolve – together they must deftly navigate their current circumstances, and most importantly, their future.

Author, JoJo Moyes, has written a very unique love story involving a former corporate raider, now paraplegic, and his very eccentric caregiver.

Will is hardened by his diminished condition and not willing to let anyone, including his family, help him. Louisa is hired by his parents to do just that: break through his steely exterior to try to help Will recognize that life is still worth living.

I was intrigued by the concept of this novel – two unlikely confidants, forced to work together (or, against each other as the case may be) and the beautiful relationship that develops.

As much as I liked this book – it was quintessentially British, it was witty, I enjoyed the progression of Will and Louisa’s relationship – in the back of my mind, I kept wondering, how authentic was it, exactly?  Did the author accurately portray the life of a paraplegic? Did she make it too easy? I wasn’t entirely convinced.

My best friend, Heather, was a personal caregiver – I’m desperate for her to read this to give me her professional opinion.

Regardless, this was an emotionally powerful book, and one that you might shed a tear, or two, or a lot of them.

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