October Book Club - After You by Jojo Moyes

Thank you JoJo for your responses to the questions. I've bought Me Before You to read on a trip and I can hardly wait. I've never looked forward to being stuck on a flight quite so much! Enjoy your break and I will definitely be adding your other books to my reading list.

I couldn't sleep last night so I read instead and finished this book. I really liked the ending. Without giving anything away I think the author was brave to leave loose ends and I hope to be reading a 3rd book about Lou before too long? I really want to know more about Louise's mother too and her further adventures! The characters were so well written that I feel they are alive and going about their business. We need JoJo to tell us more about how they are getting on!

Thank you everyone who advised to read Me Before You before continuing with After You.

I'm now at that 'what now' stage you go through after a really good read. I'm really missing Lou and want to know if she's getting on OK!

Thank you GN so much for sending me this book, it's one I would never have picked off the shelf. (Specially these days when it's becoming increasingly difficult to browse for fiction in a book shop or library with fewer and fewer actual books on the shelves.)

I told my daughter that I had received the new Jojo Moyes book After you and she told me to read Me Before You first, Read that on holiday 2 weeks ago and loved it. Made me laugh and cry. Just finished After You and again loved it. I hope that she carries on with what happens in New York. Waiting with great anticipation.

I was delighted to receive a copy of After You as I had so enjoyed reading Me Before You. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and was very pleased to see that Louisa had not suddenly miraculously got over Will's suicide. The subject of grief and self help groups was written about realistically and sensitively.
This novel contains a mix of gritty reality, humour and of course some events that are unbelievable but make for a good read. I especially enjoyed the interaction between Lou and Lily. To me she caught the moods and behaviour of a 'disturbed'adolescent perfectly.
It was good to see that Lou's family were also developed and I thought the issue of a changing relationship between her parents when mum discovered feminism was described well and could engender a lot of discussion.
This book would be a good choice for book groups.
I would like to think this could also be made into a very enjoyable film too.
A very good read and obviously the ending lends itself to a sequel. I very much hope so anyway!

I too enjoyed this, but not quite as much as the first. The way JoJo gets through the layers of grief is really well described and the complex family relationships seem very true. However it was not as engrossing as Me Before You and of course there was never going to be a "happy ever after" . The first book stayed alive in one's head for ages, whilst this one won't. However can she come up with a 3rd book and give us the ending we all want? for JoJo and thank you to GN too

Really loved this book, couldn't put it down. Enjoyed it as much as 'Me before you'

I enjoyed After You very much. It has been a long time since I read a book I couldn't put down. The characters were so real and my favorite read is a book where I can see in my head everyone and their surroundings like I'm watching a movie. I've gotten Me Before You from the library and have started reading it. I'm pleased I got a copy of JoJo Moyers book. I don't think I'd of known of it if I hadn't. Would of been a shame to miss!

I really enjoyed reading After You, even though I had not read Me Before You, which I will now rectify, it worked well as a stand alone story. I loved all the characters who came over as so believable. I look forward to seeing the film of Me Before You and hope there will be a sequel to After You letting us know what happened in the States and how life with Sam panned out. Jojo Moyes is now my new favourite author, thanks Gransnet for showing me what I have been missing.

After reading some comments on the thread, I, like some of the other GN's,
bought Me Before You. I was hooked from the very first page, I couldn't wait to get back to it every night and it was certainly one of those books that stays with you. (I look forward to the film.)The minute I finished I started After you. I did enjoy it, however Me before you won hands down in my opinion. Jo jo Moyes is definitely my new favourite author.
My questions to her are..What are you working on now? and Who is your favourite author?

Thank you for the opportunity to read this lovely novel. I loved the way that the story unfolded in line with Louisa's grappling with her grief. The other characters were also believable particularly the teenage Lily where the writer caught the angst of a disturbed adolescent so accurately. Reading this novel was an emotional experience and I confess to a tear at the end. I can see this novel as a film and will be suggesting it to my book group.

I had Me Before You on my bookshelf - unread - so when I received After You I had to read the first one - wow - I was hooked and it was so brilliant to be able to read both books one after the other. I made a 4 hour plane journey with After You and read/cried all the way to Tenerife!! I absolutely loved both books and think that the subject of Right to Die was handled extremely well - and how it affects an entire group of family and close acquaintances.

Well done Jojo - and wasn't I lucky to be able to read both books straight through. Maximum enjoyment from a story from start to finish.

I enjoyed both books but more so the first. Perhaps that is just me because I enjoyed Bryce Courtney's 'Power of One' greater than 'Tandia' and Frank McCourt's 'Angelas Ashes' far more than 'Tis'.

I thought 'Me Before You' was very cleverly written, it was not too heavy to read, not too complicated but prompted much deep thought and covered a significant issue. I could never wait to pick it up again.

Whereas I found the sequel to perhaps introduce too many dimensions, which were thought to be quite unnecessary. For example, for me, the book would have been just as thought provoking and moving without the phone blackmailing business and the incident with Sam; It felt, to me, as though the author was trying a little too hard?

Still enjoyed picking it up every night though.

Not sure I would want to read a third account.

Sorry not finished it yet, was too busy to even start it but am now half way through and thoroughly enjoying it. I already know who I am going to lend it to when I have finished.

I was lucky enough to win a copy, thank you. I did not realise that "After You" was the sequel to "Me Before You", so I downloaded it onto my Kindle to read first.

I loved "Me Before You", a truly great read. However, I have reservations about the sequel. I enjoyed the book, the characters, but felt the story line was a little unrealistic. To be honest, I struggled with the book at first especially when Lily came onto the scene and Louisa fell off the roof. But, nevertheless, eventually a good read.

Greenfinch, I think using the formality of addressing the Traynors' as Mr and Mrs and then moving on to first names demonstrated the relationship becoming much more informal and friendlier.

A great book. I loved all the characters even the unsympathetic Lily's Mum. I thought Lily was particularly well portrayed : exactly like a typical teenager from a certain type of home. I loved the humorous lines that popped up now and again and I liked the fast -moving plot. I have a small question. Why were Mr and Mrs Traynor referred to by their titles for most of the book and only called by their first names later on ? Was there any significance in this ?

Thank you again for my copy. I very much enjoyed this read despite not having read Me Before You. I enjoyed all the twists and turns but wasn't too sure about the ending. But as I read on it mostly worked for me. But going to New York????
Did Jojo talk/shadow any paramedics before writing this?

Would certainly look for more of her books in the future.

Thank you for sending this book which I really enjoyed even though I didn't find it quite as gripping and emotional as Me Before You.
I would like to ask two questions... ..
Did Jojo Moyes have personal experience of a Moving On Therapy group in order to include this in the plot ?
And was she already planning a sequel set in New York while writing this book ?
I'm sure - like other readers - that a third book is bound to follow !