Saturday 29 June 2013

Book Review: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

I always have a book on the go. Sometimes, I'll even have three or four at one time. Yes, I know its terrible but I love to read a few chapters, put it down and start another before finishing the original. I know, I have a short attention span. Am I truly the only person that does this?

Still, it takes a fantastic book to hold my attention and this is a rarity. Me Before You is a wonderful novel by JoJo Moyes. Although it masquerades as traditional chick lit, there is something very witty and meaningful about this book and it reminded me of David Nicholl's One Day in the way that it was written.

The novel centres on Lou, a brilliantly likeable character with little sense of ambition and a penchant for dodgy fashion choices. Cliched as it may seem, Lou is someone to identify with- in her mid-twenties she is still living in the small room at her parent's house, works at the local cafe and has a boyfriend who has more interest in his fitness regime than he does in her. It is when she is made redundant from her cafe job that her life inevitably changes. Hired as a carer for quadriplegic and ex-city tycoon Will, the novel centres around their relationship and the effect they have on each others lives.

I don't want to say much more about the plot as it'll spoil it but it is a great feel-good tale worth reading. Sometimes predictable, sometimes saddening but brilliantly written and a great book to read for everyone thinking 'What am I doing with my life?'