Sunday 22 January 2012

Recently Read - Me Before You

I've just finished reading, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes and I can still feel the prickle on my cheeks from the drying tears. I sobbed at this book like I have never sobbed at a book before and had to share it with you. 


The back cover blurb doesn't do the book justice;



Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.
What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.
Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.
What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

But the quote from The Independant on Sunday does;

Gorgeously romantic and partner-ignoringly compulsive.

It absolutely is. I read the second half of the book in a day and though I may have been sobbing uncontrollably (Luckily I was in the house and not sat on a train where I had been reading some of it yesterday) it also had me laughing out loud throughout. It's a book that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride as Lou starts to work for the Traynors and the handsome, life-loving son Will, who is now a quadraplegic after a terrible accident. It is told with humour and sensitivity and catches hold of the way public disability is perceived. It will make you think and grabs hold of you hard and doesn't let go. 
If you only read one book this year, make this the book you read. I can't recommend this book enough. Please, just read it. 

15 comments:

  1. Awesome! I'll pop over to Goodreads and put it on my list right now before I forget.

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  2. I have this book on my shelf! I can't wait to read it - it's one of the next ones I'll pick up, but I will be reading it on the commute, so I'll have some tissues handy just in case!

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  3. At the risk of judging a book by its cover, your write-up sounds like a much better book than I was expecting. I saw this book in Waterstone's the other day, and walked straight past - based on the cover! (Oh, am I still allowed that ' in Waterstone's?)

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  4. How can I not put it on my list after that fantastic review? :-)

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  5. Cool. I will have to check this book out.

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  6. Thanks for the wonderful review, now you're making me want to read it! So I'm off to check it out!

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  7. Wow, what a great review. It totally made want to read it:)

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  8. I just downloaded this! I can't wait to read it.

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  9. You've got me! I have the book on my tbr list. thanks for the recommendation, it sounds wonderful.

    CJ x

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  10. Awe it sounds like a very beautiful story. :-)

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  11. Beautiful review Rebecca, it really does sound a fab book and I hope continues with Jojo Moyes' great story telling tradition. Will be adding this to my to-reads pile x

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  12. You're very persuasive. I often try and avoid things that will make me cry. There's too much in the real world that does that, but you've made such a strong case for this book that I might just give it a try :-)

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  13. This books sounds great, what a great review. I will add it to be wish list. x

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  14. Thank you all for your comments. I appreciate it immensely when anyone takes the time to stop and say something here. I'd reply to you all individually but I'd be saying the same thing -

    Yes go read it, it will make you weep and will touch you so much.

    Please come back and let me know what you thought of it. I'd love to know if people felt the same way about this book.

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  15. I may not be able to resist this one. Crying at movies and books is a wonderful stress reliever. :)

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