Me Before You. Finished 2-4-15, fiction, 5/5 stars!, pub. 2012
Unabridged audio narrated by Susan Lyons, Andrew Wincott, Alex Tregear, Anna Bentinck, Steven Crossley, Owen Lindsay. 14.75 hours.
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.
from Goodreads
Sometimes when there is a lot (and by that I mean too-many-to-count favorite lists since it was published) of hype surrounding a book I like to wait because I want my expectations to fade a bit. I read Jo Jo Moyes book, The Girl You Left Behind, and loved it so when I heard bloggers saying that they loved this one even more I knew I had to read it. I chose the audio because I’d heard it was good and it was. Susan Lyons became the loveable Lou Clark and carried the story beautifully. There were a small cast of other characters all with their own voices and it totally worked.
I almost feel like whatever I say has been said before and anything beyond that will spoil it for those three people who haven’t read it. So maybe I’ll just give 3 things I loved best and then ask 3 questions for those who have read it. Bottom Line-Loved it and it’s sure to end up on my favorite list at the end of the year!
Loved-Lou’s accessibility and charm. She had no great ambition and sometimes I wanted to give her a shake, but she was so real, fiery, and vulnerable.
Loved-The story focused around Will, a paralyzed man in his 30’s, and it showed the abilities and hardships of someone who must rely on others for every personal need. It isn’t a life without happiness, but is a life full of struggle.
Loved-The end. Sometimes what we fear is what moves us forward on a new path.
Questions for those who have read it…
How do you think the book handled the right to die debate?
Let’s cast the movie! Who is Lou and who is Will?
Did you cry and how many times?
I’ll answer when you do 🙂
Stacy's Books 
I listened to the audio in my car and cried so hard towards the end that I had to pull off of the road to compose myself. The book certainly made me think about the right to die from more than one perspective.
Me too! The last 2 cds had me crying on and off and I was trying to run errands. Poor Gage had to listen to part of it because I couldn’t be in the car without listening (I gave him a video so he wasn’t too harmed by it).I believe it is a person’s right to choose but it’s not a black and white issue for sure and I think it was dealt with in a fair way.
I think the book handled the right to die debate beautifully. It allows readers to see the debate from both sides and forces readers to think tough thoughts about it. As for crying? I think I cried for the last hour of the book and a good hour after that. Not just cried though. It was the full-blown ugly, gasping sobbing with snot running down my face to mix with the tears. This book put a spell on me that is unprecedented in the thousands of books I’ve read. As for casting the movie, I defer. I am terrible at that. I can judge other people’s suggestions as right or wrong according to my perceptions, but I can’t select actors on my own.
The movie’s in pre-production and the two in talks for Lou and Will are Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin. I only know Sam as Finnick from Hunger Games and think he could be good. Of course I’m more interested in Lou.
This was a read/listen combo for me and, foolishly, I was listening to the end… on the way to a dentist appointment, no less. I was a mess when I got there!
I know I’m not alone when I say how much I liked this book. The only thing that surprises me is that I haven’t read any of her others. Maybe I’ll start with the one you recommended. I need to make it a priority. Me Before You was definitely one of my top books of 2013.
This is one I am on the fence about because the synopsis hasn’t’ grabbed me. I really want to read The Girl You Left Behind though. I would like to give this author a try given how many people have raved about her books.
I know what you mean about wanting to wait until the hype dies down. Sometimes that’s when the less than positive reviews start coming out too and you are able to get a more balanced view of a book. I hate having a book ruined for me because of my high expectations. I like the balance because it keeps my expectations realistic.
I’ve been meaning to read this. It’s on my Kindle. Need to move it to the top! But I gotta get prepared for some crying…
Our book club just read it and I think everyone universally loved it. Not only did I think it handled the right to die topic with grace, without being preachy, I thought it brought up issues with handicapped people that you never think of. Really made me think. And yes I cried at the end, or even really before it got there, because you know what is coming. I think it is a movie coming out late this summer! I haven’t formed any ideas on casting yet, but I’m sure I will have an opinion on who they pick.
I was ON THE FLOOR with sobbing!
This was such a wonderful story. I sobbed while driving.