Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably seen a commercial for "Me Before You", the new movie starring Daenerys Targaryen coming out this Friday. The movie is based off of a book of the same title by Jojo Moyes, who has written several other novels including "One Plus One" and "The Girl You Left Behind".
It is always a goal of mine to read the books before seeing the movie, and this time it was no different. After seeing a commercial for the movie, I became interested in the story, somehow found the book in my mom's closet, and began reading.
The story follows the journey of a twenty-something year-old woman named Louisa who becomes the caretaker of a 30 year-old quadriplegic named Will. The story follows their journey as they get to know each other over a six month journey in which Louisa attempts to show Will that he can still do all the things he used to do before his accident.
Jojo Moyes does this wonderful thing in which she creates these characters that you can't help but sympathize with and cheer for. Louisa is one of those characters, and I found myself hoping that every plan she creates for Will works out. Due to this, I found it very hard to put the book down and even put off finishing it because I didn't want the story to end.
Told mainly from Louisa's viewpoint, readers are given an inside look into what quadriplegics have to deal with on a daily basis, which makes the story all the more heart wrenching as the story goes on. As the character's emotions become intertwined, their bond grows, and Will sees Louisa as one of the few people that doesn't define him as his disability. Their relationship makes the last 100 pages or so incredibly emotional, and I found myself either near tears or in tears several times.
Whether you're looking for a good book to read on the beach or want to read it because the movie is coming out, "Me Before You" is an excellent read from start to finish. Just make sure to have a box of tissues nearby. You'll need them.
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