Romance · Book club
Me Before You book club questions
Here are 12 book club questions for Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, ordered to open easily and end somewhere worth arguing about. Copy them, print them, or bring them up one at a time.
Louisa Clark is twenty-six, cheerfully aimless, and loses her job at the local café on the same day.
Jojo Moyes · 2012 · 7h 45m
Full summary and key takeaways →The 12 questions
- 1.
Will decides to end his life despite having established a meaningful relationship with Lou. Does the novel present this as the right decision, or does it stay neutral? Do you think it's the right decision?
- 2.
The disability rights movement has argued that the novel reinforces the idea that life with quadriplegia isn't worth living. Do you think that critique is fair? How does the novel handle it, or fail to handle it?
- 3.
Lou's trajectory — from aimless to purposeful — is driven entirely by Will's influence. Is that a feminist narrative or an anti-feminist one?
- 4.
Will is occasionally cruel to Lou before he trusts her. The novel treats this cruelty as earned by his situation. Do you agree? How much does his suffering justify his behavior?
- 5.
The novel is told from Lou's perspective, not Will's. How does that choice shape what we know about Will's interiority and the weight we give his decision?
- 6.
Lou's family — especially her mother and sister — are more present in this novel than is usual for romance. How do they shape the emotional landscape?
- 7.
Patrick, Lou's boyfriend, is affable and completely wrong for her. Is he treated fairly by the narrative?
- 8.
The book ends with Will's death and Lou at a cafe in Paris, using the money he left her. Is that ending hopeful, or is it unsatisfying?
- 9.
Moyes has said the book is about seizing life, not about assisted dying. Do you think those two readings of the novel can coexist, or does the ending fix the meaning?
- 10.
How does the class difference between Lou and Will function in the novel — does it complicate their relationship in interesting ways, or is it mostly background?
- 11.
The novel was adapted into a film. If you saw it: what does the film do differently, and does it change the moral weight of the ending?
- 12.
By the end, Lou has become someone new. Is that transformation believable? Is it earned?
How to run the discussion
- Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
- Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
- Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
- Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.
Themes worth steering toward
If the conversation stalls, these are the threads that usually restart it.
Common questions
What are good book club questions for Me Before You?
Here are 12 book club questions for Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, ordered to open easily and end somewhere worth arguing about. The strongest openers ask what each reader noticed rather than what they concluded, and the discussion usually turns on disability and autonomy, love and letting go, class and ambition.
How long should a book club discussion of Me Before You last?
Most groups run 60 to 90 minutes of actual discussion. That is roughly six to eight questions, not all of them, so pick the ones that suit your group rather than working down the list in order.
What are the main themes in Me Before You?
Disability and autonomy, Love and letting go, Class and ambition, The right to die, Self-discovery. Those are the threads most likely to divide a room, which makes them the useful places to steer a discussion that has gone quiet.
Picking the next one? See books like Me Before You or questions for other book club picks.
