Reviews with content warning for Rape - It Ends with Us

I have put off reading this book for over four years because friends that read it told me it contains topics surrounding rape and domestic abuse. This is something I didn’t think I could face reading after coming out of a horrific relationship, and I’m so glad I left it until now.

I absolutely loved this book.

If you have experienced domestic abuse this book really shows how hard it can be to leave someone even if they do truly horrific things. I resonated with Lilly’s character so much and I felt the heartbreak she felt so clearly.

I also loved the way it was written - I enjoyed how the story developed and the diary extracts throughout. Atlas’ story was equally heartbreaking and in a way I wish I could of read more about him - maybe that’s what the sequel to this book is about?

Initially I was going to rate this a 4.5 as some of the writing was poor and I found myself getting frustrated with how forgiving Lily was, but this just shows what it’s like looking in from the outside at an abusive relationship. The way the book ended made it 5 stars.

I’m kind of at a loss for words in terms of how much I loved this book and I can’t really review it with words that give it justice.

Highly highly highly recommend reading.

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alexiaruiz's review

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dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I usually write my reviews for books right away, but I needed a few days to process how I felt about this book. I heard a lot of mixed reviews about Colleen Hoover before reading this, so didn't know what to expect when reading this book. I honestly still can't decide how to feel.

Right from the beginning I did not like Ryle. Absolutely hate violent men, and it was a red flag right away when he threw the chair on the roof. Can't stand Ryle he literally sucks, and I hate that there are so many scenes of Lily trying to rationalize his behavior. Also, Lily and Ryle's relationship seemed to be entirely based on physical attraction. I was not ever convinced that they had a real connection. Also him begging for her to sleep with him made me nauseous. I have never been in an abusive situation, so it was interesting to see what thoughts were going through her head about all of it, but it still felt icky. I loved Lily and her flower shop, definitely thought that was cute. I also really loved Alyssa. Now, I loved Atlas, but why did Colleen have to give them an icky age gap. Like she was 15 and he was 18, I hated that aspect. I just pretended they were the same age in my head, because it literally had nothing to do with the story that he was older. Somehow the best parts of this book were also simultaneously the worst. I am referring to the letters to Ellen about Atlas. The letters were so cute and sweet, and I really loved reading about Atlas and Lily's relationship. But, why did she have to write to Ellen DeGeneres, like be so for real. Literally made me cringe every time I saw Ellen's name. Also, the scene where Lily talks about being turned on while covered in cow manure... WHY!! Like literally why? So unnecessary and made me uncomfortable, and there was NO REASON to even include that! Don't even get me started on the fact that her daughter's middle name is Dory. Bye. Also, why are we letting Ryle see his daughter unsupervised after knowing how abusive he is? The abusive and rape scenes were really hard to read. Also, why does Colleen Hoover time-jump in every single chapter. Something so juicy would happen and the next page jumps to months in the future. Typing all of this is making me regret giving it 3 stars. Even though I just complained about the time jumps, I was happy that this book was fast-paced, because it made it a quick and easy read. I was very invested in the book from start to finish, despite the hate I just gave it. I enjoyed that Lily ended up with her daughter and Atlas. Overall decent book, still not sure if I want to read the next one.

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