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smileydmd's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I was done with this book at about page 25. It never got better and I was thoroughly frustrated by the end. Thank goodness I borrowed this from the library and didn't spend any of my own money on it.
I wanted to give this book the benefit of the doubt and read it for myself, but I had a feeling going into it that I wasn't going to like this after reading other reviews, and after reading the book for myself, boy was I correct.
I had many issues with this book, most of which have been outlined in a detailed review by Whitney Atkinson. A lot of it is Ben's behavior, which is not acceptable in any way, shape, or form.
I wanted to give this book the benefit of the doubt and read it for myself, but I had a feeling going into it that I wasn't going to like this after reading other reviews, and after reading the book for myself, boy was I correct.
I had many issues with this book, most of which have been outlined in a detailed review by Whitney Atkinson. A lot of it is Ben's behavior, which is not acceptable in any way, shape, or form.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Cancer
fluture's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
4.0
Though the plot somewhat predictable, the turns in several tremendous events successfully added enough drama to it which made the story more compelling to be read. Overall, it's a light read and page turning book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Cancer, and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, Death, Sexual content, Abandonment, Hate crime, and Misogyny
Minor: Cursing, Gun violence, Violence, Alcohol, Bullying, Blood, Stalking, Car accident, Dysphoria, and Sexual harassment
karsgm's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.5
Horrible book, so problematic and full of red flags from both characters. This book should have a lower rating because of its content.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicide
This book is bullshitbbopslikestoread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
š¤®š¤®š¤® I literally cannot deal with people romanticizing Ben. He is UNBELIEVABLY toxic and controlling. Has a huge savior complex and has some very serious issues. I honestly feels so bad for Fallon. Iām really not sure how anyone can read this book and think itās cute and romantic. Itās not. Throwing this book away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, and Fire/Fire injury
jokehelldo's review against another edition
-1000000/5 stars. Please, delete this book.
Are you trying to tell me that the book about
*Cough*
Abuse, sexual assault, gaslighting, stalking, scar (that are you falt) fetishizing, dead-brother-wife-who-you-see-as-your-sister fucking, marking people who attend suicide as āattention seekersā and much, much more shit is a āromance bookā?
You must be joking
Are you trying to tell me that the book about
*Cough*
Abuse, sexual assault, gaslighting, stalking, scar (that are you falt) fetishizing, dead-brother-wife-who-you-see-as-your-sister fucking, marking people who attend suicide as āattention seekersā and much, much more shit is a āromance bookā?
You must be joking
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Physical abuse
bluebellvine's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Violence, Racism, and Sexism
dwon_reads_a_lot's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
WOW!! This book was absolutely toxic from the first chapter to the last. As my first Colleen Hoover book, it has left a very bad taste in my mouth. If this is how she writes her male characters as toxic, misogynistic assholes, and the female characters letting them walk all over them and being forgiving for their horrible and blatant mental and in this book physical abusive behavior; this needs to be the first and last of her books that I ever read.
Honestly, after everything that happened to piss me off about Ben and his totally inappropriate behavior and mental degradement of Fallon, the plot twist wasn't that surprising. But Hoover's completion of Fallon's complete boundaryless personality by her forgiveness of Ben just put a nail in the coffin of this so-called "romance" novel.
Honestly, after everything that happened to piss me off about Ben and his totally inappropriate behavior and mental degradement of Fallon, the plot twist wasn't that surprising. But Hoover's completion of Fallon's complete boundaryless personality by her forgiveness of Ben just put a nail in the coffin of this so-called "romance" novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Misogyny
ladieswholunch's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Horrifying and toxic! The worst male love interest I think I have ever read. I seriously cannot believe this was written by a woman!! Thereās just no way šš
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Misogyny, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexism, Cancer, Sexual content, and Car accident
Minor: Pregnancy
Iād argue thereās dubious consent and definite manipulationvereadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
āIt took four years for me to fall in love with him. It only took four pages to stop.ā
I don't understand why this book is so loved by readers.
Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallonās last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.
āFucking beautiful,ā I whisper.
She smiles and then ducks her head. āI feel stupid.ā
āI barely know you, so Iām not about to argue with you over your level of intelligence, because you could very well be as dumb as a rock. But at least youāre pretty.ā
Ben and Fallon's relationship is so troubled that I don't know where to begin.
Fallon suffered an accident when she was sixteen that ended her acting career. Her father's house caught fire, and she was inside it. The burns left scars on her body and her face. So she has low self-esteem and is very insecure about her body.
