Name: Maria M's review of After You by Jojo Moyes
Item: After You
Rating: 3
Author: Maria M

Jojo Moyes

“You’re going to feel uncomfortable in your new world for a bit. But I hope you feel a bit exhilarated too. Live boldly. Push yourself. Don’t settle. Just live well. Just live. Love, Will.”
 
How do you move on after losing the person you loved? How do you build a life worth living?
 
Louisa Clark is no longer just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. After the transformative six months spent with Will Traynor, she is struggling without him. When an extraordinary accident forces Lou to return home to her family, she can’t help but feel she’s right back where she started.
 
Her body heals, but Lou herself knows that she needs to be kick-started back to life. Which is how she ends up in a church basement with the members of the Moving On support group, who share insights, laughter, frustrations, and terrible cookies. They will also lead her to the strong, capable Sam Fielding—the paramedic, whose business is life and death, and the one man who might be able to understand her. Then a figure from Will’s past appears and hijacks all her plans, propelling her into a very different future. . . .
 
For Lou Clark, life after Will Traynor means learning to fall in love again, with all the risks that brings. But here Jojo Moyes gives us two families, as real as our own, whose joys and sorrows will touch you deeply, and where both changes and surprises await.

After You

Maria M

A beautiful love story that will make you both laugh and cry. . . 'Matches Me Before You. Funny, sad and wise, you'll be using a hankie as a bookmark' Mail on Sunday ___________ Lou Clark has lots of questions . . . Like how it is she's ended up working in an airport bar, spending every shift 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 close-knit family can 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 . . . If you loved After You, discover where the love story began in Me Before You, and find out what Lou Clark does next in Still Me - out now! __________ 'This beautiful story is perfect. Will have you brimming with tears and grinning in equal measure. L-O-V-E' Closer 'Moyes totally delivers. With its twisty plot, characters you fall in love with, weepy bits and witty bits, this is pretty much perfect' Glamour 'Wonderfully warm. Moyes manages to break your heart before restoring your faith in love. Unputdownable' Sunday Express 'Classic Jojo - fans will love it' Heat 'Satisfyingly brilliant' Sun 'I read this in one sitting. It is impossible not to root for Lou' Stylist

Julie Twist

I wasn't sure this could be as good as Me Before You, but it was, at least for me. This follows Louisa from the end of the first book, where she has no idea of what she wants from life. She starts going to a support group, and meets Sam who is there to collect another member of the group. Then she meets someone else. Who changes her life again, for various reasons.

Lou Clark has lots of questions. Like how it is she's ended up working in an airport bar, spending every shift 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 close-knit family can 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.

Maybe not really for everyone but for people who enjoyed „me before you“ it’s a definite recommendation.

This book deals remarkably well with grief, depression and the feeling of being stuck and having no control over your own life also it was just really nice to read about all the characters again.

Kyra

This was definitely something…

Maybe not really for everyone but for people who enjoyed „me before you“ it’s a definite recommendation.

This book deals remarkably well with grief, depression and the feeling of being stuck and having no control over your own life also it was just really nice to read about all the characters again.

I enjoyed seeing Louisa's journey and what she went through after everything she went through with Will. It was interesting to see how much she had changed and seeing how much she grew throughout the book. Lily is absolutely amazing, and I love her character. I felt like this book was a great add on, but I don't think it's necessary to read after the first one. 

Maggie Hotmer

Jazelle H

Given how Me Before You ended, with all the potential for an immediate happy ending for Louisa, I think this novel did a wonderful job at reminding us that happy endings are never so easy. Moyes stayed true to her characters, stayed true to Louisa's reluctance for adventure and risk, and in doing so gave us a sequel to a heart string tugging novel.

Lou Clark has lots of questions. Like how it is she's ended up working in an airport bar? Whether her family can ever forgive her? And will she ever get over the love of her life? What she knows for certain is that something has to change. Then it does. But does the stranger on her doorstep hold the answers Lou is searching for? 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 . . .

