Samantha ElisabethI cannot stress enough that this is not a romance no matter how the book and movie marketing make it look.
It’s about a smattering of people, but our main characters are Lou Clarke and Will Traynor.
At the beginning of the novel, we find Lou living a simple life that can best be described as tepid. She is neither happy nor unhappy, she just is.
She’s had the same part time job at a cafe for ages, been in the same, stagnant relationship for a while, and has never even left her small town. When the cafe closes, she finds a job helping to care for quadriplegic Will Traynor.
Will once lived a rich, adventurous life. Raised to be well off, working a big money London job, going on crazy vacations, and dating leggy-model types, he never knew a boring day in his life. The past two years have been a desperate struggle with depression as he finds himself no longer able to do anything he once loved.
When these two meet, they must teach each other about life and all it can offer. Will must teach Lou to start dreaming beyond the borders of their small town, and Lou must teach Will that his life isn’t over because he’s confined to a chair.
I unabashedly loved this novel and all the heart Moyes poured into it.
She could have very easily resorted to writing a simple love story with Cinderella undertones, but she chose to lead readers towards a completely different conclusion that I won’t spoil here. Let me reiterate, this is not a love story. This is a story about human life and what we do and should do with the lives we’re given. This is a story about dreaming bigger, wanting more, and choosing to launch ourselves into the technicolor tornado that life can be.
Yes, the ultimate subject matter might be controversial and not many people might agree with the choices. I was definitely a little frustrated. However, if anything, it drives home Moyes’ ultimate message. As Will says, “You only get one life. It’s actually your duty to live it as fully as possible.”
via Andreea Stefanescu
Summary
The only thing that could be described as exciting in Lou Clarke’s life thus far is her colourful, quirky taste in clothing. This all changes when she becomes the caretaker for quadriplegic Will Traynor, a man who is forever resentful of losing his adventurous life.
Favourite quotes:
- “How do you know? You’ve done nothing, been nowhere. How do you have the faintest idea what kind of person you are?”
- “I will never, ever regret the things I’ve done. Because most days, all you have are places in your memory that you can go to.”
Perfect place to read: Sitting in a Parisian café.
If this book was a food: That freshly baked croissant you eat after you’ve arrived in Paris for the very first time.
Have you read ‘Me Before You’ by Jojo Moyes or seen the film? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to know!
