Me Before You Novel Series

The character of Louisa Clark is one of my favorites in modern fiction. Watching her evolve across the three books, in publication order, is like watching a friend grow up. She starts so sheltered in 'Me Before You', stumbles hard in 'After You', and finally blossoms in 'Still Me'.

Has anyone else read them completely out of order and had a weirdly disjointed yet somehow okay time? I accidentally read 'After You' first, thinking it was the first book. I was so confused about who this Will guy everyone was mourning was, but in a strange way, it made Lou's grief feel more real and mysterious. Then I went back to 'Me Before You' and it was like watching a prequel where you know the tragic ending. It was a bizarre way to experience it, and I don't recommend it, but it was an interesting experiment in narrative structure.

For a normal, emotionally coherent experience, please don't do what I did. The intended order is 'Me Before You,' 'After You,' 'Still Me.' The character growth makes zero sense otherwise. Lou's journey from the first page of book one to the last page of book three is a complete transformation, and reading it backwards or scrambled just ruins the pacing Moyes so carefully built.

I felt like I spoiled the biggest emotional punch for myself, which is a real shame. Learn from my mistake!

Man, 'Me Before You' totally wrecked me in the best way possible! Jojo Moyes wrote this gorgeous emotional rollercoaster, and then—plot twist—she gave us two more books to cry through. The main trilogy consists of 'Me Before You,' 'After You,' and 'Still Me.' They follow Louisa Clark’s journey, and each one hits differently. The first book is that iconic love story, the second deals with grief and moving forward, and the third? Oh, it’s all about self-discovery in New York. There’s also a novella called 'Louisa Clark Series: The Christmas Secret,' but that’s more of a festive bonus. Honestly, I binged all three in a weekend and needed so many tissues.

If you’re into companion reads, Jojo Moyes has other standalone novels with similar vibes, like 'The Giver of Stars'—totally different setting but just as heartfelt. But yeah, for Lou and Will’s world, it’s a solid trio with extra sprinkles.

I see some people asking if there's a novella or a short story that fits in between. There's 'When Lou Met...' which is a tiny short, but it's not a main book. It's more of a bonus scene. The core narrative is solely the three novels.

Don't get distracted by extras. Read the big three in the right order, and then if you're still craving more, you can seek out the little bonus materials. They're not required reading for the main plot.

I got this question a lot when I started the series myself. The publication order is the most straightforward route, so you'd start with 'Me Before You', then move to 'After You', and finish with 'Still Me'. A lot of people think the story sort of ends with the first book, but the sequels are really about Louisa's journey afterward. They're different, more about her picking up the pieces and figuring out who she is on her own, which I think is worth exploring even if the tone shifts.

Honestly, some folks suggest just reading 'Me Before You' as a standalone and stopping there if you loved the specific dynamic of the first book and want to preserve that feeling. The sequels don't have the same central relationship, obviously, but they delve deeper into Louisa's family, her struggles with grief, and finding a new path. 'Still Me', the third one, actually brings things around in a surprisingly hopeful way, with Louisa in New York. It felt like a proper closing arc for her character.

If you're someone who needs completion and closure for characters, go through all three. But if you're purely in it for the specific love story of the first novel, you might feel the sequels meander a bit. There's no spin-off or prequel to worry about, so it's a simple three-book lineup. Just be prepared for a change in pace after that first emotional wallop.

The whole 'Me Before You' situation is interesting because I came at it from the movie first, which I know is sacrilege for some people. I watched the film, cried my eyes out, and then picked up the book expecting a deeper dive. And it is a deeper dive—Louisa's internal voice is way more sarcastic and funny than Emilia Clarke could fully convey, which adds a layer the film sort of flattens. The first book really hinges on whether you buy the central relationship and its devastating choice. I did, even though parts made me uncomfortable in that 'is this romanticizing a problematic dynamic?' way. Moyes doesn't shy from the ugliness and frustration of Will's situation, which kept it from feeling like pure melodrama for me.

That said, I'm less sold on the sequels. 'After You' felt like a messy, necessary epilogue—Louisa's grief isn't pretty or linear, and the plot gets wildly convoluted with new characters and a weird thriller subplot. It's uneven, but there's something raw about her stumbling through life afterward. 'Still Me' I actually enjoyed more; sending her to New York gave it fresh air and the old-money satire was fun. Whether the series is 'worth it' depends. If you want a complete, emotionally wrecking story with a definitive ending, just read the first book. If you get attached to Louisa and want to see her rebuild herself, warts and all, the whole trilogy has moments that resonate, even if the quality dips.

Technically complete, but the ending of 'Still Me' does leave a door slightly ajar for more stories—Louisa's life is just beginning, really. That said, Moyes seems content to leave it there. I'd be surprised but not shocked if a fourth book appeared a decade from now.

First, Jojo Moyes did write a third novel in the 'Me Before You' universe, called 'Still Me'. It follows Louisa Clark's new life in New York City after the events of 'After You'. It's definitely a direct sequel in that it continues her story, but tonally it feels quite different from the first two books. It's less about the intense, central romantic drama of 'Me Before You' and more of a coming-of-age, finding-yourself story in a new setting with a new cast. I read it mostly out of loyalty to Lou, and while parts dragged for me, the ending felt like a fitting, solid closure for her character arc.

That said, whether there are 'any sequels' really depends on what you're looking for. If you're hoping for more of the specific Will-and-Lou dynamic, then no, 'After You' and 'Still Me' don't provide that—they're about Lou's life after Will. Moyes hasn't written anything beyond 'Still Me', and it seems like a completed trilogy. For some readers, the first book is such a perfect, self-contained emotional punch that the sequels can feel unnecessary or even diminish its impact. I've seen heated debates about whether 'After You' was needed at all. Personally, I'm glad I read them to see where Lou ended up, but they don't hit with the same force.

The order is simple, but your mileage may vary. 'Me Before You' is a five-hanky read. 'After You' is like a two-hanky, contemplative afternoon. 'Still Me' is a zero-hanky, feel-good adventure. If you're in it for the weepie romance, maybe just read the first. If you're in it for Louisa Clark's full coming-of-age story (and she really does come of age in her late twenties), then commit to the trilogy in order.

The book after 'Me Before You' is 'After You'. A lot of readers find it the weakest of the three. It suffers from 'middle book syndrome'—it has to deal with the fallout of the explosive first book and set up the third, so it can feel like a transition. That said, it has its moments. Some of the scenes with Lou's family are great, and it deepens her relationship with her sister. It's a quick read, so you might as well try it to form your own opinion.