Guyyyys, what a book! Yeah I know, I know, I'm late to the party but I'm not the only one. Now the trailer has come out for the film, this book has come back into the limelight after the original release in 2012 and it feels like every book blogger is instagramming about it. But I'd never actually heard of it until my mum recommended it to me just before Christmas. I don't know exactly what I had in mind but I guess I was expecting some kind of easy-read love story, where two people discover a new lease of life as a result - that was the impression the blurb/book cover gave me. To put it bluntly, I wasn't expecting to be blown away.
Yup, got that one completely and utterly wrong. Jeez Kate, it's rule one; never judge a book by the cover.
You start reading the first page, expecting your easy read and all that, and BAM, Lou jumps into your life. What a gal, with her quirky dress sense, say-it-how-it-is attitude and witty sense of humour. I want to be friiiiiiiends. But she's also a girl that's hit a bit of a dead end in life. She's 26, lives with her parents and knows she probably doesn't love her boyfriend of seven years. Then suddenly, she loses her cute little cafe job and is forced to enlist with job seekers which, after a few failed jobs in a chicken factory and the like, helps her, somewhat relucantly, to bag a job for six months working as a companion for a quadriplegic man. Then BAM, Will jumps into your life. What a guy, with his sarcasm, intelligence and witty sense of humour. But he's also a guy that has lost all motivation to live. A road accident left him paralysed and he plans to end his life through Dignitas. Lou has six months to change his mind.
And you'll then be taken on the most funny, joyous and heartbreaking journey that teaches you all about the importance of living your life to the full NOW.
It's hard to write a lot about this book because it's so important not to give much away. All I'll say, as cliche as it sounds, is that I raced through, laughed out loud and genuinely sobbed in parts. I sound lame, but I ain't lying. Sobbing on the train was embarrassing.
After You - Jojo Moyes (spoiler alert - do not read further if you haven't read Me Before You)
After THAT ending, I was actually pretty annoyed to find out there was a sequel. HOW DA FUQ DOES THAT WORK?! I got all cynical and just thought it was down to the big dawgs wanting money. But, sucker that I am, I also really had to know what happened to Lou (me and every other fan; hence the sequel). I did almost stop after the first chapter... What the hell do you mean she's working in a bar and WHY IS SHE FALLING OFF BUILDINGS?! But then, just like the first book, you're sucked in and taken on another beautiful journey as Lou deals with her grief and finally begins to learn the art of living. Sam and Lily are brilliant additional characters, and when Lily shows up at Lou's door, her revelation will leave you all omgomgwhatnow.
Obviously not as good as the first, but still a great read and almost gives you a bit of closure to the story (after those days spent weeping when you finished the first one).
Happy reading folks x
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