Review: After You by Jojo Moyes

Hi Munchworms!

I finished After You by Jojo Moyes yesterday, so tadah! Review-time!

As you probably all know, this is the sequel to Me Before You. I advise you not to read this review if you haven’t read it yet, since it might contain spoilers. In saying that, I’m going to start my actual review, so if you don’t want spoilers: stop reading now! Now!

I loved Me Before You. Jojo Moyes had me hooked all the way through. I shared all frustrations, relief, laughter and – lots and lots of – tears. It made me crave the sequel, even though I knew there was a huge chance of crying again.

When picking up the book, I was kind of disappointed by the cover, though. It looks so simple. Too simple for my liking. But we all know that’s really personal and subjective anyway.
Reading the blurb immediately encourages me to dive back into Lou’s head and world. Somehow I remember so much of Me Before You that I’m just wondering what else Lou’s going to go through. I seriously couldn’t think of any possible scenario that would fill an entire book!

Lou Clark has lots of questions.

Like how it is she’s ended up working in an airport bar, watching other people jet off to new places.
Or why the flat she’s owned for a year still doesn’t feel like home.
Whether her family can ever forgive her for what she did eighteen months ago.
And will she ever get over the love of her life.
What Lou does know for certain is that something has to change.

Then, one night, it does.

But does the stranger on her doorstep hold the answers Lou is searching for – or just more questions?
Close the door and life continues: simple, ordered, safe.
Open it and she risks everything.
But Lou once made a promise to live. And if she’s going to keep it, she has to invite them in…

Once again, Moyes succeeds in making you go through all the emotions together with Lou. After losing someone, we all go through the same movements in our own way and those are beautifully portrayed in After You.
It has to be said, that Jojo Moyes also is a hero in describing the typical teenage hormones. All the outbursts, hurtful comments, mood swings and (fairly typical) incapability to simply thank someone and not take everything for granted… Yup, sounds about right. [Should I be ashamed to admit I was a teenager on the loose like that as well? Haha.]

Both Me Before You and After You are perfect examples of how every single person has a past, a story to tell. Even when – maybe especially when – it doesn’t seem like it at first. Nobody has had an easy life; we all have our hardships and Moyes makes an art of showcasing exactly that.

Both books have tugged on my heartstrings. I have to say that I’ve sat in my armchair not only laughing [out loud, might I add], being angry but also crying. Not a lot, just a bit. But enough to know that Jojo Moyes did it again.
She pulled me into Lou’s head, made me go through everything with her, reminded me how people each have their own way of dealing with grief.
Most importantly, she gave me another book to reread and enjoy.

“And what we learn through sharing our memories and our sadnesses and our little victories with each other is that it’s okay to feel sad. Or lost. Or angry. It’s okay to feel a whole host of things that other people might not understand, and often for a long time. Everyone has his or her own journey.”

Maybe it’s because I’m such a fan of her stories, her writing and the subjects she tackles, but I cannot for the life of me give this book any less than a 5/5.

This book asked for a whole load of comfort food on my part! So I’ve picked out the meal I enjoyed most when Lou was down and I was right there with her. Rice with a yum – and maybe a bit too spicy – curry! [I have to say the quality of this picture really is… bad. Just bad. But I didn’t have my camera on me so my phone had to do. Sorry!]

Kathy

I paid full-price for this book and this is my honest review for which I am not being compensated in any way. All opinions are fully my own.