Jane Keal

4.5. I can't give it 5 stars, because it's not quite Me Before You which I absolutely adored, but that doesn't change the fact I really enjoyed this. Ultimately it was a beautiful book on moving on after losing a loved one. 

There will be a lot of comments that this sequel wasn't needed, there were no loose ends to tie up and questions on where to go, but personally I had wanted to know what Lou did next, and for people left wondering that this book will answer those questions. I don't think you could read this as a standalone, it probably wouldn't be strong enough if you weren't already invested in the characters. 

I found myself laughing out loud in places and although not the ugly sobs of Me Before You, there were still tears in the final chapters and a lot of tugging on heartstrings. Some readers may be disappointed, but for me the depth and love of the characters and Moyes' writing style made this a true pleasure, albeit in a slightly different way to the first.

Maggie Berver

** spoiler alert **
           Más que disfrutar del libro, me la pasé llorando por la muerte de Will y extrañando sus comentarios mordaces. 
Siendo sincera, al principio no me gustó que Louisa encontrara un nuevo novio, pues una parte de mí sintió que estaba traicionando a Will y que lo estaba olvidando muy fácil. Y entonces me di cuenta de que, aunque sea doloroso y se lleve su tiempo, la vida continúa después de las tragedias y está bien darle la bienvenida a alguien más.
Me gustaron los giros de la trama y los nuevos personajes, pero me pareció frustrante gran parte de la historia gracias a la problemática hija perdida de Will y la paciencia exagerada de Lou para soportar sus tonterías. Sin embargo, al final sí me agradó Lily, cuando se conoció el trasfondo de su actitud.
Lo recomiendo para los que necesitan otra dosis de dolor, aunque les advierto que no se deben tener altas expectativas del libro.

Ana Paula

I read this a while ago but it still baffles me how bad it was, and the fact there´s a third book?
Leaving series unfinished is one of the things I refuse to do, but honestly just the idea of reading "still me" fills me with apprehension :) 
I might end up reading it one day, but it´s most definitely not in any plans for my near future.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Giver of Stars, discover the love story that captured over 20 million hearts in Me Before You, After You, and Still Me. “You’re going to feel uncomfortable in your new world for a bit. But I hope you feel a bit exhilarated too. Live boldly. Push yourself. Don’t settle. Just live well. Just live. Love, Will.” How do you move on after losing the person you loved? How do you build a life worth living? Louisa Clark is no longer just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. After the transformative six months spent with Will Traynor, she is struggling without him. When an extraordinary accident forces Lou to return home to her family, she can’t help but feel she’s right back where she started. Her body heals, but Lou herself knows that she needs to be kick-started back to life. Which is how she ends up in a church basement with the members of the Moving On support group, who share insights, laughter, frustrations, and terrible cookies. They will also lead her to the strong, capable Sam Fielding—the paramedic, whose business is life and death, and the one man who might be able to understand her. Then a figure from Will’s past appears and hijacks all her plans, propelling her into a very different future. . . . For Lou Clark, life after Will Traynor means learning to fall in love again, with all the risks that brings. But here Jojo Moyes gives us two families, as real as our own, whose joys and sorrows will touch you deeply, and where both changes and surprises await.

A Novel

I loved Me Before You and I adored Lou in it, so when I heard there was a sequel I was beyond thrilled. However, when I finished this I realized this wasn't exactly ... necessary. I mean, it was a good book, possibly as a standalone, but while I was reading it, it was as a separate book from the first one. That feeling that comes with reading a sequel, the attachment it has to the previous book, like it's a continuation? I really didn't get that vibe from After You. Don't get me wrong, it was fine. Good, to some extent. But it just didn't have that emotional punch you got from the first book. The grief here wasn't as genuinely felt as it was in the first one.

Anyway, I think it was fine but was unnecessary. There was the same quirky Louisa and her funny monologues and situations, but if you're looking for the same deep, thoughtful prose and emotional trauma from Me Before You, go look somewhere else.

