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The library reading group that I attend on a monthly basis chose Me Before You as this months selection and I just finished listening it in audio format on the way home from work tonight. It is the story of a young woman who is hired to be a companion to a man with quadriplegia. It is a good spring board for discussion on the topic of assisted suicide and will make for a lively discussion at book group. I do not like to give negative reviews but I did not like the book. There were two things that I objected to and considered unethical in this book . One was the fact that Lou - the young woman that was hired to be a companion in the book - falls in love with the disabled man and there are descriptions of physical contact between her and the man she is supposed to be keeping company. I feel like that is totally inappropriate and crosses the line. She would not be able to work again in the state that I live in as any thing related to a caregiver after this behavior. It was just creepy to me once their relationship became physical. The second issue I had with the book was that at the end of the novel Will - the disabled man - leaves a bunch of money to Lou. This is totally out of line. Any organization I ever worked for would insist the money be given to the employing entity and would not allow the employee to keep it. Maybe things are different in the UK than in the US in respect to wills and caregivers. I know a lot of people really liked this book and a lot of people have went to the movie and really enjoyed it. I have to admit I am not a big love story genre fan. An occasional love story is okay and to have a love story within the context of an historical novel or a mystery thriller is something that I do enjoy. But a love story alone isn't something that is usually a favorite for me. If someone is a love story fan then they may like this book. Nevertheless, when I looked for a video to share about the book, I found on YouTube several videos by disabled people who objected to the book and movie. Below is one. It is long but worth the watch. Clicking on the author's name and book title at the beginning of this post will link to further information from the author's website.
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