Book Review: Me Before You

Louisa never ventured out of her small English town and was content working at a small café and spending time at home, doing nothing particularly exciting.  Will, on the other hand, was constantly venturing out.  He lived a fast life in London, making tons of money and spending his free time bungee jumping.  Then he gets hit by a car and becomes a paraplegic.  Two years later, he is living back home and his family has determined he needs a daytime caretaker to keep him company.  Louisa, having just lost her job, accepts the job as caretaker despite Will's irritable behavior.  

Soon enough, the two find common ground as outcasts in their own right and a lovely friendship begins to grow.  It's basically "Beauty and the Beast."  Over six months they try to prove to each other that life is worth living.

In Me Before You, Jojo Moyes shows off other sides of love, whether it be a strong familial bond or how sometimes the greatest loves are those that are simply deep friendships.  As a man stuck in a wheelchair with almost no range of motion whatsoever, life for Will is not bound to be "fun".  And that's sad.  But he and Louisa are able to give each other something intangible and watching that happen is satisfying.  Still sad, but satisfying.

It's a quick read so it's a good one for the summer.  Though I'm deducting points because I found the general theme overly predictable.  

2.5out of 5 stars.