āBecause I could tell with that one simple movement that you were really insecure. And I realizedāsince you obviously had no idea how fucking beautiful you wereāthat I just might actually have a chance with you. And so I smiled. Because I was hoping if I played my cards rightāI might get to find out exactly what kind of panties you were wearing under those jeans.ā
But her insecurities disappear the moment that Ben tells her she's beautiful. I have a hard time accepting that a woman's insecurities about her body vanish just because a man says so. It is a bad example for young people to establish that one's confidence is given by the look of a man.
From the moment Ben crosses paths with Fallon, he shows signs of toxic masculinity. He is the one who introduces himself as her boyfriend without her consent. He invades her personal space to "defend" her from her asshole father because he thinks she needs to be saved.
Despite meeting her only hours before, he makes comments about what color underwear Fallon wears. He also wonders if she does or doesn't go commando.
āIf you're packing underwear, that means you don't go commando. So by process of elimination, I've figured out that you're currently wearing a thong. Now I just have to find out what color it isā
He dares to tell her how to dress. We have to remember that they just met.
āI'm paying for dinner, so I get to choose what to stare at while we eat.ā
Ben asks her to wear a dress that Fallon doesn't feel comfortable in. But, he ignores her refusal and decides to undress her and put on the dress that he wants her to wear. At this point, She is crying and clearly does not feel comfortable with the situation.
āMy stomach clenches when his hands meet the top of my jeans. This is going too far. Too far, too far, too far, but all I can do is suck in a wild breath and let his finger pop open the bottom on my jeans, because as much as I wish he would stop.ā
This is a huge red flag for me.
After having sex for the first time, Fallon says she feels like she lost something.
āI'm not sure if sex is supposed to make you feel like you've just lost a part of yourself to the person inside you, but that's exactly what I felt like.ā
No sexual encounter should feel like this. Never.
Ben is a psychopath, stalker, and manipulator. We later find out that he causes the fire where Fallon suffers her burns. It's hard for me not to think about how sick and twisted this is. He is obsessed with seeing Fallon's scars and enjoys touching and admiring her scars. It's all so twisted that I can't believe Colleen Hoover published this book.
She romantizides suicide. She presents it as an act of kindness and love. Giving that message seems disrespectful. She says that suicide is better than fighting cancer. This message is disrespectful to those who have battled or are still battling cancer. And also to those who have lost someone because of suicide.
āBut either way, I'm going to be dead before you turn seventeen. At least this way, it will be quick and easy. You can call 911, they'll take away my body, and it'll be over in less than a few hours. A few hours for me to die and be removed from the house is so much better than the several months it could potentially take for the cancer to do its job.ā
In the end, Fallon and psycho Ben end up together, although he was the cause of the fire.
I know that this story is fiction and that this romance is not healthy and should not be considered as an example. But many people can take this story as something normal and healthy when it is not. Authors should be more responsible for how they write this kind of story. They should highlight and condemn misconduct and not romanticize it.
It saddens me to know that an author who has written a book as It ends with us has also written this book.
I don't understand why this book is so loved by readers.
Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallonās last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.
āFucking beautiful,ā I whisper.
She smiles and then ducks her head. āI feel stupid.ā
āI barely know you, so Iām not about to argue with you over your level of intelligence, because you could very well be as dumb as a rock. But at least youāre pretty.ā
Ben and Fallon's relationship is so troubled that I don't know where to begin.
Fallon suffered an accident when she was sixteen that ended her acting career. Her father's house caught fire, and she was inside it. The burns left scars on her body and her face. So she has low self-esteem and is very insecure about her body.
āBecause I could tell with that one simple movement that you were really insecure. And I realizedāsince you obviously had no idea how fucking beautiful you wereāthat I just might actually have a chance with you. And so I smiled. Because I was hoping if I played my cards rightāI might get to find out exactly what kind of panties you were wearing under those jeans.ā
But her insecurities disappear the moment that Ben tells her she's beautiful. I have a hard time accepting that a woman's insecurities about her body vanish just because a man says so. It is a bad example for young people to establish that one's confidence is given by the look of a man.
From the moment Ben crosses paths with Fallon, he shows signs of toxic masculinity. He is the one who introduces himself as her boyfriend without her consent. He invades her personal space to "defend" her from her asshole father because he thinks she needs to be saved.
Despite meeting her only hours before, he makes comments about what color underwear Fallon wears. He also wonders if she does or doesn't go commando.
āIf you're packing underwear, that means you don't go commando. So by process of elimination, I've figured out that you're currently wearing a thong. Now I just have to find out what color it isā
He dares to tell her how to dress. We have to remember that they just met.
