Earlier in the year I reviewed Jojo Moyes’ bittersweet novel, Me Before You (see my blog of 1 January 2018). The sequel is aptly named After You.
Me Before You focused on the relationship between Will Traynor, the man who had it all and then lost it, and Lou Clark, the quirky small town girl. After You focuses on Lou’s journey to find a new life after her relationship with Will comes to a tragic end. Lou is not the same person she was before meeting Will and after the end of the relationship her life is complicated beyond reason. I was excited to read the sequel to find out what happened next to Lou.
The sequel opens with Lou working in an unrewarding job at an airport watching others jet off on adventures and to new places. She returns home each night to an empty apartment devoid of company. Her family is estranged and Lou does not feel as though she belongs anywhere and her life, once very complicated, is now following a predictable and mundane course. She is soon involved in a serious event which sends her reluctantly home to her family.
With her family back in her life, Lou’s life becomes increasingly complicated when one night a stranger appears at her doorstep. Should she shut the door on the stranger and continue on with her ordered life or let the stranger in? Well it would not be a very interesting story if the stranger was not let in. Who is the stranger; what does she want and what does she know of Lou? The stranger brings disruption to Lou’s life but also a renewed energy to dive into that life with enthusiasm and hope.
I thoroughly enjoyed Me Before You. Did I enjoy the sequel as much? The first novel dealt with a theme of much interest which kept me engaged to the last page. Moyes follows a more traditional course in her story line in the sequel and tries to neatly tie up in a box any questions we had in relation to the earlier story. Whilst I found Lou softer and more likable in After You, I was disappointed with Moyes’ sequel. Does the sequel stand alone? Yes but I do think you will enjoy the story more if you read Me Before You first. An easy read this weekend perhaps. For a more satisfying weekend read however, I would recommend Me Before You.
