Me Before You

Written by Jojo Moyes

Narrated by Alex Tregear, Andrew Wincott, Anna Betinck and 3 more

Lou Clark knows a lot of things. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop, and she might not love her boyfriend Patrick. Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live, and now everything feels small and joyless. What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: W. F. Howes Ltd
• Release date: Aug 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9781471201097

Jojo Moyes

Jojo Moyes is a British novelist and journalist. She is one of only a few authors to have twice won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association and has been translated into eleven different languages.

Reviews for Me Before You

[Seema Afridi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thank you so much for writing this utterly beautiful love story Jojo. Thanks also to everyone involved in the production of the audio book. I enjoyed every word and am now looking forward to watching the film. Highly recommended!

[Hasna Iflal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It captured all the emotions and was very realistic. Loved it.

[jinjer-641812 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Although both the movie and book were good, the movie will make you cry, but the book, not so much. Definitely go for both.

[Fungai Chigama · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lou’s determination for life was amazing!!! She had so much to give Will, but unfortunately it had to be what it was eventually

[kassilem · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought this was an interesting book. I'm betting there are a lot of people out there that would not have liked the ending, would have disagreed with what happened. I thought it was more realistic then most people want to admit. It's not something that I would ever phantom doing myself based on what I do and don't believe in, but everyone sees the world different and we shouldn't discriminate because they believe something we do not. That is the message I felt this book portrayed the most. The writing was good and paced well. Clearly not a book for everyone but I enjoyed it.

[knittingmomof3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Me Before You by JoJo Moyes is an uplifting book, which also will pull at the reader’s heartstrings. The writing is beautiful, the characters are easily relatable, if not at times frustration, but overall Me Before You is a deeply touching book and one I would recommend, especially to book discussion groups.

[Franka · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved it so much! Please don't judge this book by the movie, book is ten times better! So worth reading!

[_amritasharma_ · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

:Spoiler Alert:
To be or not to be-Hamlet asked. We did not have a answer then; we don't have the answer now.In 'Me before you' Jojo Moyes gives her answer.

I almost did not read the book as book starts at a very slow; actually boring pace.But I persevered because this was recommended to me by someone whose judgement in books, I am willing to follow blindly. And I am glad that I did.

I did not agree with the ending though. Not one bit. Moyes justification for Will opting for euthanasia are just not convincing enough for me. She justifies it as a freedom of choice. True, everyone has a right to live as well as to die. And lots of people who have the capability to do so, do commit suicide when they find going on too tough. But a quad does not have the ability to do so. So if he wants he should be assisted. No, this does not sit easy with me even after reading the book.

[rumbidzaichido · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jojo Moyes did a great job of bringing the characters to love and making them relatable.

[howifeelaboutbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Read this book. Seriously, you must read it. I don't want to give this book the short end of the stick when it comes to writing a review, but I don't actually think there's much that can be said about it. Or, more accurately, there's so much that can be said about it, once you encounter someone else who has read it. I think it's best to open the cover knowing as little as possible about the subject matter. Let yourself go in with no expectations and be overcome with the characters and the story. One of those books where you read it as quickly as you can, savoring the prose while needing to know what happens, though you don't actually want to reach the end.

[miiko · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I could not stop listening. You will love it. !!

[annith-2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

When the coffee shop where she works as a waitress closes, Louisa Clark has to take the only job she can find, assisting Will Traynor, a former financier and playboy whose A-list life has been abruptly changed by an accident that leaves him a quadriplegic. Angry and bitter about his fate, Will nonetheless warms to Louisa, while she in turn discovers she prefers spending time with him than with her domineering boyfriend. But will their relationship be enough for Will to once again embrace life??Me Before You? is predictable and maudlin, and a prime example of why you should travel with a Kindle, so that you don?t have to end up with books like this from the airport bookstore.

[gigisiriereads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Pardon me while I dry my tears. This might have been the most heartbreaking, soul-baring, touching, thought-provoking, and unexpected love story I've ever read. Me Before you is a beautifully and charmingly written love story. And with such a controversial topic it still captivated me and made me fall in love with it's characters and wanted to see their pain and sorrow heal.

