It Ends with Us Book Review

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Title: It Ends with Us
Author: Colleen Hoover
Type: Fiction
Published: 2016
Pages: 373
TW: Domestic Violence, Homelessness, Violence, Assault, Death, Gun Violence, Manipulative Behaviour, Attempted Rape
Like I said, this book is everywhere so it’s safe to say it was extremely hyped and so many people had declared it basically the best book ever written. I love romance a lot, and while this falls into the darker side of the genre, the elements characteristic of the genre within it (first encounters, kisses, and hot, passionate sex) certainly fulfil everything a good romance should.
You can probably tell from the trigger warnings, but this book is extremely triggering and in places, shocking. Despite this however where I thought Hoover was particularly triumphant was in how she made Lily a strong and defiant character throughout. She experiences a lot of turmoil when faced with difficult decisions, but ultimately her ability to make good and healthy decisions are what made her so formidable. It’s hard to discuss in detail without spoiling, but her justifications for her actions made me want to bow down to her.
That all being said, I’m not saying this book should be a manual for getting out of difficult or abusive circumstances. Every single character in this book is flawed, just as we all are, and Hoover uses this narrative to reiterate the idea that everyone makes bad decisions from time-to-time: “There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things”. This shouldn’t be used to justify the awful acts we see committed in this book, but rather give us a deeper understanding of how these situations arise. Something again I think Hoover did beautifully.

It Ends With Us is the sensational book by Colleen Hoover that just about ~everyone~ seems to be talking about. Following Lily as she meets Ryle, a successful, playfully arrogant, and charming neurosurgeon, she is excited that he may finally be the one that she can be with. As she navigates the new relationship, she reminisces about her first love Atlas – a boy who found his way into her life when he found himself in a heart-breaking situation and she was seemingly the only one willing to look out for him. But when Atlas reappears in Lily’s present life, she’s torn between two of them. And the three of them together present one precarious situation…