Me Before You (Me Before You, #1) in Reads With Friends

May 18, 2015 Emily W. rated it really liked it

4.5 stars

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Dec 31, 2013 Antonia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own, favourites, contemporary-books

"Me Before You" is one of these extraordinary novels that make you want to love and hate the world -and its people- at the same time. It makes you want to laugh and sob and hope at the same time and it reminds you both the happy and the hearbreaking sides of life. This book is a special, beautiful and truly mesmerizing novel that captured my heart and made it its own.

I really don't know if I'm able to write a good and detailed review on this book, given the fact that I can't even process all the "Me Before You" is one of these extraordinary novels that make you want to love and hate the world -and its people- at the same time. It makes you want to laugh and sob and hope at the same time and it reminds you both the happy and the hearbreaking sides of life. This book is a special, beautiful and truly mesmerizing novel that captured my heart and made it its own.

I really don't know if I'm able to write a good and detailed review on this book, given the fact that I can't even process all the things that took place from the very first page to the last. To be quite fair, I had a very good idea about most of the plot of this book due to various posts I'd already seen about it on Instagram, Tumblr and, yes, Goodreads. I knew I would laugh, but I also knew that I would cry. And I did. No matter how much prepared I was for the blow, it still hit me hard in the guts and I couldn't even see the letters due to all the tears, I had to put the book down and stop reading for a couple of seconds until I felt somewhat relaxed again. Jojo Moyes has got this brilliant ability of capturing the audience and knowing exactly how to make them feel whatever she needs them to feel.
I loved everything about this book. The plot was magical, with the right dosages of humour, sadness, hope and love. The characters were witty, sarcastic, hopeless, hopeful, ready to go wherever their heart leads them to. To be quite honest, this wasn't exactly an easy book to read, but it wasn't absolutely depressing either. There were humorous moments and shattering moments and I loved every single part of the plot. I loved Lou and I fell in love with Will. Will must be my second most favourite character of all time, when it comes to romantic books. His words and actions will haunt me for many years to come and I will always remember my feelings about every time his mood changed, every time I hoped for something different for him. I loved Lou's family a lot, even though Lou's mother seemed kind of harsh to Lou towards the end.
Lou's and Will's relationship will always be tattooed on my heart and mind. Their feelings were something more, something deeper from what we usually get in other modern chick-lit books. The intimacy they had between them and the dialogues they exchanged felt like the core of pure love. I loved their interactions and the depth of their feelings. I loved the flights and the falls of their emotions and how everything was wrapped up by the end of the last page. Everything mattered, in every single chapter, and I was actually quite surprised when I read the perspective of Mr. Traynor and Katrina. I expected them to be very different and they both surprised me, both positively and negatively.
Overall, 5 out of 5 stars, of course. I would give it infinite more if I could. "Me Before You" will be an unforgettable book for me and I loved it to shreds. It must be read by everyone out there and especially by those of you who don't really like Romance/Chick-Lit literature. I think that this book must be read by men as well. Yes, it's romantic and dramatic and heartbreaking, but this doesn't mean that men won't be touched by it. "Me Before You" is a beautiful book and it must have its steady place in everyone's library. Please read it. After all the movie is about to be released, so it won't hurt to be prepared. ;-) ...more

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May 23, 2015 Mared Owen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary

I suspected that I wouldn't be any different to everyone else who has read this book. And I hate contributing to any kind of hype, usually. But I loved this book so much that I cannot help but add to that pool of praise.

What struck me straight away was how compellingly Jojo Moyes writes. Really, if I had had the luxury, I would have finished it in a day. And also how she made me care for all of the characters, for their relationships, for their lives and their stories. It's obvious how this end ...more

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Dec 08, 2014 Anita Reads rated it really liked it

Shelves: chick-lit, contemporary, read-2015

Wow - What a book.
It definitely makes one think.
I really liked the book. The writing style was simple and easy. The topic, however, was very dark and heavy.
The reason it doesn't get 5 stars from me, is because it at times was a little slow.

Now off to find something light and breezy. ...more

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Jun 14, 2014 Dhyn Hanarun rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: novel-to-movie, favorites, ebook, in-english, recommended

"Nobody wants you to talk about being afraid, or in pain, or being scared of dying through some stupid, random infection. Nobody wants to know how it feels to know you will never have sex again, never eat food you’ve made with your own hands again, never hold your own child. Nobody wants to know that sometimes I feel so claustrophobic, being in this chair, I just want to scream like a madman at the thought of spending another day in it."

