Book Summary: Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.
What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to lose her job or that knowing what’s coming is what keeps her sane.
Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he’s going to put a stop to that.
What Will doesn’t know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of color. And neither of them knows they’re going to change the other for all time.
Book Review: Firstly I want to say that the cover does not do this book justice. It gives the impression of a bland and fluffy read when in reality this is a heartbreaking story, with subject matter that may be difficult for a lot of readers.
The characters begin as likeable, yet maddeningly realistic in all their egocentricities and self-absorptions. As their fears and insights are exposed, they develop in strength and purpose to reveal rich individuals who are all irrevocably changed through the events which unfold. I enjoyed the first person point of view, and the odd change in character thrown in stirred the narrative nicely for me. I would have liked to have had at least a chapter from Will’s perspective, but can understand how challenging that may have been for the author. I was really glad to have read Will’s letter though!
I commend the author for producing a book which I found extremely readable; the language was straight forward, no purple prose or a whole bunch of medical jargon. The plot is relatively simple yet not uncomplicated for all that it raises some controversial or ethical questions. How can you read this and not ask yourself what you might do in similar circumstances, how you would feel if it was your friend? Could you be what they needed, and the moral impact of that. The writing is smooth and effortless and yet the result is a story which is invested with so much emotion. I’m left feeling so mad, sad and even, oddly, happily resigned about the ending. I can’t remember when I last finished a story that had tied me up in so many emotional knots and still left me completely satisfied with having read it. I will give this book 4 stars!
I’ll be chasing down more of Ms Moyes’ works!
sumaia2016 