This novel was trying to be Fault in Our Stars for the disabled but ultimately lacked any spark or heart.
Summary:
After losing her job with no prospects on the horizon, Louisa Clark hesitantly agrees to be a caregiver/companion to a quadriplegic. But she never expected her client to be someone like Will Traynor, a sarcastic ex-daredevil in his thirties but who is ultimately fed up with his life as a quad. Lou tasks herself with re-inspiring Will's love for life, and in turn, he may inspire her to expand her horizons as well.
Verdict: 4/10
I didn't hate this book, but I certainly have more complaints than praise. We'll start with the positives.
The characters were quirky and had some good banter. I didn't always understand the British humor, but it was a pleasant enough escape from the normal USA or London setting. Their excursions were cute and made me smile at times. And of course, the book made the reader think about life with disabilities which is invaluable insight that often goes overlooked in books, movies, and life in general.
I also like that it wasn't just the sappy she-convinces-him-life-is-worthwhile plot. Really he’s convincing her she’s worthwhile and deserves more too. Moyes included a surprisingly deep storyline on trauma that I thought was well done. Sadly the section in the maze with Lou and Will was the only part that I thought had genuine emotion.
The overall story was quite predictable. I mean a "tragic romance" and the plot line means SPOILERS (but are they really?) we pretty much know Will's going to die. I feel like the author stuck to her guns about this ending because there was no other way to end it. There was no happy ending. There was a bitter sweet romantic hope that would still be somewhat sad, or there was suicide. To the author's credit, the issue of euthanasia seemed fairly balanced. Moyes cast characters with all different viewpoints and perspectives, which you have to do in a situation and choice as impossible as this. Still, the ending seemed too hasty. Lou conveniently changes her mind about Switzerland just in time. There was no falling action, just THE END and an anti-climatic postmortem letter.
For being billed as a romance, I found very little attraction in their relationship. It seemed more like Lou was forcing her affection onto Will, and he was rejecting it. He never says he loves her or that he feels much of anything for her. They share one kiss, she says she loves him and his only response is "you're not enough. I'm going to kill myself anyway." I really thought her affection for him was also a choice that was thrust upon him. It was desperate instead of deep. SPOILERS OVER
This book should not count as a romance. There wasn’t enough spark between the characters. It felt like Moyes was trying to make me cry, but any tears or emotions felt forced. Even the affection was forced! You've got a guy trapped in a chair so he can't get away. He admits that he wouldn't be there with her if he had any other options. That does not sound like love to me.
For a heavy storyline, this book lacked weight. At the beginning, I had hope and was at least entertained and engaged throughout the action. By the end, this felt like pandering to the masses. A bait and switch for me that I could have done without.
Comments