This book has all the facets needed to make a versatile story, there were the usual and unique tribulations for the people in the story; a bit of sibling rivalry, secrets, lies, quirky characters, some unthoughtful blokes, humor, and of course love.

I liked Louisa and William and thought they were characters who it was easy to fall in love with and invest in. One of the things I loved about this book is that it almost seems to anticipate your thoughts and feelings as it progresses. For example, at one point I had this need to hear from some of the other characters, I really wanted to know what were their thoughts on whats happening between Lou and Will, and bam, I got my wish. Getting to hear from other characters made the progression of the story more solid.

I can't communicate how much this story touched me, it is a definite tearjerker. Come prepared with your box of tissues. Even if you have your own opinions on the topic you will still be taken in by the lives of the folks living around the castle on the hill.

[Jayne Attwood · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book affected me greatly. I thought it covered the different angles of what is to some a very complex issue. The characters were very endearing and loveable.

[britlitya · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After being told to read this book by a co-worker, I finally did. It's a quick read. Louisa and Will are complex characters. Lou, as she likes to be called, has been leading a small life, afraid to do anything outside of her comfort zone. Will, living life on the edge, has been on the verge of suicide after he became a quadriplegic in a tragic accident.He shows her that there is life outside their small town, and helps her realize that she otherwise might be missing out on her life. She gives him, as he puts it, "the best six months of my life". But there's no happy ending. In the end, Will dies. This isn't a typical romance, and the reader shouldn't expect a typical ending. Lou, on the other hand, is given a second chance to jumpstart her life, and seems grateful for meeting Will and getting the chance to love him.I'm normally not a fan of romance, but I enjoyed this book. I caught myself laughing at some of the things Lou did. She was spunky and unique, but she was different by the end of the book. In the end, I think we all want to be a different person -- and for the better. Have tissues at hand, just in case!

[thereaderscommute · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

At my aunt's suggestion, and courtesy of NetGalley, I got to read Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.

Readers: I'm so, so glad that I did. Before I get ahead of myself, here's the synopsis for this book (courtesy of Amazon), which came out December 31, 2012:

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has never been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

A Love Story for this generation, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?

Moyes' writing is breezy and easy to read. The downside is this: I finished this book much faster than I would have liked! Although, I had the sense to stop reading in public when I realized I was going to start sobbing uncontrollably.

(Commuters: You may not want to read this on the train, if you're an emotional person like me.)

The majority of the book's narration is through the POV of Louisa Clark. She is chatty, and pleasant, and incredibly comfortable in her hometown. When she loses her job at a cafe and interviews for a caretaker position, she gets a real wake-up call.

She becomes a companion for Will, a thirty-something quadriplegic who, before his accident, was a high-powered businessman with a taste for adventure. Wheelchair-bound and entirely dependent on others, Will is a shadow of his former self. Louisa soon learns that her position in Will's life holds a weight that she may not be prepared for.

There are other POV chapters scattered throughout the book (Will's mother and father, Will's medical caretaker, and Lou's sister). However, I was saddened to not see any real insight into Will's POV. Surely, in a book where Will is just as much of a main focus as Louisa, there should be some of his side to the story?

This is only a minor issue, in my opinion. I felt as if I learned enough about Will's character through his interactions with the people around him. His letter to Louisa became the ultimate definition of his character, and I love him so much for that.

This is a beautiful, heartbreaking book. It's painful, but inspiring, and life-affirming. I finished reading it a few days ago but have been unable to form the right words to review it. I hope this begins to do it justice.

If you're looking for a book to make you laugh, and cry, and want to get out there and live: read Me Before You. It will not disappoint.

[Mariette Ferreira · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love this story. It's a one time read. I prefer the film but it's an enjoyable book. Probable Moyes's best work so far.

