Book Review: Me Before You

Thanks to my afternoon book group at the library, I have found a new author. Jojo Moyes has won me as a fan with ME BEFORE YOU. I can not wait to see how the other members of the group reacted to this biter sweet story.

The prologue of the story introduces us to hot shot Will Trayner, a young man who has it all, a power job, big money, a beautiful girlfriend and a life full of excitement and, some times dangerous adventures. The prologue ends with Will being involved in a traffic accident.

Louisa Clark is a small town girl who has just lost her job as a waitress in a coffee shop. Her family is ordinary and not overly encouraging. Her boyfriend of seven years has become more interested in physical fitness then in their relationship. With no real job experience or training, Lou finds that the best job available is to become a companion to a quadriplegic. Wiping the bum of an elderly person is not her idea of a great job, but it beats working in the chicken processing plant.

Of course the patient turns out to be Will, now confined to a wheel chair and unable of basic self care. Will has become resentful of his condition and impossibly rude to everyone around him. Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves. In time a relationship forms that changes both of them.

This sounds like such a routine plot that I was ready to skim through it just so I could follow the group discussion Friday afternoon. Instead I became so wrapped up in the characters that I had trouble getting away from them, whether I was reading or going about my daily chores.

At first I was very put off by Lou's family. The small house contained a mother who never sat down, a grandfather who was normally napping, a "perfect" sister who was living back home with a toddler, a father who only seemed to speak when he wanted to belittle Lou. The only likable character was the toddler, Thomas.  As the story progressed, each family member became more dimensional.

Will's family also became more real. His mother seemed so cold and so impressed with her money and position and his father just distant. As we learn more about them, they did not change so much, but we at least learn why they are the way they are.

All of the characters in the book are well done. Will's male nurse Nathan becomes a large part in Lou's plan to save Will. Patrick, Lou's boyfriend, plays an important part also, although not willingly.
It was not hard to get involved with these people.

The research that Lou does on working with quadriplegics was informative as was her information on assisted suicide. These two areas gave the book another dimension as well as some surprises. Yes, the ending may have been foreshadowed enough not to be a surprise, but reactions to final events may have been.

This was a fairly fast read, mainly because I really wanted to see what was going to happen. While I was checking the author for other books, I found that a movie version will be out in 2016 and that there is a sequel, After You. I may pass on the movie, but the sequel sounds intriguing. My favorite authors are those who can build interesting characters and it seems as if Jojo Moyes can do that.