Louisa ‘Lou’ Clark kehilangan pekerjaannya di kafe The Butt "Nobody wants you to talk about being afraid, or in pain, or being scared of dying through some stupid, random infection. Nobody wants to know how it feels to know you will never have sex again, never eat food you’ve made with your own hands again, never hold your own child. Nobody wants to know that sometimes I feel so claustrophobic, being in this chair, I just want to scream like a madman at the thought of spending another day in it."

Louisa ‘Lou’ Clark kehilangan pekerjaannya di kafe The Buttered Bun karena sang pemilik memutuskan untuk pulang ke negara asalnya. Ini membuat keluarga Lou panik karena gaji Lou berperan besar menopang kehidupan mereka. Lou mulai melamar dan menjalani pelatihan di beberapa bidang pekerjaan. Pengalamannya di kafe dan pendidikan yang minim membuatnya kesulitan mendapatkan pekerjaan yang pantas, sampai sebuah lowongan untuk menjadi asisten perawat masuk. Pekerjaan selama enam bulan itu mempunyai gaji di atas rata-rata. Tugas utama pekerjaan itu adalah membantu Will Traynor, seorang pria lumpuh, untuk makan, memberi obat dan hal-hal kecil lainnya. Untuk bagian medis yang menyangkut kursi roda dan terapi sudah diurus perawat profesional bernama Nathan.

Walaupun bingung dengan deskripsi tugasnya, Lou melamar dan mendapatkan pekerjaan tersebut. Will tidak menyambut kehadiran Lou dengan hangat. Dia kerap kali menyinggung kehidupan membosankan dan selera pakaian unik milik Lou. Lou berusaha terbiasa dengan Will dan tetap bertahan demi gajinya. Ketika hubungannya dengan Will menjadi akrab, Lou juga mulai mengerti kehidupan Will, terutama sebelum kecelakaan. Tak hanya itu, dia mulai menilai kehidupannya dan hubungannya dengan Patrick. Suatu hari Lou menguping percakapan ibu dan adik Will yang menjelaskan keinginan Will untuk pergi ke Dignitas. Lou merasa dikhianati dan dengan segera mengajukan pengunduran diri.

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Me Before You mempunyai cerita yang realistis, sangat menyentuh sehingga membuatku mengalami book hangover selama berhari-hari dan super menyesal karena sudah mengharapkan ending ‘seperti itu’. Sebenarnya bagian awal cerita terasa sedikit membosankan dan mudah tertebak. Ah, pasti nanti mereka gini lalu gitu. Chemistry antara Lou dan Will dan percakapan sarkastis dan thoughtful mereka, apalagi tentang masa lalu dan masa depan, sedikit menghibur. Belum lagi kata-kata yang dieja dengan English–British. Cukup menarik dan membuat ceritanya terasa … British ;p. Tapi aku belum puas dan berharap besar pada ending-nya. Begitu sampai halaman terakhir dan hal itu benar-benar terjadi, untuk pertama kalinya aku mengharapkan ending yang super cheesy layaknya film Hollywood. Aku kemudian sadar ending cheesy itu tidak akan membuat ceritanya kuat dan aku pasti membenci buku ini. Tapi tetap saja aku menginginkan ceritanya tidak berakhir seperti ini.

Baca review selengkapnya di sini -- http://dhynhanarun.blogspot.com/2015/... ...more

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Oct 16, 2014 Michaela rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favorites, reviewed, own-it, why-did-you-have-to-die, read-in-2016, 2016-reading-challenge, contemporary-romance

Read my review on my blog!

Louisa Clark is a twenty-something girl who has just lost her job. Despite having potential to live a full and exciting life, she instead settles for any job that will come her way, if only to provide for her parents and sister, who are all unemployed and, like Lou, have never left the sleepy little town they’ve lived in all their lives. In an act of desperation, Lou agrees to take a job as a caretaker for Will Traynor, the quadriplegic son of a local wealthy family. Be Read my review on my blog!

Louisa Clark is a twenty-something girl who has just lost her job. Despite having potential to live a full and exciting life, she instead settles for any job that will come her way, if only to provide for her parents and sister, who are all unemployed and, like Lou, have never left the sleepy little town they’ve lived in all their lives. In an act of desperation, Lou agrees to take a job as a caretaker for Will Traynor, the quadriplegic son of a local wealthy family. Before his injury, Will was a successful businessman who was essentially ‘living the dream’ of most millennials. Lou has no idea what to expect from her new position, or from Will himself. As she gets to know Will and his family, she discovers a secret about him that completely changes her outlook not only on her job, but her whole life.