[anniemichelle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

me before you a most excellent 5 star read!I love this book! I loved it from the second page!27 year old Louisa Clark still lives at home with her family who she helps support. She has been going out with the same man for 7 years with no future plans. She feels adrift.When she loses her job waitressing at The Buttered Bun Tea Shop, she is desperate and takes a job as caretaker to a quadriplegic man. She wonders why with no experience she is even given the job, that is until she meets him. Will Traynor was once an adventure junkie, traveling the world in lavish style. But Since his devastating accident he has been angry & mean, much to the angst of his family who had tried everything to get him to "live again". louisa finds she is more babysitter than nurse. Will is angry and in constant pain. Lou tries everything she can think of to tempt him to return to his old life. Slowly Lou & Will become close, fall in love and through funny, sad mishaps and escapades Louisa thinks she has finally gotten to him, until she finds out his desire to end his life. This really hit home for me because my family's nickname for me growing up was "kavorki Annie" (haha, for Jack Kevorkian) Let me explain... while growing up I was always the one who took our elderly, sick and dying animals, of which there were many, horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, ducks, gerbils, chameleons, fish, bunnies ect. to the vet and inevitably I would be the one who would have to choose to euthanize them or not when needed. As devastating as this was for me, I could not bear to see them be in pain or suffer at all, and my opinion is that people who do are actually thinking more of themselves than their beloved pet who can not speak for themselves, nor understand pain. Just my opinion people. I cried & laughed throughout this book, called friends to tell them to go out and buy it as they would not regret it and neither will you! Even though the premise has been done before, it has not been done like this. This is a book worth reading and passing on to a pal.

[RandaKaterina Sbeiti · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

..... sad.. lovely... inspiring... beautiful.. funny.. real... I loved it! ❤

[begivens · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I would have to say this book was both over-hyped and remarkably good. I was interested the whole way through, and all of the characters were fascinating. The concept was sad, but the way the story was told made it less so in a way. This was my first JoJo Moyes book and I would definitely read more of her work.

[sueincyprus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The main narrator is 26-year-old Lou who is part of a close-knit and impoverished family. She's offered the job as carer/companion to a young man called Will who is quadriplegic and thus confined to a wheelchair.

Most of the book is about the relationship between the grumpy Will, and the unconventional Lou. Will’s family is the other end of the social and financial spectrum from Lou's and I felt their situations were a bit stereotyped, but somehow it works. It’s a well-written and thought-provoking story, that reminded me more than once of Jodi Picoult's style. It deals with a controversial subject in a realistic and sensitive way.

Lou is a likeable young woman who adjusts well to her new and often difficult role. She has an annoying boyfriend called Patrick who seems to worship triathlons and running; I'm not quite sure why he was in the book at all. Will is in my view the most complex and well-drawn character. I was sorry that he didn’t narrate anything; the only section of the book seen from his point of view is the prologue. There are two or three places where minor characters narrate a chapter, which is slightly confusing.

Despite a few niggles, it’s a very good read. It's 500 pages but it took me only two days to read it. I finished the last couple of hundred pages almost in one sitting, eager to find out what would happen. I was disappointed in the ending but there's an encouraging epilogue. It didn't move me deeply; I can imagine some would find it quite tear-jerking but I remained dry-eyed. However the issues raised will probably remain with me for some time.

[asawyer_21 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While this seems like an update of the "Dying Young" movie I enjoyed decades ago, I was captivated and could not put this book down. Twenty-seven year old Louisa takes a 6 mo. gig keeping company with Will, a guy who had had it all - women, power, job, adventure, looks, etc. - until a freak accident left him a quadriplegic. Lou only took the job to help her struggling family make ends meet, but soon becomes consumed with helping involve him in a life he's willing to live for... changing them both along the way. Heartbreaking, but also smile-inducing.

[eadieb-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Book DescriptionThey had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.A Love Story for this generation and perfect for fans of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?My ReviewThis is a very moving story and one that examines the love between two people and how they enrich one another's life in an impossible situation. I found JoJo Moyes to be a very powerful writer as she allows us to feel what the characters are going through and how they cope with their personal attraction to one another and their personal realities. Although the story is a heartbreaker and tear maker, it does have some laugh-out-loud moments that make this incredible tough read one not to be missed. I recommend this book to those who love thought-provoking, powerful but heartbreaking romantic reads.

[joannemonck · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A wonderful book about am active business/athletic man who becomes wheelchair bound after an accident and the young lady who is hired to be his companion for six months. The are like oil and water and slowly become friends. The gentleman however is planning his own mercy killing and she is determined to stop it. The feelings are raw. There caring for each other real but his determination to guide the only thing left in his life (his death) that he can make a decision about hangs through the six months they have together.

