Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

I read about Me Before You a while ago and marked it To-Read on Goodreads, but never thought much more about it until I saw the movie trailer. With so many novels on my To-Read shelf, I didn't think I'd get to that one yet, but the trailer inspired me to get a copy ASAP.

It was beautiful.

It was also very, very sad, and it made you think what you would be willing to do for the one you love. 

The novel starts with Will Traynor, giving just a glimpse of what his life was like, and the chapter ends with a tragic accident. Then you meet Louisa Clark, who has just lost her job when her boss sells the cafe she's almost always been employed at. Desperate to find work to help and support her parents and sister, she goes through many possibilities until there's a job offer for a caretaker for a young man, a quadriplegic.

Will used to live a life of adventure, and now he's confined to a wheelchair, completely reliant on those around him, including the odd and overly chatty Louisa Clark. She believes he hates her; in fact, he might just hate everyone.

But over time, his walls start to drop, and Louisa begins to care for him in more than just the ways her job demands. And she's on a mission that Will doesn't know about.

One of the things about this novel that I adored so much was how easily I slipped into Louisa's shoes. I related to her. She's twenty-seven years old and not sure what she wants out of life. She's lived in the same place, done the same thing over and over for years, and she hasn't ever asked herself what could make her happy. She doesn't know what she wants to do with herself. 

I also loved Will. I have a thing for bitter and sarcastic characters going soft, but with him I understood his emotions. He suffers pain and humiliation most of his day, and he feels trapped. Life truly wasn't fair to him, and he's angry about it. I loved that.

And while I teared up near the end, while I sometimes felt my heart breaking, the book was amazing and lovely. I know the movie is going to tear me to pieces, and I'll enjoy every second.