Well, since After You had me bawling at the end, I had to wait months before I found out just what adventures awaited Louisa Clark in New York City. Yes, this is the third book with Louisa Clark, who became a very well known character when Me Before You became that novel you had to read, even knowing it would completely wreck you. Well, the follow up, After You, wrecked me, too. I felt hopeful reading Louisa's adventures in New York City, and expected they would end happily. I'm not going to tell you if that is what happens, because that would just spoil the whole book for you. What I will tell you is that Louisa is still on her journey to discovering just who she is, and just what makes her happy. She's decided to accept a job, working as the assistant to a very rich woman-Agnes Gopnik- leaving Ambulance Sam, who helped her grieving heart heal. A very new relationship, it will need to stand the test of long distance. Anyone who's had a long distance relationship knows just how damn hard, if not impossible, they can be. As Louisa is thrown into her job and a world of wealthy New Yorkers, she struggles to adjust to a new life and still hang onto Sam, who is a bit bewildered without Louisa. And then there's Josh, an American who looks heart-stoppingly like Will. And he's got an obvious interest in Louisa. Still Me is a fitting conclusion to Louisa's journey of heartache, love, and just plain growing up. There's no age where we're suddenly grown up. For Louisa, well, it appears that she still has a lot of decisions to make, and some of them will break her heart. Again. Jojo Moyes portrays New York City is all its vibrant, messy, busy energy. The tension in the Gopnik apartment was palpable, and while that was a large part of the plot, I preferred the last half of the novel, where Louisa's life is really shaken, and she gets to know the elderly neighbor, Mrs. De Witt, much better. Their relationship was a gem, and one of the best parts of the novel. So while I won't give much of the plot away, I will say this: Louisa comes full circle, and it's been a journey. At times you want to shake her; other times, you get just what she's thinking. Will she get her happy ending? Where will she end up? Read Still Me and find out. At a time where women are standing up, pushing themselves forward, and demanding to live life on their terms, this novel seems very timely. Louisa is learning to do just that, even if it means she may have to say goodbye to her chance at everlasting love. Ah, I always love reading Jojo Moyes' novels. Overall, I was happy to have a conclusion to Louisa Clark's journey. If you've read Me Before You, and After You, well, geez, of course you have to read Still Me! Please, read the other two first. It will give you a full understanding of Louisa, and how far she's come. A big thank you to Pamela Dorman Books/Viking for a review copy. I don't think I could have waited any longer for this! Available January 30th in the U.S. in hardcover, large print paperback, ebook, and audio. Rating: 4/6 for a satisfying conclusion to Louisa Clark and her journey of grief, love, and starting over. And dang it, this one made me cry, too.
I must confess: I didn't read Me Before You. Actually, I read about the last 20 pages and that had me in such a slobbering mess that I knew there was no way I could ever read the whole dang book. So here I am, reviewing the book Jojo Moyes never planned to write: a sequel to Me Before You. I'll try to not give much away for those who haven't read the story of Louisa and Will, but for the sake of this review, I'll have to give something away in order to write a good review.
I have to say I really do enjoy Jojo Moyes' writing. She always sneaks an emotional punch or two in her stories that take me by surprise. And perhaps this touched me a bit more than most because I have gone through the depths of complete and utter heartbroken grief. And you get a bit lost in that time, and it takes a long time to find your way out. For me, it's two years. Two years of lots of tears, fake smiles, and going through the motions of life. People don't want to be around grief, so you go out of your way to pretend that you're fine when you're not. But it is a process that you have to go through in order to see the sunshine at the end. And the sunshine is there, trust me.
That's what After You is about. 18 months after Me Before You, Louisa is not a happy person. She lives in London and works a crap job at an airport bar. One night she's on the rooftop of her flat, and walking on the ledge of the building. She's done it before, many times, and doesn't do it with any intention of harming herself. She just enjoys it. But this one night, someone spooks her, and she falls off the building. And with that, she is jolted into a new life. She meets Sam, the EMT who arrives at the scene and slowly becomes part of her life in all the best ways; she connects with her family in new ways and watches her mother break out of her comfort zone (much to the chagrin of her father). She finds a big surprise that is connected to her past with Will Gaynor, the man she loved and lost in Me Before You. Her life is definitely messy, and full of damaged people, and it forces Louisa to wake up, start living, and make some choices to move forward and embrace life and love.
Have no doubt this book had me in some serious tears towards the end. A stuffy nose and blotchy face came free with this story. Yes, you probably should read Me Before You before you read the sequel. But I didn't, and I had no problems getting completely involved in Louisa's life and those around her. I didn't feel lost at all. Some people feel Jojo shouldn't have written a sequel, and I disagree. It is a satisfying conclusion to Louisa's story, and I really did enjoy this story--even if I did have an ugly cry.
Rating: 9/10 for a touching novel about grief and the struggle to move on and embrace life. Louisa makes you want to hug and yell at her sometimes, but in the end she is a pretty cool character. And Sam? Swoon!
Available in hardcover, e-book, and audio. A big thank you to Rebecca at Penguin Random House for a copy of the book for review.
It's pretty simple. I love books. I am that annoying person who always asks what you're reading, then gives you recommendations whether you want them or not. Reading is my stress-relief, my meditation, my constant companion.
