👶👶👶 After You, by Jojo Moyes

Sometimes, as the saying goes, one should “just leave well enough alone”. Such was the case with this sequel to Me Before You. It was with high hopes that I began this novel, but soon realized that it would not make my list of favorites, as its prequel had.

To begin with, the mournful nature of the novel was to be expected, but it seemed more lugubrious to me, the sadness almost forced. The plot was mostly frustrating, and the journey lacked profundity, unlike Me Before You. Several of the characters were downright farcical; their authenticity - nonexistent.

Lou’s mom’s sudden feminist awareness was not only unoriginal, but served as a needless distraction that did little to move the story along. Lily’s story was just downright frustrating. I can appreciate that Moyes was attempting create a ruthless teenager, that ultimately had a solid reason for her uncivil behavior; but sadly, I never felt a connection to Lily. This novel seemed to be a portrayal of modern families, more than a novel about moving on from loss.

The situations characters found themselves in were unconvincing: 2 near-death experiences with implausible outcomes, a truth-or-dare ending in a twice-over blackmail (the resolution to which was foolish), a party for dozens of people ending in a fight over a store-bought birthday cake, and other such nonsense.

I suppose my harsh criticism lies in the fact that Me Before You just didn’t need a sequel; it stood alone. That’s the difficulty in writing a sequel to such a powerful novel; good will never be good enough, because readers’ expectations are extraordinarily high.

On a positive note, Ms. Moyes is such an exceptional writer, that even her least intelligent work is still enjoyable. She writes with literary ease and a contrasting restrained humor, that lures readers in. While I did not adore this novel, it was a mid-range read, with some enjoyable moments, and glimpses of the characters I came to love in the first novel.

Read 3/27/16