Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

I don’t normally review books that I do not receive as an ARC.  I also rarely review adult books, because I tend to read YA more.  Jojo Moyes’ Me Before You is an exception to the rule.  This book is so difficult to surmise in the many ways it touches the reader.  The characters are so real they make you think of yourself or someone you might know.  The laughter, confusion, and pain are so real you forget that this is a fictional book.  I have never been one to say, if this made me cry it was amazing, because honestly sometimes things make us cry and it makes no sense.  Me Before You takes the cake on this.  I ugly cried.  You know that uncontrollable sobbing that rakes your chest, snot running down your nose, your face the color of beets, and eyes too small to see.  And I couldn’t stop.  I cried for about the last 40-50 pages.  To make matters worse, when my boyfriend came home at around the last 10 pages and I explained the story in a nutshell, he criticized it.  Oh dear lord I thought I was going to murder the man.  I had to defend fictional characters to him, while still ugly crying, so you know that turns you into the beast.  The point is that this story is real.  Moyes brings poignant themes and realities into her story of unconventional love.  I want to say it is a love story but at the same time it really is a how-to-live story.  That’s why it was amazing, because after reading it you think and wonder about those individuals out there like Will, who have to deal with the reality set forth in the novel.  You have to think about people like Lou, who will never abandon a situation but still has to feel all the emotions involved.  It makes you want to reevaluate your life, and drop all the excuses as to why you haven’t done what you want to do, yet.  It has been over two weeks and I still find myself sad about this book, but in the way one is sad when thinking about a deceased loved one.  It is bittersweet.  I will stop now because if I continue to think about this book in specifics I will start to get teary-eyed.  READ IT!