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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Honestly, I think a lot of folks would not have had such an issue with this book if Will's story about not wanting to live wasn't they only version that Hollywood shows us. There are a lot of people like Will, but there are also a lot of people that figured out how to adapt and lives happy, fulfilling lives.
To Moyes' credit, she did a lot of research and this book did not feel lazy. I have a feeling that Lou's research is taken from some of the research Moyes did in real life. Through the message boards, we learn about countless other people very similar to Will and also not as in a severe condition as him that are happy. Some that are angry. Some that know how Will feels. And they all help her figure out ways to maybe help change his mind about living.
We got Will's story because Moyes wanted to write a story about the ethics of assisted suicide. She presents the arguments of strangers that parents and other loved ones that allow a person to go through this are murderers, monsters, etc. There was a lot of judgement about assisted suicide at the time of this story and there still are. Does anyone remember the conversations about death panels when folks were debating the Affordable Care Act? Yeah. In order to change minds, we get Will's story. Not even meeting Lou and finding ways that he could still have adventures did not change his mind. Nothing would be able to.
This book is basically propaganda, but it is also a lesson in empathy. Lou doesn't agree with Will's decision. She too is very judgmental about it. She almost doesn't even see him again before he dies.
I don't know if I'll continue the series though. As much as I really liked Lou, I don't feel strongly about knowing where her story goes after this.
To Moyes' credit, she did a lot of research and this book did not feel lazy. I have a feeling that Lou's research is taken from some of the research Moyes did in real life. Through the message boards, we learn about countless other people very similar to Will and also not as in a severe condition as him that are happy. Some that are angry. Some that know how Will feels. And they all help her figure out ways to maybe help change his mind about living.
We got Will's story because Moyes wanted to write a story about the ethics of assisted suicide. She presents the arguments of strangers that parents and other loved ones that allow a person to go through this are murderers, monsters, etc. There was a lot of judgement about assisted suicide at the time of this story and there still are. Does anyone remember the conversations about death panels when folks were debating the Affordable Care Act? Yeah. In order to change minds, we get Will's story. Not even meeting Lou and finding ways that he could still have adventures did not change his mind. Nothing would be able to.
This book is basically propaganda, but it is also a lesson in empathy. Lou doesn't agree with Will's decision. She too is very judgmental about it. She almost doesn't even see him again before he dies.
I don't know if I'll continue the series though. As much as I really liked Lou, I don't feel strongly about knowing where her story goes after this.
Loved it. I would recommend this to anyone, the story is very sweet about a man who becomes a quadriplegic and his caretaker.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
shockingly ive never seen the movie even though i feel like i definitely should have seen it by now. This book was great. Felt like a grown up the fault in our stars with more nuance. I couldn’t put the book down since starting it. I’m very sad now 😭
personal enjoyment = 4.5 stars. objective opinion of this book and it's impact on the disabled community: 1 star. so here we are at 2.5 stars
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Most of the low ratings on this book are because the reader didn't like the ending, or felt the book was "ableist". I didn't have a problem with either of those things. I don't think it's ableist to write about a quadraplegic who feels life isn't worth living - I think it's more ableist to blithely assume all quadraplegics are blissfully happy. The author did present both sides of the argument, but I suspect those who felt offended by it either (a) didn't read far enough to discover that; or (b) were so offended they weren't taking it in; or (c) saw the movie and didn't read the book; or (d) didn't do either, just read the synopsis.
Where the author went wrong, I think, was deciding to write this as a romance novel. As a result, everything was soft-pedalled or glossed over. We got random chapters from other characters' POV (for no apparent reason), but we never got inside Will's head so we could fully understand his desperation and grief. To understand why he wanted to die, we needed to experience the pain and the nightmares Nathan mentions, and feel his reactions to the deterioration of his body, and the small daily indignities of quadraplegic life. But we don't, because the author needs him to be a strong romantic hero too, so it simply won't do to dwell on how wasted his muscles are, or read about Nathan hooking poo out of his bottom...
When Louisa discovers the forums, we do hear from quadraplegics who have adjusted to their new life - but because it's a romance, we don't hear from them enough. It would have been great if Louisa had met one of the people from the forums and seen what their life was like - perhaps persuaded Will to meet him or her. But that would have made Will's decision more complex and questionable, and would've detracted too much from the three-hanky weepy, so it didn't happen..
So if that wasn't the reason, why the two stars? Because although it was an easy read, I never got involved with the characters. Louisa's character didn't convince me: she's supposed to be very intelligent, but apparently she flunked school because her sister was SO clever, she didn't bother to even try to keep up (really?). And she's got no ambition and can't hold down a job because, we eventually learn,. I know that's a trauma but it didn't work for me as a motivation. As for Will - as I mentioned, he was kept at a distance, the only one of the main characters never given a chapter or chapters to speak for himself.
Where the author went wrong, I think, was deciding to write this as a romance novel. As a result, everything was soft-pedalled or glossed over. We got random chapters from other characters' POV (for no apparent reason), but we never got inside Will's head so we could fully understand his desperation and grief. To understand why he wanted to die, we needed to experience the pain and the nightmares Nathan mentions, and feel his reactions to the deterioration of his body, and the small daily indignities of quadraplegic life. But we don't, because the author needs him to be a strong romantic hero too, so it simply won't do to dwell on how wasted his muscles are, or read about Nathan hooking poo out of his bottom...
When Louisa discovers the forums, we do hear from quadraplegics who have adjusted to their new life - but because it's a romance, we don't hear from them enough. It would have been great if Louisa had met one of the people from the forums and seen what their life was like - perhaps persuaded Will to meet him or her. But that would have made Will's decision more complex and questionable, and would've detracted too much from the three-hanky weepy, so it didn't happen.
Spoiler
I'm sure that was the reason the adventure holiday had to be cancelled too: to decide to die after meeting a bunch of thrill-seeking quads might have seemed more cowardly than nobleSo if that wasn't the reason, why the two stars? Because although it was an easy read, I never got involved with the characters. Louisa's character didn't convince me: she's supposed to be very intelligent, but apparently she flunked school because her sister was SO clever, she didn't bother to even try to keep up (really?). And she's got no ambition and can't hold down a job because, we eventually learn,