April Book Club: Me Before You Chapters 1-7

[kateisoptimistic]

I’m going to post this early as I am traveling this week and tomorrow will be crazy.

Let’s discuss Chapters 1-7. How are you liking it so far?

A few questions to consider:

Why do you think Lou has been able to get through to Will while others have failed?

Why do you think Will seemed to react better when Lou told him she didn’t care about the job and she just needed money?

What do you think of Lou’s relationship with her sister Treena?

What do you make of Will’s mother?

What are your thoughts on Lou’s relationship with Patrick?

Ok, let’s talk about the cliffhanger at the end of chapter 7 – did you see this coming?

Anything else you want to discuss?

[sakura0019]

The book didn't hook me right out of the gate, but it definitely picked up quickly, and now I'm hooked!
1. I think Lou was only able to start getting through to Will when she first snapped at him and then stopped handling him with kid gloves. I think he began to trust her and open up to her more after he got sick and he saw her genuine concern for him. I think it was mentioned that she's also lasted longer than the others, so that probably helped, too.
2. I think he reacted better when she said she just needed money because she was being honest, not something he's used to given his condition and the wealth of his family.
3. Ummm, I feel like Lou and Treena's relationship is pretty typical of sisters. Obviously there are certain tensions that are exacerbated because of the financial situation in the family. I find it a bit odd that the whole family is relying so heavily on Lou for income, though.
4. Will's mother seems like the stereotypical frigid rich woman. I'm sure there'll be a twist in there somewhere, but she's a pretty flat character right now.
5. Lou and Patrick seem really comfortable with each other and their routine. They've been together for most of their adult life, and it seems like their relationship is a bit stale. Also, it's kind if irritating that Patrick seems to join in with her family to poke fun at Lou. I'm probably just sensitive to it because I'm a girl, but I got a bit testy on Lou's behalf when Patrick is pushing her to run or start working out.
6. I did NOT see that cliffhanger coming, but it also didn't surprise me all that much. I have a feeling that the rest of the book and the ending is probably going to be fairly predictable, but I'm enjoying it, so I don't really care.

I wonder if they'll ever go into more detail about this castle that's the focal point of the town?

[aggiebug]

I think Will responds to Lou for a variety of reasons. Lou is not from his circle. She lives on the other side of the castle which is practically a different world. He also was a cocky, good looking, adventure seeking guy before the accident and everyone else knew him as such and treat him as a shell of what used to be

I think he is suspicious she knows what she is really there for and so he sees her as another part of his mother's ploy. When she really doesn't know at that point the reason she is there. When she said she was there for the money it became clear Lou didn't feel sorry and pity him like other did and she wasn't trying to save him.

Lou and Treena are sister's. I feel like they both envy one another for different reasons like many sisters do.

Will's mom is... Intense and not used to her money not fixing things.

Patrick is safe. That is all he is. Just like her old job.

Yes I saw the cliffhanger coming. It was apparent to me that Will did not want to live and based on his mom's directions that Lou was there to prevent him committing suicide and trying to give him a reason to live.

[kateisoptimistic]

It took a bit for me to get into this book, but now I am hooked!

Why do you think Lou has been able to get through to Will while others have failed? I think it is because she is “real” he has been used to being catered to for so long, even prior to his accident so I think he probably finds her a bit refreshing. I also think he feels that he can trust her as he realizes that she has no hidden agenda, especially after the moment when she told him she just needs the money.

What do you think of Lou’s relationship with her sister Treena? I think there is something bigger there that will be exposed later, while it seems like a typical sister relationship with some rivalry and jealousy, it also seems a bit dysfunctional so waiting to see what comes of this later

What do you make of Will’s mother? I am kind of confused as to why Will’s parents are so distant from him, I mean they are obviously making sure he is cared for, but they barely talk to him and don’t spend time with him. I’m sure Will has pushed them away a bit, but I wonder about if they even had a relationship before his accident

What are your thoughts on Lou’s relationship with Patrick? I think Patrick is a dick. He is distant and doesn’t seem invested in the relationship

Ok, let’s talk about the cliffhanger at the end of chapter 7 – did you see this coming?
I didn’t see this coming, but I ‘m not surprised. I agree that I think the rest of the story will be fairly typical, but I’m still enjoying it.

