A few months ago, the movie trailer for, “Me Before You,” dropped, and it was one of those movie trailers that made me go, “Ohhhhh boy. This is gonna completely wreck me.” Very few movies off the trailer and the trailer alone have made me feel this way. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, and The Best of Me come to mind as two others, but few do what these three have done. Enjoy the trailer now:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0MmkG_nG1U&w=560&h=315]
After some research and watching of one of the Youtubers I subscribe to (Bookables – she’s great, check her out), I discovered that this movie was based off of a book (as most movies are!). I had my doubts about reading it, mostly because I had I feeling I would have all the feels during it, so I was putting it off….UNTIL my coworker brought it to my office one day and basically flat out told me I had to read it, no questions asked. So I did. And I thought I’d share with you all my thoughts: spoiler alert!
I can do this. So what if everyone I know burst out into tears reading it? So what if the movie trailer straight up looks like it will absolutely wreck me? I can do it.
Okay, so if I keep putting off reading it, my friend will just forget she gave it to me and I won’t have to read it right?
Nope. She’s asked twice about it. Okay, here we go.
I’m pretty sure I ruined this for myself because I accidentally read an article tagline that talks about the main character committing suicide, sooooo. But maybe he doesn’t? He probably does. The whole book is ruined.
The sequel is called, “After You.” Somebody dies.
Louisa is on point.
Louisa’s parents are the most not nice people ever. Thank you mom & dad for being my friends AND my parents.
I’m confused by Louisa’s family life, but I feel like it’s not the main focus of the story. Moving on.
I want to go to The Buttered Bun.
Please can I live in England now?
Her boyfriend makes me feel like I need to go work out. Just maybe not to that extent.
She’s meeting with mom Traynor and I straight up would also have been confused with how ominous that meeting went.
Yup. Everything about her night before her first day is accurate nervous thoughts.
So Will’s kind of a jerk? Can’t say I blame him.
So much cleaning.
Oh my gosh his ex and his best friend. That’s rough. I would have broken the picture frames too.
*Skipping ahead slightly because it’s just gradual plot development of growing a routine and rapport between the the two characters but also because I decided to write this about 100 pages after starting the book.*
Why is his sister so mad? Did she not know he got in an accident?
Oh. My. God. They KNOW he wants to commit suicide. This book just hooked me.
I totally agree with Treena. She is brilliant.
The horse racing day gives me anxiety. Something is wrong here.
Will talking about how she’s just like everyone else and that’s a problem. I can’t.
This concert is breaking my heart. How has the narrative not talked about her feelings and emotions changing yet? Because I would have been in love with Will two chapters ago.
He. Is. Going. To. Her. Birthday. Party.
“It was such an unthinking part of my daily life now that the intimacy of the gesture only struck me when I saw the shock on Patrick’s face.” That’s it. This book is going to rip my heart out.
BUMBLEBEE TIGHTS. He didn’t even like her when she told him that story and he still remembered.
Gosh Patrick is an ASS! Get over yourself!
*It’s at this point that I realize Patrick is played by Matthew Lewis aka Neville Longbottom in the movie and I have really mixed emotions because I love Matthew but hate this Patrick character and I just am not sure what to think about this.*
This is going to turn into one of those “We changed each other” storylines and I’m gonna fall for it and be a mess.
Now I want a tattoo again.
Louisa continuing to make stupid decisions where Patrick is concerned is making me like her so much less as a character.
Well I thought the will-creating guy was a guy from the suicide place, so honestly that one was kind of a relief for my fragile heart.
Wait….is he putting her in his will?
He’s dancing with her at the wedding that I can’t believe they went to. I’m so in for it now. Literally sighing those happy “Awwww” romantic sighs and I think I can feel my heart filling up.
Two and a half hours of reading probably isn’t good, and it’s creeping up on midnight so I should put the book down and finish tomorrow. THEN HE GOT PNEUMONIA.
*Skipping ahead because I could not think as I read about the most incredible trip and then the most heart wrenching exchange of feelings ever. I shed a few tears at this exchange but not near as much as I thought I would. I then start thinking that maybe I’ll be okay and I won’t cry at the end!*
What do you mean, she’s not going? What the hell? She isn’t flipping going?
Oh my goodness he’s still alive. He’s going to change his mind!
Louisa’s going to Switzerland to be with him while it happens. My heart.
*I am sobbing at this point. The rest of the book is just a soul-obliterating sequence of moments. There are tears streaming down my face and remain that way for about the last 20 pages of the book, to the very last page. *
This book was one of the best books I have read, and no I’m not just saying that because the movie trailer is good and Sam Claflin is the in lead role. The relationships between characters are so well-written, and you find yourself just having ALL THE FEELS as you read it. The end of the book takes your heart and rips it out, yes, but it also tapes itself back together in a bittersweet way. I don’t know if a sequel was part of the plan with the author or if that came later after the success of the book, but I know I’ll be reading it. I just might take a break first because I don’t know if my heart could take another doozy right after reading this one.
The movie comes out on August 30, and I am planning on renting it, watching it, crying through the whole thing, and I’ll probably spend that weekend just watching a whole bunch of tear jerker chick flicks (it’s such a shocker that I’m still single, I know).
