**’Me Before you’ – Jojo Moyes
**(Penguin, $37)
A lot of books are touted as being impossible to put down, but it’s been a long time since I read a novel from cover to cover in one sitting because I just had to know the outcome.
Me Before You had me hooked from the first chapter. I picked it up when I got home from work and it was 2am when I finally closed it. I read it through cooking dinner, eating dinner, even through Coronation Street. It’s that good.
Essentially, it’s a love story about two people, Lou and Will, who don’t exactly hit it off when they first meet. So far, so stereotypical. But the big difference with this book is the fact that Will is a quadriplegic and Lou is employed to look after him.
Lou is unorthodox, unmotivated and continually putting her foot in it with Will, but eventually begins to break through the barrier of bitterness he’s erected around himself, thanks to her sense of humour and habit of speaking her mind.
Paralysed men who can’t see much point in living aren’t your typical romantic leads, but Will proves to be a truly memorable hero. Sad, sarcastic and occasionally downright mean since the accident that rendered him virtually helpless, ultimately he turns out to be thoughtful, funny and sexy.
The bond that develops between Will and Lou is totally believable and changes both of them. But there’s a lot more to this story than a simple romance – it tackles some particularly tough issues.
I won’t give away plot details that make this such a riveting read, but a word of warning – you’ll need tissues. Beautifully written and featuring characters who will stay lodged in your memory long after the last page, *Me
Before You* is chick-lit at its finest.
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