Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

55 reviews

asurasantosha's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I don't know how I feel about this book. The prose didn't blow my mind despite seeming like it was trying to at times. But in that sense, the writing was good.

The themes of this book are really challenging though and broaching a controversial topic and showing all the nuance and grey area, I think was done really well.

I still don't know how I feel about the conclusion of everything though. I'm trying to separate my conflict about the topic at hand with the characters involved. Like, while I loved the banter between Will and Louisa, at the end of the day, I'm not sure Will is a good person. And I think he seems quite shallow and unwavering in those shallow values. But I think we the reader is supposed to feel sympathy for him and maybe even try to route for him or care about his intentions and logic. But his intense certainly is just so off-putting to me. Idk.

Anyway, I think this book is supposed to be a bit uncomfortable and it's supposed to make you think (and cry). So I'm not gonna rate it on enjoyment. I'd rather rate it on the success of what it's set out to do. And this book may be very successful in that regard. But I'm just gonna give it 3 stars for now because I'm still working out wether or not the theme is resting on an overly convenient lack of arc and too static character and wether or not that's ok.

Content Warnings

____nique's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I just tried to read this because I saw a Facebook post that if you want a good cry, the best recommendation is to read this book— and it didn’t disappoint!

I'm ecstatic because this is the first time in a long time that a book has exceeded my expectations so dramatically. I just pass this book off every time I see it on my recommendations because I expected it to be a cringey book with a cliche plot, as many books with film adaptations are. However, once I got into the story, I could not put it down. I also enjoy Jojo Moyes' writing style; she has an extremely well-crafted storytelling style that makes a connection with her readers.

Also, I love everything about the story–it's the perfect blend of comedy and drama, and the romance isn't one of those typical romcom stories that makes you want to vomit because it's so cheesy. Everything is so well-put together that even the characters, whether side or main characters, have their own distinct identities, making the story a well-crafted puzzle piece. I will now watch the film because I believe Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin are the best actors to bring Louisa and Will to life, but I am also hoping that the film will not ruin the book for me.

Overall, I give this book a well-deserved five stars.

Content Warnings

runbeck's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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deez_knucles's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Weirdly, the movie was better.
Still a pleasant experience

Content Warnings

witcheep's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I cried. Multiple times. That is usually a rare thing when I read. This book broke my heart in so many ways for the characters, and I love that it was able to do that.

Content Warnings

lapplegate's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Content Warnings

ivi_reads_books's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This book presents a compelling narrative centered around a wealthy, adventurous businessman whose life takes a dramatic turn after a car accident leaves him quadriplegic. Struggling to accept the limitations of his new reality, he grapples with finding joy and purpose in life. In contrast, his able-bodied caretaker is hesitant to step outside her comfort zone and fully embrace life. As they challenge each other to see the world through the other's eyes, the story explores the complexities of their emotional journeys.

The book delves into the daily struggles of living with chronic pain and the myriad medical complications that often accompany quadriplegia. While it offers a thoughtful portrayal of one person’s experience with disability, it’s important to note that it doesn’t aim to represent the experiences of all individuals with special needs.

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dramagirl2003's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

my friend was right, it does raise a bunch of moral issues

thoughts while reading

p40: this is the moment i was waiting for, the introduction scene

p71: as you should girl, order that cheesecake 🍰

p103: parents 😂

“Did you hear that? They are paying her to sleep now.”
“Praise the Lord. She’s found her dream career.”

but that’s all well and good until she needs to actually do something

p134: i knew it. i knew something was sus about it only being for six months. plus i’ve seen the spoilers that say he dies at the end so i’ve just been trying to solve it

p147: girl no obviously they are not going to just stick him in a room with razors 🙄

p198: seriously. seriously. they struggled through all that mud for nothing. i have second hand annoyance

p213: gahhh that was a total out of pocket comeback

p223: yes! the birthday dinner scene, the other moment i was waiting for

p231: 😬 sheesh i would shrivel if i witnessed that

p233: aww grandad 🥹

p235: eww we don’t stan possessiveness 😖 is bro seriously jealous of a disabled man? i know will is the named love interest but still, patrick doesn’t know that

p236: best present ever 🐝

p237: will knows exactly how to wind patrick up and i am here for it

p326: this is such a wholesome healing moment 🫂

p341: sheeesh girl, you are wasted

p349: oop, these two really love their inappropriate comments

p372: and there it is. what we’ve known all along. that Will makes her feel seen, valued, like she could conquer the world if she put her mind to it. patrick does none of this anymore, and still expects to keep her

p414: gosh those three make a wonderful trio and they really love winding nathan up

p430: yeah i can see how that looks bad 🤭

Content Warnings

marylouisa_'s review against another edition

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dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This will always be one of my favorite books. It made me laugh, love, and cry all at the same time. The way Lou narrates her feelings makes you feel like you were in the story too. I was so sad when Will still decided to go with his plan, I cried for days after finishing the book! Yet, it will make you realize that sometimes all you can do is just stay with them until the last moment and that you cannot blame anyone even yourself for a decision they made. Sometimes all you can do is make them feel heard, loved, important and valued.

Content Warnings

ghi's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

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