I would actually give the book 4+ stars. I knew when I picked up this book it was a love story between an able-bodied woman and a quadriplegic man and that it was a bestseller. But, ALL my assumptions that this would be a trite soap opera with a predictable happy ending turned out to be incorrect! It’s actually much, much more. (Awarded four stars on Goodreads. )
This is a well researched, deeply believable story about a small group of ordinary people who find themselves in very difficult circumstances, and how each one handles that situation thoughtfully and in the best way he/she can.
It is about much more than the love story between the two main characters. It’s also about the very definition of love. How lovers support one another when faced with difficult choices? How parents react when their children’s values become different from their own? How does one weigh love against quality of life? And how the unique bond between siblings can be a blessing for some, but not for others?
There is ample detail about the day-to-day life of a disabled person — from what’s required for the simplest bodily functions to the restrictions experienced when trying to negotiate a world and society designed for the able bodied. In its own quiet way, ME BEFORE YOU raises a variety of complex issues that both draw you into the story and challenge you to think about your own values.
*You may be interested in my reviews of other books by Jojo Moyes:
Toby A. Smith 