āI'm paying for dinner, so I get to choose what to stare at while we eat.ā
Ben asks her to wear a dress that Fallon doesn't feel comfortable in. But, he ignores her refusal and decides to undress her and put on the dress that he wants her to wear. At this point, She is crying and clearly does not feel comfortable with the situation.
āMy stomach clenches when his hands meet the top of my jeans. This is going too far. Too far, too far, too far, but all I can do is suck in a wild breath and let his finger pop open the bottom on my jeans, because as much as I wish he would stop.ā
This is a huge red flag for me.
After having sex for the first time, Fallon says she feels like she lost something.
āI'm not sure if sex is supposed to make you feel like you've just lost a part of yourself to the person inside you, but that's exactly what I felt like.ā
No sexual encounter should feel like this. Never.
Ben is a psychopath, stalker, and manipulator. We later find out that he causes the fire where Fallon suffers her burns. It's hard for me not to think about how sick and twisted this is. He is obsessed with seeing Fallon's scars and enjoys touching and admiring her scars. It's all so twisted that I can't believe Colleen Hoover published this book.
She romantizides suicide. She presents it as an act of kindness and love. Giving that message seems disrespectful. She says that suicide is better than fighting cancer. This message is disrespectful to those who have battled or are still battling cancer. And also to those who have lost someone because of suicide.
āBut either way, I'm going to be dead before you turn seventeen. At least this way, it will be quick and easy. You can call 911, they'll take away my body, and it'll be over in less than a few hours. A few hours for me to die and be removed from the house is so much better than the several months it could potentially take for the cancer to do its job.ā
In the end, Fallon and psycho Ben end up together, although he was the cause of the fire.
I know that this story is fiction and that this romance is not healthy and should not be considered as an example. But many people can take this story as something normal and healthy when it is not. Authors should be more responsible for how they write this kind of story. They should highlight and condemn misconduct and not romanticize it.
It saddens me to know that an author who has written a book as It ends with us has also written this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Car accident, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Death, Emotional abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, Grief, Gun violence, Death of parent, Death, Infidelity, and Cancer
jessiahmarielle's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Listen..... I love CoHo books as much as the next person but... What the hell did I just read?
There is so much misogyny weaved into this book, disguised as love, concern and affection. This book had me screaming out loud that no means no. The objectification of women is so strong in this one, so I would avoid it if I were you. That's why I'm also confused why the reviews are so high.
Was I supposed to find it romantic that the first few thoughts Ben had when looking at Fallon was what panties she had on? Whether she was going commando? That he had mentally undressed her just because he was curious? That he ACTUALLY undressed her just to see her scars when she was clearly uncomfortable in the situation and described as having tears in her eyes, shaking, etc. How am I supposed to root for a relationship where 3 hours in from meeting her, he's already telling her how to dress because he's pAyiNg fOr tHe meAl. He fetishises her scars, and I'm supposed to like him?
Like what you want in this book, but you can't brush over the questionable behaviour Ben shows during the relationship. A lot of it is non-consensual and totally inappropriate, so I don't understand all the praises being sung about this book.
I love Colleen Hoover's books. Truly, two of them have made it onto my favourites pile and I know I'll find myself thinking about them dearly in years to come. But this... This makes me want to boycott her other books because I just don't know what to expect anymore.
Overall, I fell in love with the premise of this book but was vastly disappointed.The only reason why I'm giving this a 1.25 is because of the plot twist at the end, which was refreshing to see. And it almost had me celebrating that Fallon would leave Ben. But I was sadly mistaken.
There is so much misogyny weaved into this book, disguised as love, concern and affection. This book had me screaming out loud that no means no. The objectification of women is so strong in this one, so I would avoid it if I were you. That's why I'm also confused why the reviews are so high.
Was I supposed to find it romantic that the first few thoughts Ben had when looking at Fallon was what panties she had on? Whether she was going commando? That he had mentally undressed her just because he was curious? That he ACTUALLY undressed her just to see her scars when she was clearly uncomfortable in the situation and described as having tears in her eyes, shaking, etc. How am I supposed to root for a relationship where 3 hours in from meeting her, he's already telling her how to dress because he's pAyiNg fOr tHe meAl. He fetishises her scars, and I'm supposed to like him?
Like what you want in this book, but you can't brush over the questionable behaviour Ben shows during the relationship. A lot of it is non-consensual and totally inappropriate, so I don't understand all the praises being sung about this book.
I love Colleen Hoover's books. Truly, two of them have made it onto my favourites pile and I know I'll find myself thinking about them dearly in years to come. But this... This makes me want to boycott her other books because I just don't know what to expect anymore.
Overall, I fell in love with the premise of this book but was vastly disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Rape