But this was Lou. Lou without Will. For a whole book. The chapter and a half of Lou without Will in MBY practically killed me. Took me a month to get over Will. This was a whole novel of Lou … with no Will. So, there’s where the apprehension set in.
But I’m happy to say that I’ve finished After You, and I survived. In her masterful way, Jojo Moyes made me laugh, surprised me, kept me riveted and yes … made me cry.
And I know you guys. I know you are worried about the amount of Kleenex you are going to need to get through this novel. How many truckloads of tissue will it take? Well, that’s where this post comes in.
The Ugly Cry Guide to After You
Right when you download your copy at midnight (on the 24th for you in the UK, on the 29th for the US), or when you head to your local bookseller as they open their doors, or right after you berate your FedEx guy for taking so long to make it to your door, make sure to check this guide for the Pagination of Pain. That’s right. Page numbers, cry meters and unspoilers* for how you will feel when you get to that part of the book.
unspoiler: n. a word I just made up for this post that means I’m not giving away plot points, but I am letting you know something emotional is coming, so be ready.
The Dust Jacket
I’m not kidding. The dust jacket made me cry. It will make you cry too. This was when you need to just bite the bullet and read until your eyes bleed. NO FEAR.
Chapter 2, page 13
A single tear. Courtesy of Louisa’s dad and a kiss to her hand.
Chapter 8, page 89
Some good ol’ nostalgia tears, thanks to Lou trying to explain what she and Will had been to one another. Yeah. Lump, meet Throat.
Page 94, right before the page break
Family tears. When that character you forgot you kind of loved says something that reminds you of that person in your family whom you totally love.
Chapter 10, page 117
Prepare yourself for unspoilery grief.
“No. Really. I’ve thought about it a lot. You learn to live with it, with them. Because they stay with you, even if they’re not living, breathing people anymore. It’s not the same crushing grief you felt at first, the kind that swamps you and makes you want to cry in the wrong places and get irrationally angry with all the idiots who are still alive when the person you love is dead. It’s just something you learn to accommodate. Like adapting around a hole. I don’t know. It’s like you become… a doughnut instead of a bun.”
Jojo knows what it’s like to lose someone. You don’t write like that and not get it.
Chapter 11, page 125
No. No you will NOT reminisce about the concert, Lou. I had to stop reading.
End of Chapter 20
Relief tears: you will need a hug.
Page 286, chapter 24
These tears courtesy of a character redemption that I badly needed. GAH.
Chapter 26, page 316
BIG BALL OF NOPE.
The bottom of page 320
Lou’s dad is perfect. And he makes me cry every time. Or laugh. But a lot cry.
The entirety of page 345
but mostly this quote:
“…I just wanted to say thank you… and that I… love you and I’ll always miss you, and I hope if you’re looking down and you can see me, you’re glad. That I exist.
“Because, you know, me being here sort of means you’re still here, doesn’t it?”
Because, apparently, I am a donut. We’re all donuts.
Bottom line: there will be tears. But you will survive. It’s actually a very redemptive process to go through post-Will life with Lou, to see how his love and legacy influences her future. So don’t be scared like I was! Jump in with both feet. Just … not off the roof.
So, you are now super prepared to delve into After You. Where you will find a bit of despair, lonliness, mishap, angst, mistakes, love and redemption. Just like a five-star Jojo Moyes novel.
Who’s ready for After You? What are you expecting from the story?
