"You only get one life. It's actually your duty to live it as fully as possible.”

 

Warning: This book is not a "romance" novel.

It has to be said, this book is not what I think of when I think of a romance. Sure, there is love in this book, but that isn't the primary focus. The focus is the psychological struggle that each character goes through. Will and Lou are fascinating characters that will stick with me for a long time. Their journeys are both staggeringly painful and inspiringly transformative.

I told him a story of two people.
Two people who shouldn't have met, and who didn't like each other much when they did, but who found they were the only two people in the world who could possibly have understood each other.

I have to say I hoped and hoped for those excruciating 369 pages for a spark of a happy ending. This book was inspiring but way too much for my emotions.

Will and Lou have nothing in common, however, fate seemed determined to make their paths cross. Will Traynor is a successful, rich, athletic and handsome businessman. He wants to see the world, experience everything, live a full and adventurous life. But he is a victim of an accident that left him stuck in a wheelchair. Will doesn't acclimate well with his new life, he has lost everything, quit his job and broke off any ties with his former friends.Louisa Clark is happy with her plain and foreseeable life, has been in a relationship with Patrick for ages, still live with her parents at 27 and have no real ambition nor dreams except staying in her routine job at the local tea shop. The only thing that stands out is her creative clothing.

Both characters touched me deeply, Lou who used to live in the shadow of her younger sister becomes a grown and mature girl. Will, at the beginning of the book, is grim and sarcastic, but he opens up as our reading goes on. They find in each other a way to bare life, to go on and be a better person.

I enjoyed this book so much and I found that so many of the things Will told Lou was something that myself, and possibly everyone, needs to hear at some point in their lives. He tells her to live boldly. To explore, to discover and move beyond who and what you are now, and for me, that's something I must do.

If you're like me and you're not really sure about these type of novels, give this one a go as I think it's a book for most people. 

Can't wait to start with the sequel "After you" and I'll update it as My next Blog Post.

Happy Readings ;)