[dkgarner95 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"You are scored on my heart. . ."Me: *sobs*Me: *sobs harder*Me: *takes deep breath* So. This book was really good. Like, REALLY GOOD. Equally funny, thought provoking, and utterly heartbreaking, it was a fantastic read. Seriously. You should totally read it. I bet you'd even thank me afterward. Probably.Me: *wipes away snot and tears*

[Hanča Hašlerka · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's a good book but bad choice to listen to before sleep because the narrator is shouting half the time. ?

[buecherwurm136 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Das Buch ?Ein ganzes halbes Jahr? von Jojo Moyes erz?hlt die Geschichte von Louisa Clark, genannt Lou, und William Traynor, genannt Will. Lou ist eine 26-j?hrige junge Frau, die noch bei ihren Eltern zuhause wohnt. Sie arbeitet in einem Caf? und liebt ihren Job ?ber alles. Mit ihrem Gehalt versucht sie, so gut es geht, ihre Familie finanziell zu unterst?tzen. Denn in Lou?s Familie ist nur wenig Geld vorhanden, ihre Mutter pflegt den Gro?vater zu Hause, ihr Vater hat Angst davor, dass er seinen Job verliert und ihre Schwester muss ihr Kind versorgen. Der Inhaber des Caf?s schlie?t dieses und Lou verliert ihren Job. Die Verzweiflung ist riesig, so dass sie sich auf den Weg zum Jobcenter macht. Dort bekommt sie, nach einigen nicht prickelnden Jobangeboten, dann einen Job als Pflegekraft angeboten. Lou ist sehr skeptisch, da sie keine Pflegeausbildung hat und eigentlich m?chte sie auch keine fremden Menschen anfassen. Doch aufgrund der finanziellen Sorgen und nachdem ihr versichert wurde, dass sie nicht die k?rperliche Pflege ?bernehmen muss, geht sie zum Vorstellungsgespr?ch und bekommt schlie?lich auch den Job.Sie k?mmert sich von jetzt an um den 35-j?hrigen Will, der seit einem Unfall vor 2 Jahren im Rollstuhl sitzt, da er ein C4-C5 Tetraplegiker ist, dass hei?t er kann seine Beine nicht mehr bewegen und die Bewegungsfreiheit der Arme und H?nde ist stark eingeschr?nkt. Fr?her war Will ein absoluter Sportsfan und hat viel Sport getrieben, doch seit dem Unfall hat er seine Lebenslust verloren und ist genervt davon, dass er st?ndig auf seine Mitmenschen angewiesen ist. Als Lou und Will das erste Mal aufeinander treffen wird schnell klar, dass sie total unterschiedliche Charaktere haben. Lou ist eine junge Frau mit einem ungew?hnlichen Kleidungsstil, die ein einfaches und unspektakul?res Leben in der Kleinstadt lebt. Sie hat keine wirklichen Ambitionen etwas mehr aus ihrem Leben zu machen und ist zufrieden. Will war bis vor seinem Unfall ein sehr lebenslustiger Mensch, der die ganze Welt bereisen wollte und alles M?gliche ausprobieren wollte um seine Grenzen zu testen. Nach seinem Unfall hat sich sein Leben total ver?ndert, denn er ist auf die Hilfe seiner Mitmenschen angewiesen und muss sich nach einer Zeit eingestehen, dass er seine eigene Grenze erreicht. Dadurch ist er verbittert und er sieht keinen Sinn mehr in seinem Leben. Er empfindet gar keine Freude mehr am Leben und l?sst keine Menschen an sich ran. So auch Lou als seine neue Pflegeperson. Will hat kein Interesse daran, dass sich Lou um ihn k?mmern soll und ihm neuen Lebensmut geben soll. Lou ist entt?uscht und kann diese Haltung nicht verstehen, sodass sie oft ?berlegt alles hinzuschmei?en, doch die Geldsorgen halten sie davon ab. Nach und nach beginnt das Eis zwischen Lou und Will zu br?ckeln. Will versteht nicht, warum Lou mit ihrem einfachen Leben zufrieden ist und nicht mehr aus sich machen will und zeigt ihr auf, was sie bisher verpasst hat. Auch Lou lernt die Welt mit anderen Augen zu sehen und erkennt, dass ein Leben im Rollstuhl nicht einfach ist.Das Buch ?Ein ganzes halbes Jahr? hat mir sehr gut gefallen und mich sehr ber?hrt. Es ist eine Geschichte, die einem ans Herz w?chst und einen auch nach dem Lesen noch lange besch?ftigt. Jojo Moyes schafft es mit ihrem wundersch?nen Schreibstil eine tolle Atmosph?re zu schaffen. Man kann sich super in die Geschichte hinein versetzen. Die Autorin schafft es Au?enstehenden, die nichts mit Behinderungen zu tun haben, ein Bild von der Situation zu vermitteln. Ich habe viele neue Einblicke in das Leben mit Behinderung bekommen. Die Geschichte von Lou und Will ist f?r den Leser ein Wechselbad der Gef?hle, es gibt viele traurige Momente, aber auch lustige und witzige Szenen. ?Ein ganzes halbes Jahr? ist eine Geschichte ?ber die Liebe und das Leben, die einen noch lange besch?ftigen wird. Meiner Meinung nach, eine ganz besondere Geschichte, die einen fesselt und tief im Herzen ber?hrt.