Siya S

4/5 Stars


  But I knew very well how the persona you chose to present to the world could be very different from what was inside. I knew how grief could make you behave in ways you couldn’t even begin to understand.


As a 20-something, After You and the life of our confused and miserable heroine is way more than real and relatable. As much as I was taken aback and annoyed by Lou's miserable lifestyle and poor life choices I must admitted that somewhere in the back of my head I cringed with high level of hypocrisy detected. Self doubt and making mistakes and being depressed because of them. Messing up life. That's what we do, I guess. 



Lou came back more depressed and lost than ever. With Will's death, she had to live with guilt and consequences that haunted you in every other pages of the newspaper. Fortunately enough, Lou was a great character. Her sarcastic retorts and enthusiasm left me couldn't help but rooted for her. The book radiated the warmth and humor from an army of great characters (both old and new), giving us the similar vibes to The One Plus One which is probably my most favorite book from Jojo Moyes. Trust me, there will be a lot of cackles and tears in this one.

Almost two years after the devastated ending in Me Before You, Lou's now a Londoner with a sad career manning the Irish pub (in short glittery green dress and a wig) and Moving On Circle tight on her schedule. Her posh apartment was lifeless and empty. Her love life was almost none-existent. And, out of the blue, to make things even more complicated, Will's legacy turned up 



Her name was Lily Houghton-Miller and I'm not going to say more. Oh, and she was a complete asshole. 


  ‘You had every right to be angry!’
‘Just because she doesn’t have a father doesn’t give her the excuse to behave like a brat,’ said Sunil.
‘I think you were very nice to let her stay in the first place. I’m not sure I would,’ said Daphne.


And Lou, with great support from family and friends, might be the only one who had the power and the right mind to put things right. 

I like After You because it was real. It was about coping with grief and building a new life life out of the wreckage of your loved ones. Some people might see this book the death of their fantasy, as they believe some things should be left unsaid and up to our own imagination. But then, how many books really show us the reality of lives after those disaster movies? What ever happened to those who were left behind? It was a brave move for Moyes to orchestrate Lou's life into this unpredictable direction and it's great to see her got back to her feet again. 

Find out more at:
http://thebleedingeyes.wordpress.com

Cathaysa Ryökäs

It was not quite as good as the first part of the series, but that was kinda expected. Still love the way Jojo Moyes writes and makes you fall in live with the characters. 
It didn't focus as much on any romantic stuff, but was more about family relationships and about moving on after the death of someone dear. 
The book still brought both tears and laughs out of me, and is definitely not a bad book.

Gisela Ayala 

Am I satisfied? Yes, I am. Am I happy? I think content would be the world, but mostly because I'm still sad. If you don't want any spoilers, please stop reading right now...

It was lovely seeing what happens after Me Before You. For the most part when it comes to books like this (kind of like The Fault In Our Stars (I keep comparing the two, sorry)), we always want to know what happens to the person who survives. Because how do you survive? This is probably something that many of us ask ourselves. I loved how much of a wreck Lou becomes because it is realistic! I can see myself being the same way. After such a grand 6 months with someone as brilliant as Will, how do you get over it? Especially when you fell in love? I found myself crying (mind you I am VERY sensitive and cry over everything) at the moments that Lou would cry. I miss Will. I still do. What I will say is that these two books have helped me try and live my life differently. I want to "just live," as Will so elegantly put it. 

Did this book give me a sense of closure? I'm probably half and half on that. I feel like Moyes opened a whole new door when she introduced Sam and Lily. Not that I want to know what happens to them now, but I want to know what happens with them in regards to Lou. I am so proud of her. She makes me feel like it is never too late to begin a new journey. I will treasure these two books, and Will forever in my heart.

Lauren Hendrix

Nadia Serrano

I didn't think that after the first book this story could make me cry more but surprise surprise I cried my eyes out. A satisfactory ending.

Noelia Abreu

A week ago in my last night in a hostel in Edimburgh my friend realized someone had left a book on the floor of the room we were staying in. That book turned out to be After You. I honestly had no intention of reading After You, I had decided that I just wanted to leave the story as it ended in Me Before You but I just coudn't leave a book abandoned in a hostel - specially a book I knew - so I took it with me and started to read it on the plane back home. 

