Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

I just want to start by saying, this book deserves so many more than 5* in my opinion. It's a truly beautifully tragic love story, one that will stay with me forever.

Have you ever had a friend tell you to read a book? You tell them no. That you cannot deal with that kind emotional roller coster? But they keep telling you to read it, insisting that you’ll fall madly in love with the story, with the characters and even though, you’ll feel pain, it will be the most beautiful kind of pain? That the tears that fall will heal you, one by one?

I’m the first to admit, I’m an emotional person, therefore I’m an emotional reader. I love nothing more than to find myself fully invested in a story from the first page. I want to feel like I’m living the character’s life, that I can feel their pain and share in their joy. When I’m so invested in a story nothing else matters. For me, it’s a rare thing to find a story that makes real life and everything that goes will it cease to exist, even cease to matter to me.

This story did.

I loved Lou right from the very first page, she was so normal, so relatable. I didn’t find myself rolling my eyes or tutting, I found myself laughing and thinking to myself, she’s like me! I think any female reading this book will be able to relate to Lou—she’s insecure and she’s not always sure of what she should be doing. But she’s courageous and brave and so incredibly strong. Faced with what she is, I know I wouldn’t be able to be the person she stepped up to be. I’m in awe of her and I think she is my favourite heroine of all time. I cannot fully express how much I adore her.

I fell in love with Will from that very first meeting, something about him reaches inside of you and holds on tight. And it doesn’t let go I can tell you that. I’ve never met a character like Will before, someone who is so completely sure of what he wants and is brave enough to stand by it. To say I have a choice and I have a voice and I’m making it this decision and I don’t need or want your approve because it’s my life, not yours. I loved watching how he changes, how Lou changes him, or makes him more of his old self I think is a better explanation. He was a rare and phenomenal character and one I will love forever.

It takes courage to stay true to your characters, to write the story as it should be and not how you know the readers are going to want it to be. I admire Jojo Moyes for keeping the story—Will’s story especially—as it was meant to be, staying true to him and his choices no matter how much heartbreak, how much sadness it may bring. It takes a lot of guts to do that.

I was asked by my friend if this story was a 5* after I messaged her. I was an emotional wreck and it was almost one in the morning. I told her, it was so much more than that. Honestly, hand on my heart, one of the best books I've ever read. Possibly the best book because it's not a series, Jojo Moyes made you fall in love with two characters so completely and she did so in one book. She made you feel things it usually takes a series to feel, a whole series to build up, it usually takes a lot of invested time in order for me to feel that, but this is one book and when I finished, I was left asking myself one question: What author can make me feel like this with one book!!!? I came up with only one answer ... Jojo Moyes.

Thank you for literally changing my life and how I live it. Thank you for giving me the courage to go out and live and to push myself and to embrace life and it’s challenges because it’s what life is about.

This tremendous book has taken a huge part of me away with it … and I don’t ever want it back.