Review: Me Before You

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

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Rating: 4/5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I don’t often read romance novels, but this one has been on my list to read for a long time. It seems that there is a stigma against romance novels or “chick lit” as some prefer to call it. This stigma has even gone so far as making me feel embarrassed to pull it out on my commute and read it. But after a while, I thought, F*@# this. Romance novels are not “lesser than” or “trashy.” Sure, there are issues with the genre (race and sexual identity representation), but the idea of disowning an entire genre of writing just because of its label is silly.

So I ventured into the romance genre with the highly praised novel, Me Before You, in which plain Louisa Clark meets the stunning and successful Will Traynor, now a quadriplegic from a motor accident. Moyes brings these two very different people together, and it is both fun and frustrating to watch their relationship grow. I adore the story, and I love that this romance novel breaks some of the genre norms… more on that later! Me Before You is a fun and light read that will tug at your heartstrings, make you laugh, and maybe make you shed a few tears.

Like I said, I haven’t read that many romance novels, and even so, it’s been a long time since I’ve read one. But I know that most romance novels suffer from the stereotypical “hot” female or the damsel in distress-type who falls in love with a “hot” guy with chiseled abs. I have no interest in those novels, and Moyes steers clear of that too. Louisa is a female with “fatty bits” who finds her boyfriend’s new running obsession and hard body as repulsing. The main male character is a man who was once that stereotypical guy but who is now in a wheelchair. I love that Louisa and Will are not the usual romance novel pair. The novel gets rid of those mind-dulling multi-page descriptions of the male body. In its place, we see a real, complex relationship grow between Louisa and Will, and I adore it! It may be controversial to have a love story about a not size 0 woman and a disabled man, but I hope the popularity of this novel will make it the new normal.

Another controversial topic Moyes covers is suicide. Like I said, this novel makes you shed tears! Even though the novel is grounded in heavy topics like disability and suicide, there’s always a laughable moment. Though we think Will is being convinced life is worth living for these six months of Louisa and Will’s relationship, he always plans to kill himself via assisted suicide. His life is literally the opposite of what it used to be, and even with Louisa’s love, he knows life will never be what he wants it to be. Moyes’s skills are blindingly obvious as she effortlessly writes about these topics while also making room for comedy and happiness. I loved reading scenes where Louisa finally cracks Will’s stoic facade and makes him truly happy. Their banter and jokes make sad scenes happy. On top of that, Moyes does an excellent job of explaining these complex issues through the narrative, and it all feels honest and genuine. I kept wondering while I was reading if Moyes has personal experience knowing a disabled and/or suicidal person because she executes both topics so well. Her knowledge of living with a disability and about suicide gave the novel credibility and unexpected depth.

The film version of Me Before You was released in 2016, and I watched it right after I read the book. I am a die-hard “read the book first” person. It was pretty true to the book, only cutting out scenes that did not add much to the main plot. As always, I liked the book better. But this is a great adaptation, and the actors play their roles like I thought their personalities would be. Check it out!

This review is much longer than most of my posts. But I just had so much to say about Me Before You. I loved the book, I wanted to discuss stereotypes in the romance genre, highlight the controversial themes in the book, and I wanted to comment on the film. My experience jumping back into the romance genre with Me Before You was an excellent one, and I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series, though I have no idea what to expect because I felt like this story ended perfectly. If you’re looking for an easy read and a lovely romance that actually has depth, check this book out ASAP!

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