[kateisoptimistic]

Apr 8, 2015 19:16:16 GMT -5 sakura0019 said:

The book didn't hook me right out of the gate, but it definitely picked up quickly, and now I'm hooked!
1. I think Lou was only able to start getting through to Will when she first snapped at him and then stopped handling him with kid gloves. I think he began to trust her and open up to her more after he got sick and he saw her genuine concern for him. I think it was mentioned that she's also lasted longer than the others, so that probably helped, too.
2. I think he reacted better when she said she just needed money because she was being honest, not something he's used to given his condition and the wealth of his family.
3. Ummm, I feel like Lou and Treena's relationship is pretty typical of sisters. Obviously there are certain tensions that are exacerbated because of the financial situation in the family. I find it a bit odd that the whole family is relying so heavily on Lou for income, though.
4. Will's mother seems like the stereotypical frigid rich woman. I'm sure there'll be a twist in there somewhere, but she's a pretty flat character right now.
5. Lou and Patrick seem really comfortable with each other and their routine. They've been together for most of their adult life, and it seems like their relationship is a bit stale. Also, it's kind if irritating that Patrick seems to join in with her family to poke fun at Lou. I'm probably just sensitive to it because I'm a girl, but I got a bit testy on Lou's behalf when Patrick is pushing her to run or start working out.
6. I did NOT see that cliffhanger coming, but it also didn't surprise me all that much. I have a feeling that the rest of the book and the ending is probably going to be fairly predictable, but I'm enjoying it, so I don't really care.

I wonder if they'll ever go into more detail about this castle that's the focal point of the town?

I agree that the castle probably has some hidden meaning or that something will go down with it later on in the book.

[sakura0019]

Hmmm, I never thought of a possible plot twist involving Treena, that could be very interesting!

[joi922]

Why do you think Lou has been able to get through to Will while others have failed? I assumed it was because she's just a normal person who didn't know him before the accident, and wasn't hired to be a medical assistant. It puts her in a unique position to get to know him as he is now, and not compare it to what he was like before the accident, but she's also not all up in his medical business like Nathan.

Why do you think Will seemed to react better when Lou told him she didn’t care about the job and she just needed money? I thought it was because he assumed she was colluding with his mom about keeping an eye on him, instead of just there because she needed a job. He couldn't separate a companion from his family's involvement in his care, or their reactions to his wishes.

What do you think of Lou’s relationship with her sister Treena? I feel like this has to become more important later. There has been too much emphasis on how Lou feels like her life has been dictated by her sister - whether she was compared to her in school, or because she has to get a job now because her sister has a son and a minimum-wage job and needs the help. I just get the impression that we'll be delving more into that relationship as the book continues.

What do you make of Will’s mother? A woman used to being able to control her life. Now that's been thrown completely out the window and she's floundering. She's also grasping at any bit of control she can retain in this new life - in her job, not engaging with her son when he's angry, etc.

What are your thoughts on Lou’s relationship with Patrick? Doomed. I think she's with him out of convenience. This is a girl who hasn't changed her routine in years, except when she absolutely has to. I don't think it's a great love, I think it's just comfortable for her. And I think she just doesn't have the guts to dump him (yet) and see who else might be out there for her.

Ok, let’s talk about the cliffhanger at the end of chapter 7 – did you see this coming? Honestly, yes. The way his mother kept emphasizing that he not be left alone made it highly likely that something had happened before. Couples with his resentment of having a babysitter and the way he talked with his mom, I figured it was more likely self-inflicted than another accident.

Anything else you want to discuss? I'm still not really into this story. I mean, it only has three possible endings, and I'm not invested in any of them or the characters. I'm not sure exactly why that is.