[pollgott · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

When the coffee shop where she works as a waitress closes, Louisa Clark has to take the only job she can find, assisting Will Traynor, a former financier and playboy whose A-list life has been abruptly changed by an accident that leaves him a quadriplegic. Angry and bitter about his fate, Will nonetheless warms to Louisa, while she in turn discovers she prefers spending time with him than with her domineering boyfriend. But will their relationship be enough for Will to once again embrace life?“Me Before You” is predictable and maudlin, and a prime example of why you should travel with a Kindle, so that you don’t have to end up with books like this from the airport bookstore.

[justacatandabook · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Louisa Clark leads a calm and simple (perhaps even boring) life in her village. She has a job in a cafe, she lives with her parents, and she has a boyfriend, Patrick, who is predictable, even if she might not actually love him. But one day, Louisa's life is turned upside down when she arrives at work and finds out the cafe is closing. Forced into the world of unemployment, Lou eventually ends up as a caregiver for the Traynor family -- specifically Will, a quadriplegic, a once active and passionate man whose life was changed irrevocably by an accident. Confined to a wheelchair, unable to move most of his limbs, and in great pain many days, Will's life is nothing like it was before. However, when Lou arrives in his world, she brings a bit of joy and fun to his otherwise bland days. However, neither of them realize how much they will change and affect each others' lives.

This was an interesting book, for sure. I'd avoided it for a while, hearing how sad it was, and frankly, I have enough of that in my life. But it eventually came up in my library queue, and I decided to give it a shot, basically because I'd read Moye's "One Plus One" and really loved it. I will try not to reveal much of the plot, for those who may not have read anything about it. However, I'll say the book touches on timely topics such as assisted suicide. Should Will be confined to his chair for the rest of life, living half a life, much of it in pain? What role should his family play in his life, and in his decisions? And how much responsibility does he owe his family and those who care for him? All deep questions, for sure.

The book is enjoyable purely on the strength of Lou's character. Just like "One Plus One," Moyes has an uncanny ability to create a main character whom you start to inhabit, love, and root for - quirks, frustrations, and flaws included. Lou is real and you can't help but like her. It's a fast read, as well - I tore through it in less than two days. There's a sequel out now, and I'm a little sad that I just put it on hold at the library, and I'll have to wait a while to find out what happens - but perhaps that's for the best.

Anyway, I was definitely drawn in by Lou's voice. A lot of her character and situation hit home, in a weird sort of way - her being trapped in her life by fear and an inability to get out beyond the confines of the life she'd created for herself. Her relationship with Will is a fascinating one, for sure. The ending of the book is tough, and without spoiling anything, leaves you feeling a bit deflated. I felt a lot of complicated emotions about it all, which I suppose is the sign of a good book, but kept me from pushing it up to a full 4-star review. Still, a mesmerizing read.

[deleine-4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow, this book is emotional roller coaster, I laughed, I cried, Jojo has incredible writing skills that gets you hooked from the 1st page. This book sure as hell deserve a rating much higher than 5 stars. I fell in love with the characters. If you want to read this book keep a box of Kleenex handy, this book will be in my thoughts for a long time, after reading this book it felt like I lost a friend, a real dear friend, and emotionally I'm drained.