Thanks for joining us as we start the second book of our Summer Reading Book Club, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.

If you’re still reading I Am Malala, don’t worry, the discussion isn’t over. Keep using the hashtag #PHSummerReads on social media or check out our discussion questions post to keep up the conversation.

For the next three weeks, we’ll be adding new questions to this post each Wednesday, so check back in to get involved in the conversation.

Book Title

Me Before You

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As always, the goal behind these questions is to spark conversation, not limit it, so if you have other thoughts and ideas, post away!

Discussion Questions

Week 1

  1. "The thing about being catapulted into a whole new life…is that it forces you to rethink your idea of who you are." Louisa is forced to re-evaluate her life after losing her job. How do they react differently (or similarly) to this forced re-evaluation?
  2. Modern culture defines most people by what they do professionally, and they feel lost when they lose their jobs. Few jobs demand more of your identity than teaching. How does being a teacher affect the way you define yourself?
  3. Will's accident leaves him controlled by others and without a sense of "agency" in his life while Louisa is forced into a job because of economic conditions. How do they react to their loss of control?

Week 2

  1. Do you think one should have the right to end one’s own life in a situation such as Will’s? Do you have responsibilities to others to preserve it regardless of circumstances?
  2. Louisa is given a heavy responsibility by the Traynor family. Was it fair for them to hire a stranger for this job? Could they have taken on this responsibility themselves? Why or why not?
  3. The book is primarily told from Lou’s point of view, but there are a number of chapters from other character’s points of view. How does this point of view affect the way the story unfolds? How would the story have been affected if part of it was told from Will’s point of view?

Week 3

  1. Louisa spends much of the novel attempting to change Will’s opinion of himself, while Will tries to change the way she views the rest of the world. While Louisa is unsuccessful in changing his plans, does she succeed in changing anything about Will? Is it a success by any metric?
  2. Would you teach Me Before You in your classroom? Why or why not? What other works would you pair with this title?
  3. The book is titled Me Before You. What does that title mean? Who is the “me” and “you” in the title? The book is written from a first person perspective, so to whom is it written?

Learn more about the Summer Reading Book Club.