The fact that it's been like a year since I reread Me Before you really helped me to enjoy this book, because my MBF feelings weren't as raw as they could have been. In general this was a nice read but it wasn't what I wanted this book to be. I always felt a sequel wasn't necessary but since this was happening, I wanted a book about Lou, of her life after Will and unfortunately the way Jojo chose to include Will in the book was just wrong. (view spoiler)[ The secret daughter thing is just awful. I hate it so much. It's just not right, I don't like what it brought to the book and I don't like what it means for Will's life. Lily could have been anyone, she didn't have to be Will's daughter. It's wrong wrong wrong. (hide spoiler)]. Lou's new love interest was cool, I actually liked him and I wish the book had spend a little more time in that. There are a few things that I wanted more a deep explanation and there are other things I just really didn't care about. 

So yeah, in general it was a nice read but it's not a story that will stay with you as Me Before You was. I just saw there's also going to be a third book and really I just... no comments.

Lauren hughes 

Ley Stanton

Emma Friedheim

Ok I know it's entirely unfair but this was my rebound book after Infinite Jest and the contrast was way too extreme. I chuckled at least once or twice but y'all, this book is just not good. Cheesy, poorly written, with a completely unbelievable plot. An acceptable metro read but good grief. After I finished I had to go back and read my favorite part of Infinite Jest just to feel better about fiction [it worked; highly recommend p. 200 for this rehab if others need it]. I really enjoyed Me Before You and I'm looking forward to the movie but... Anyway I believe I've made my point. Lesson learned: choose wisely after DFW.

Cindy Lieberman

Pleasant and entertaining, but not as moving a book as Me Before You. Two-plus years after the first book ends, Lou is still not moving on from her intense experience as Will's caregiver. She is adrift and almost loses herself.... But then some new people enter her life. A few plot twists later, and she has a sense of purpose (sort of) and some options. One reviewer likened it to fan fiction and I think that sums it up nicely. A good read for fans who just want more of Lou (except for those of us who want to shake her silly).

Libby G

I really enjoyed this sequel. While I still believe The first book would have been a great stand alone book it was fun getting to see the continuation of Louisa's story. The book did a great job at dealing with the idea that greif never goes away. And how we all have to deal with being donuts.

Robin M Cabana

Me Before You was one of those book I was sad to see end. I missed the characters when I was done. I wanted so much more for Louisa at the end of that book, but was disappointed to see how things turned out for her in After You. Depressed and devastated by Will's loss, Louisa clings to his memory but forgot all the lessons he taught her about living life. And I'm sad she had to endure a series of awful and sometimes ridiculous situations to get back to herself. 

I also found Louisa's mother's sudden discovery of feminism and her father's reactions as odd given that this is a current story. And Lily's mother's utter coldness was very unbelievable.

Jordyn Wassen

I really liked this book but I don't feel that it was entirely necessary. I enjoyed reading about Louisa's life after Will but it wasn't as exciting and keeping my on the edge of my seat like Me Before You. I also didn't really connect with any of the characters. I never fell in love with anyone. I definitely liked some people but I just didn't have the connection I was hoping for. But I enjoyed it and it was definitely a great story.

Emma Snäll

OBS! Spoilers ahead!
I didn't like this one as much as Me before You. First of all; I didn't quite buy the whole "daughter no one knew of" story. It felt forced and like it was just there to make a story.. however, the story was good despite that! Second of all; Louisa didn't feel like herself at any point in this story. I get why she had to have changed since the last book since she went through a life-changing ordeal, but wouldn't some of her be left intact? I waited and waited for the comical, naive and witty Louisa to come back in some form but I didn't feel like she did. 

All in all it was a really good story, but not a really good follow-up to Me Before You.

Juliette

"Too many people follow their own happiness without a thought for the damage they leave in their wake."

Maria M &
After You by Jojo Moyes

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