From the Bookshelf of 2015 Reading Challenge [Closed]…

Me Before You (Me Before You, #1)

Jojo Moyes

Discussion: . Week 9: Female Author

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. Week 9: Female Author

* Week 9: Introduction
By Jessica · 11 posts · 207 views

last updated Mar 02, 2015 12:01AM

* Week 9: Progress Post
By Zaz , Mood Minion · 22 posts · 94 views

last updated Oct 27, 2015 04:32AM

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What Members Thought

Mar 26, 2016 Brandy B rated it it was amazing

Shelves: chick-lit, around2016

I was not a weepy ball of mess as I was told to expect to be. That's a little unusual because I am wont to cry at seriously sappy things. But I had a hard time putting this one down and I imagine the characters will stay with me for a long while now that it is done. Personally, I can't ask for much more than that. ...more

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Jun 03, 2014 Megan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own, fiction

One of the best books I've ever read. ...more

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Jan 06, 2016 Sara rated it liked it

Louisa lives at home with her mom (who doesn't work), dad (who's about to be laid off at the furniture manufacturer's), her granddad (who I believe has some form of dementia), her sister Katrina (who is "brilliant" but works at florist after having dropped out of college), and her nephew Thomas (the reason why her sister works/dropped out of school. Her family isn't well off and depend on her income to keep the family afloat. This is a problem when she loses her job at the Buttered Bun (a cafe). Louisa lives at home with her mom (who doesn't work), dad (who's about to be laid off at the furniture manufacturer's), her granddad (who I believe has some form of dementia), her sister Katrina (who is "brilliant" but works at florist after having dropped out of college), and her nephew Thomas (the reason why her sister works/dropped out of school. Her family isn't well off and depend on her income to keep the family afloat. This is a problem when she loses her job at the Buttered Bun (a cafe). The only place that's hiring is a chicken slaughterhouse....or a caretaker's job that comes up. Louisa goes and inquires about it but highly doubts she'll get it as the money's good but she's not qualified. However her family and her boyfriend, Patrick (who's she's been with for 6 years and he is obsessed with fitness) tell her to go for it.

To her surprise, she gets the job. It's caring for Mrs. Traynor's son, Will, who is a quadriplegic. He has a nurse, Nathan, to do the medical things, they just need someone to keep him company in the annex of their house which is all one level. Will tries to scare Louisa on their first meeting and is pretty rude/unhappy to see her when she starts working for them. He doesn't want to talk to her and seems content to be miserable spending his days inside the annex.

Louisa's contract is for six months (view spoiler)[and it's not for awhile that she learns why her contact is for six months only. It's because Will has agreed to give his parents six months, then he's chosen to commit suicide/assisted suicide at a place in Switzerland. Louisa also notices the scars on his wrists where he has attempted suicide in the past. She wants to quit but she can't as her family needs the money because her sister has gone back to college and needs money and her dad lost his job. Louisa confides in her sister and they come up with a bunch of things that Will can do so that he will believe in life again and not want to commit suicide. Louisa brings these ideas to Mrs. Traynor who allows their trips in hopes that Louisa will be able to change his mind. As Will and Louisa spend more time together, he becomes a bit happier and they talk more. She even invites him to her birthday dinner at her parent's house and her parents totally love him. But as she tries to keep getting him to try new things he's still set on suicide at Dignitas. Louisa and Will go on a bunch of date-like events in the months that they're together and do a bunch of cute things. I can totally see why they start to fall for one another, especially when they're basically the only ones they see. In a last-ditch attempt at saving Will before his six months are up Louisa plans a great adventure to California where they have daredevil adventures for quadriplegics. Unfortunately Will gets pneumonia right before they're set to leave and kind of ruins the trip. He does get better, but they have to cancel the trip and instead they go to relax in India or somewhere in the east. Will recovers and they basically confess their love for one another there but he says he's still going to Dignitas because this life isn't his anymore. They go home and Louisa quits because she wasn't able to stop him from wanting to commit suicide. Thankfully she comes around the day before it's set to happen and she flies to Switzerland to see him and he passes on.

The biggest idea/story line of this book for me wasn't the love story, but rather Will and his struggle to make his own choices and how everyone kept trying to deny him his right to choose how he wanted to live (or didn't want to live). Louisa spent so much time with him and saw how little he could do for himself yet she wanted him to live that way, which was selfish of her. Everyone wanted him to live so that they could be satisfied with their lives yet really didn't consider the quality of life he was living. I'm glad that they supported his decision in the end, because while not an easy one, it was his decision. He knew what life could be (he lived a very active life before the accident) and knew that he would never get that back again.
(hide spoiler)]

+ Reality (money problems, trying to find a job)
+ Relationship between sisters (I loved how Katrina wanted her sister to work to support her, so realistic)
+ British humor/scenarios ...more

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