ME BEFORE YOU by JOJO MOYES

ME BEFORE YOU

BY JOJO MOYES

THE BLURB:-

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 motorbike 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 life in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change each other for all time.

THE REALITY:-

This is a real tearjerker. Girls, do not read this if a) you are feeling a bit down or b) you have PMT, as you will end up crying buckets.

This is one of those romantic stories that makes you stop and think, and you get an immensely strong feel for the sheer hopelessness of the situation. It does make you question whether some people would be better off dead, as their quality of life is so poor- and if so, should they be allowed to end their lives with dignity?

The writer has not shirked away from the realities of life for someone who is quadriplegic; how even the most basic tasks are impossible to complete unaided, the daily medications, the constant problems with severe pain, muscle spasms and the ongoing threat of infection. You learn very quickly that being in this severely reduced state is not just about sitting in a wheelchair with no feeling in the body. She also describes how super-active Will was before his accident and how bloody unfair life can be.

Set against a lovely castle backdrop, there is a big social contrast between well-off Will and his family and (former) friends and working class Lou. Lou, who is a riot of colour, and her family really cheer the novel up, otherwise it might have become just too depressing.

Brutal in its honesty, this is a very unusual romantic tale that everyone should read.  And those of us that are in good health should be so grateful that we are so blessed.