Me Before You definitely lived up to the hype and I think that Jojo Moyes is a gifted author in that she writes real life very well. This is a novel about everyday people who face realistic struggles and it was refreshing to read. Apart from that, Lou is a very relatable character. I could see a lot of myself in her (although I will say I’m perhaps a bit more ambitious than her) and it was nice to read about a female character that was normal without having her normal-ness rubbed in your face every few pages.

I can’t help but love Will. The subtleties of his character were so well thought-out and I couldn’t help but smile a little every time Lou broke down another piece of his shell. He is a mysterious character, and even as we learn more about him it’s still a bit of a guessing game as to what he may be thinking. If Jojo Moyes were ever interested, she could probably make a lot of money with an adaptation of this novel from Will’s point of view – although I don’t think this story deserves anything as gimmicky as that. Nonetheless, Will’s emotions and cognition are very fascinating and it was rewarding to see him gradually reach out to Lou as their relationship blossomed.

Me Before You is marketed as a romance novel, but in truth there is very little romance in the story. I would say it’s more about a romance with life and the little things that make you happy, but also the romance of pursuing your wildest dreams with no regrets.

***SPOILERS BELOW***

There has been a bit of controversy surrounding this book about Will’s choice to partake in assisted suicide. Many people are saying that this book only offers the idea that disability simply makes life not worth living, even if you are surrounded by people who love you and fun events and wonderful things. I have to disagree. We see multiple times in Lou’s conversations with Will that he simply does not want to live anymore because he feels like he is always haunted by his past, pre-accident successful self, and I believe his feelings are valid. I think in this case it is important to remember that literature simply presents a perspective, and we as readers may not always agree with it. Lou certainly doesn’t agree with Will’s perspective in the beginning but she realizes through her research that many members of the disabled community have different opinions that are rooted in their own personal experiences. Moyes’ story is just one example of a potential experience that someone may have. I think that this novel presents a fair and unbiased examination of assisted suicide with multiple viewpoints. The ideas illustrated are not universal, and anyone who has ever read a book and engaged in a thoughtful discourse with a book should know that ideas and opinions are rarely (if ever) universal; this is what makes literature and reading so interesting because it provides us with a chance to learn about these different perspectives.

Rant aside, I really enjoyed this book and I think it came to me at a good time in my life. Regardless of what people may think of the subject matter, the underlying message to ‘live boldly’ is probably the greatest thing you can take away from this story. I believe this message will stay with me for quite some time.

Five stars and a definite future re-read!
...more

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Jul 02, 2015 Allison rated it liked it

Shelves: read-pre-2023, library-or-libby-read

Despite all of the glowing reviews and expectations for this book to make me cry for hours on end, I ended up just not ever fully finding myself immersed in it.

I don't have any real problems with the plot or the characters or anything like that. I did enjoy the slow growth of Lou and Will's relationship and I absolutely adored Nathan. I thought that Lou's family was nice, if not a little bit annoying with how much they kind of look down upon her at all times (despite relying on her quite heavily ...more

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Aug 05, 2015 Natalie Thompson rated it it was amazing

What a magical heartbreakingly but amazing read... This story is going to sit with me for a long time. It's so touching.. I laughed a lot but I also cried a lot. Definitely would recommend this book to everyone and anyone. Can't wait for the companion book that comes out soon ...more

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Jun 13, 2015 Mom2triplets04 rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own-read, romance

This book took me all summer to read. It is a very sad love story. Unfortunately I was spoiled before reading it so it took me a long time to finish it. I did not cry but did come close at one point. Glad it's off my tbr. ...more

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Jun 03, 2014 Megan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own, fiction

One of the best books I've ever read. ...more

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May 19, 2013 Lauren rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I hardly have words for just how emotional this book is. This was one of the few books where I related to many of the characters. It was nice reading about a character who was exactly my age and not older or younger for once. It made me look at life and realize things could always be worse. I was born with a weak heart so I understand some of the depression that Will goes through in the story. But I know that people like Will would think "she's got all working limbs, her life really isn't that b ...more

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Sep 30, 2015 Debbie Colon rated it it was amazing

OMG this book is one of those books that you lose sleep over. I literally lost sleep last night because I fell asleep while reading it. When I realized I'd fallen asleep in the middle of the night I couldn't stop thinking about what had I missed lol. Got up today and brewed some bustelo and got to reading the last few chapters. I cried like a a baby towards the end. Although you know what's coming because its clear right from the start it still tugs at your heart. Great read recommend to everyon ...more

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