Me Before You

Hello world! I am still here! I've had a chaotic few months full of work and life, but I am back! And because I relax by reading books, I have several new book reviews ahead for you. I also have some new GenTwenty articles coming out soon, but that is a post for another day.

Today's book review is on Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. This book was a bit out of my comfort zone, but the author came highly recommended to me. The novel focuses on Louisa Clark, a young woman unsure of her future, and Will Traynor, a quadriplegic who was paralyzed after an unfortunate accident. Louisa becomes caregiver for Will, who is upset and depressed with the turn his life has taken. A man in his 30s, once used to extreme sports, endless wealth, and worldwide travel, Will is confined to a wheelchair and has no interest in life anymore.

Louisa learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, and she sets out to show him that life means more than the things you have and the things you do. Along the way, she discovers she loves Will. The novel asks the question: what do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?

If you tend to cry reading books, this may not be the choice for you. There are only two books that have ever made me cry (my friends probably think I have a heart of stone sometimes!), and this book officially made number 2 on that short list. I've read many sad books (even though they aren't my favorite genre), but despite the fact that this book was bittersweet I enjoyed it immensely. It is philosophical and makes you think about what you want in life. 

Me Before You is beautifully written. You can't help but read a passage like this and be moved by the imagery it presents:

The colors seemed brighter than in England, the sky more vivid, an azure blue that just disappeared and grew deeper and deeper to infinity. I saw that the island was lush and green, fringed with acres of sugarcane crops, the sea visible like a strip of mercury through the volcanic hills (Moyes 311).

What's more, Me Before You gives us a chance to look ahead. Moyes is planning on writing its sequel, After You, scheduled for release in 2016 - just before the film version of Me Before You hits the big screen. Be sure to check it out before that time comes around!

And when After You does arrive in print, you can expect a follow up review from Certainly Candid.