”But that’s just a fairy-tale ending, isn’t it? Man dies, everyone learns something, moves on, creates something wonderful out of his death.”
I hope you're all doing great and I am back with another reading-post.
Today I'll be talking to you about the book After you by Jojo Moyes.
It's basicaly the sequel book to Me before you and I loved it. So many people loved Lou from Me Before You and wanted to know what happened to her after the book ended. Then, when they are given a book that tells them what happened, they automatically compare it to the first one that they loved and realize that it falls short. These people are disappointed in the story because they expect the greatness of Me Before You to continue. This book, however, is not Me Before You.
Let me give you a summary of the book. Louisa Clark is no longer just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. After the transformative six months spent with Will Traynor, she is struggling without him. When an extraordinary accident forces Lou to return home to her family, she can’t help but feel she’s right back where she started.
I thought this story was very well done. It showed Lou's struggle with moving on after Will's death. It showed how his death affected other characters and how people struggled to relate following such a tragedy. I still love Lou's character and there are other character's in this book that I really enjoyed - Sam, Donna, Jake and mostly Lilly.
I am truly glad that Jojo Moyes, the author, decided to write this sequel, since while Me Before You has a proper closure and you could be totally satisfied there, well, life doesn’t have “endings” like the books, and certainly while Will Traynor’s storyline ends there, Louisa Clark have a whole life in front of her and it was thrilling to know how was it, without having to guess.
And also, not only Louisa, but the entire Clark Family, the Traynor Family and even other characters like Patrick and Nathan. All those support characters that you learned to love or hate, all depending of your very personal point of view, all of them, their lives carry on too, and you’ll know what happened with each of them.
And you can trust that Louisa Clark’s life is like her clothing…
…anything but boring!
In addition to my review , the attempt at social-issue appeal was an alarmingly outdated subplot on a housewife’s introduction to basic feminism that bordered on circus sideshow in sheer goofiness. Also, some heavy-handed looks at, like, violence? Maybe gangs? I think I liked what may have been a soon-removed effort to discuss mental illness.
There set of secondary characters added a whole new flavor to this novel. The Moving On Circle was a breath of fresh air! Daphne, William, Natasha, Fred, Marc and Jake each complemented the story with their own journey toward recovery. I enjoyed their therapy sessions that revealed their insecurities, fears and hopes. It was all so serious, yet shared with a level of brevity that kept the story flowing with ease.
There were moments and passages in this story that truly hit me hard. JoJo Moyes clearly has a skillful way of cutting to the core of her readers’ emotional pockets with quick punches that leave you breathless for air. After You had many of those moments of brilliance. Overall, I believe fans of Me Before You will enjoy journeying with Louisa Clark as she learns to fall in love and believe in herself again. Beautiful… absolutely beautiful!
I hope you enjoyed today's review as much as I enjoyed reading this captivative book froma brilliant writer with a sweet and romantic imagination .
With love,
MissReader aka Leni.
P.S Do you want me to publish a post about writing as well ?
