Moyes, Jojo "Me Before You"

Moyes, Jojo "Me Before You" - 2012 

A friend recommended this book. When I checked the description, it sounded a little too "easy" to me. My friend assured me this was not so, and when I came across it, I supposed it was meant to be and therefore read it.

Was she right? Yes and no. The story has a certain background, it deals with an incurable illness/handicap and the will to live or not to live.

However, the whole story itself is quite shallow, the characters didn't convince me that this was the major part of the novel. The author talks a little bit too much about clothes, shoes and alcohol to my liking, the people come across as if that is the only thing worth living for.

So, even though I appreciate the thought of the story, I would have preferred it to be a little more elaborate, more deep. The author reminded me of Jodi Picoult whose novel "My Sister's Keeper" I didn't like, either.

My advice: Do not try to hide a dramatic story with a deeper meaning in a shallow "chick lit" novel, it doesn't do either of them any good.

And I should have listened to my inner voice that tells me, never read a book that has pink on its cover.

From the back cover:

"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."