After you (Me Before you #2) By Jojo Moyes Book Review by Ines

After you “The long awaited sequel to Me Before you”, says the version of the cover  I have. It was really a long time to wait, for those who read the first book back in 2009, since the second one came out in 2015. I just hope that they did not feel deceived, because Me Before you had set the bar pretty high. The sequel was such a good read, but still, I preferred the first book.
Attention to those who have not read the ME BEFORE YOU and are reading this: even the NON SPOILER part contains spoilers from the first book.

After you continues telling Louisa’s story a few months after Will’s death: just when she went back to the UK and started a new life that she did not really ask for. Money was not a problem, since Will left her enough to travel and then to find a place of her own. But, it could never heal the scars left on her heart. Without being her old self, and has not even known her new one, what will happen to Lou?

Louis knew she could not go back to her home town: she could not bear the memories, nor stand the stares and low murmures of people talking about her every time she walked in the streets; plus she no longer could live in her parent’s house. She might not have known her « new » self well, but she was sure to never go back to the old one, that means; she had to start living like a twenty-seven-year-old women, and going back to live with her family was not even an option anymore.

SPOILERS ALLERT

GO READ THE BOOK 

THEN COME BACK

Lily Traynor appearing at Louisa’s door was definitely a surprise that I did not see coming (yes, I jumped when I read: « I need to talk to you about my father […] His name is Will Traynor. ») The story would not have been the same without this character; however, her, always being in trouble was a bit annoying at the end, and I did not really care about what she did, or did not.
It was obvious from the beginning that Lou was going to fall in love with someone new, but the way she met Sam and how they were attracted to each other was WEIRD in a  beautiful way . The part where Sam helped Lily to get her phone back from her abuser made me feel butterflies in my stomach, but I laughed so hard on how they played the man. Also, the part where Sam was hurt ,and Louisa did all of her possible to save him, she was again put in the position of trying to save someone’s life -she could not do it with Will, but she did it with Sam, she finally could save a life- I think that is when she truly realized that she loved Sam more than anyone else.

In the first book, Louisa talked a lot about her family; she was so attached to them, that is not something that we read in every book, and it was just so beautiful. In the second book, her family was present again, but reading about her parents’ problems again and again and again was a bit annoying to me, Louisa who is the main character was not even involved in that, so I really did not understand why I had to read about that, and I did not understand why they needed to change by the end of the book. Some characters were just fine.

Throughout the whole series, we have seen a big change in not only one character. And for that I have to give a high five to the brilliant author because she did a great job (even though the change in Louisa’s mom character was not necessary); she has definitely made me connect with several of them. Me Before you series is one of my favourite reads of 2016, I know we are only half way through the year, but nothing would change my mind about those two books.