Me Before You
By Jojo Moyes (2012)
Series: Me Before You #1
Page Count: 480 Pages
Medium Used: Paperback
Genre: Romance, Quadriplegic, Fiction, Silver Linings
Rating 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I don't think I have to say much about this phenomenon of a book that is sold in millions across the globe. It is a scintillating story. I am not someone that is easily moved. I usually maintain a stoic and objective view of the narration. But the last few pages of this book are something else. I couldn't stop the tears that threatened to trickle down. I guess all through the story I was expecting for a miracle and harbored a hope for happy endings. Romantic angle between a young girl and a quadriplegic man is nothing if not the very definition of "unconventional". Conventional love - if that's a way to call it - heavily relies on physical attraction, looks, possessions and desires to get intimate. None of that applies to this story. When Louisa meets Will, he is bound to wheelchair with his hair uncut, disheveled and he is mentally depressed. They dislike each other but their bond grows with time. It is transcendental and transformative for both of them. It is a true coming together of two kindred spirits that want nothing beyond the company of each other.
The characters are extremely well developed. So much so that when Louisa gets hurt, I wanted to soothe her. To fight with Will and defend her. She is the very personification of purity, innocence and childishness in a young person. Will although taciturn and sometimes sarcastic, is an equally likeable person. This book is an emotionally loaded cannon and Moyes has handled it well. She has deftly dealt the raw emotional mammoth with a detached hand and even added some humor to it. Highly recommend to everyone - even those that usually shun romance as a genre. This book taught me so much about the quadriplegics and the despair they feel, the physical health issues they battle as if mental suffering and trauma are not enough.
Will Traynor is a promising young man at his firm who lives life to its fullest. He is a firm individual in getting what he wants. His life takes change for the worse when he meets with a road accident. He suffers spinal cord injury and becomes a quadriplegic - paralyzed beneath the chest, forever bound to wheelchair. His parents are well off and do everything to keep him content - as much as possible given his condition. But Will makes an attempt of suicide and barely escapes with his life. His mother hires a caretaker Louisa more for her personality of cheerfulness than experience on resume. Will and Lou, with time, get closer and become more intimate. They reveal their deepest secrets to each other. They become the best of friends and confidantes. Their love is truly selfless and very sweet. (I wondered several times if someone like Will has ever crossed paths with me and felt a hollow because the answer is no. Their bond is truly ethereal.) Lou learns what it means to accept someone's choices and live on. He gives her something to hope, to expand her horizons. She gives him something valuable to remember and look forward to, in his never ending, lonely days.
I only wished there was more insight into the emotions and thoughts of Will as well. His side of the story is seen mostly through his actions. Perhaps something like a Midnight Sun to this Twilight. :)