Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - A Novel

'You only get one life. It's actually your duty to live it as fully as possible'

I love reading but I don't read just about anything. I like reading books or magazines which doesn't require too much thinking. Some thing light and breezy. Something that I could read and relax before going to bed.  Something that won't tear me apart emotionally imagining the worst.

A few days ago I read the recent edition of the Time magazine and came across an article on the crimes of rape that befell women during the Sudan war. It was horrifying. I just couldn't read after 2 paragraphs. I had to put it away as I started imagining the worst and images of the women and girls suffering kept me up nights. I am still rueful on why I picked up that edition of the magazine.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes is a light romantic novel about a young woman who becomes a full time care giver for a quadriplegic man and after much resentment, things slowly unfold between them. Set in a small British town, the story shows how the main character Louisa Clark  feels so much for the sufferings of Will Traynor and in the process falls in love and discovers herself too. The story alternates between laugh out loud humor , family fights, emotional drama and romance. ​Jojo Moyes was able to provide an eye opening look at what quadriplegics have to deal with on a daily basis, physically, emotionally and socially. Death with dignity was also addressed.

Winner of the Richard & Judy Galaxy Bookclub Spring 2012 and with more than half a million copies sold worldwide, Me Before You was first published in 2012. A sequel, After You was released soon after. A film adaptation of Me Before You is soon to be released in June 2016. I do hope the film lives up to the book. A trailer for the upcoming movie can be found here - Trailer Me Before You.

It was quite impossible to not fall in love with this deeply emotional, insightful and suspenseful book.  That's right - Moyes doesn't telegraph the ending at all, which would have most readers turning the pages in a frenzy. Get it online at amazon.

​Update as at 7th June 2016
​The much awaited movie adaptation of Me Before You was released on 2 June here in Singapore. Directed by Thea Sharrock and casting Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin. Mathew Lewis (the boy who starred as Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter series) acts as jealous boyfriend Patrick of the main character Louisa Clark.  
Initial reviews :

'The most romantic movie of the year!'

​'I just sobbed through the whole move'
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​I caught the movie last evening with my girls. (Rated PG 13)  The theatre was packed and i was surprised to see quite a number of the elderly. Who dare says our elders are boring with no life ? :)

​My review : The movie was very simply taken with no over the top show of affection. It was short - 110 mins- and I felt it was just nice. Any longer I would have started to feel its a drag. My younger girl Riya went - wasn't the movie quite short? A clear indication that she kind of liked the movie. Louisa's quirky character and her much to be loved fancy dressing sense provided many hilarious moments throughout. The light soft soundtrack by various artistes fitted well. I particularly liked Dont Forget Abut Me by Cloves. Overall, we enjoyed the movie - my girls and I. Even though it turned quite melancholic towards the end, to my own disbelief, I didn't shed a single tear.