Shandi Sturgill

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes tells the story of Louisa Clark. After Louisa, often called Lou, loses her job at a local café, she is forced to rapidly find employment to keep her family’s finances afloat. Following a few failed attempts, the unemployment agency secures her a position as a caregiver to a wealthy young man named Will Traynor, who has been left a quadriplegic after a motorcycle accident.

Overall, I enjoyed Me Before You. I found the characters, and Will and Lou’s escapades, to be entertaining. I liked that this book wasn’t a typical fluffy romance. Though Will and Lou’s developing relationship is a large component to the story, the novel also focuses on some heavy themes, such as assault and assisted suicide. Moyes’s writing really shines in the chapter narrated by Camilla, Will’s mother. Camilla tells of the effects of her son’s accident and his desire to end his life. There are moments in this chapter that emotionally affected me more than anything else in the book. I went away from that chapter feeling that Camilla was the character most developed in the author’s mind.

 And that leads me to the greatest fault of the book. Lou is the main narrator of the novel, and in addition to her, three other characters step in to tell a fragment of the story. However, Will is excluded from this. The biggest element of Will’s arc is his despair at his loss of agency and that people make decisions and speak for him. Ironically enough Moyes does the same thing to her character. This book could have been so much better if Moyes let him narrate, because she only scratches the surface of who he is. It is understandable that Will lives in a dark place, but I want to know more about what keeps him there. He could elaborate more on his decision, and how he feels it’s the only way for him to exercise control over his body. His perspective could also provide insight into his feelings about the pain he’s going to cause those who love him, which is bound to cause some internal conflict. These illuminations would be so much more powerful than the few lines he’s given to express his choice.

Me Before You is far from perfect in its representation of the struggles of a disabled individual, but there are some lessons to be garnered from this book. This book will make you contemplate the morality of Will’s decision. It will make you realize the importance of living passionately.