Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - It Ends with Us

Another CoHo read, so some things aren't new: the character-focused writing, the dramatic (often really predictable) plottwists, the weirdly privileged writing (what is her thing with homelessness? no explicitly named non-white characters, the one non-straight person is VERY stereotypically portrayed, ...), the not-like-other-girls-ness, ...

But, since the topic is quite different than the ones in her other books it was actually quite interesting. While I want to heavily criticise that there are NO TRIGGERWARNINGS whatsoever, her way of fabricating the story makes the reading experience much more emotional. You fall in love with Ryle together with Lily and can feel her struggles. Because I was already spoilered, I looked out for ✨signs✨ and was actually shocked about the amount.

Like... this man had so many red flags! I put a tab on each one and ran out of tabs...

Regarding Atlas:

I mean I liked him very much but my boy just ✨existed✨ and was ✨not a shitty human being✨ and is everybody's favourite bookboyfriend? Talking about the bare minimum... But I guess I can kinda understand the hype bc in contrast to Ryle... 🙃 What I don't see talked enough about though is the fact that he was with Lily when she was a minor??? And he even asked about her age and had only sex with her the night she turned 16...

I think this book received a lot of valid criticism, mostly about it being advertised as a romance book (WHICH IT ISN'T) and the missing TWs. I honestly cannot imagine what it would be like to read this at 15 with no warning... Nowadays it's so much more accessible for younger ppl to see stuff they simply shouldn't be confronted with (alone).
But (especially with CoHo's note at the end and Lily's reflection in the last chapters) it is certainly a way to point out the problems we as a society have with abuse and victim blaming. By putting us readers into Lily's shoes while she's falling in love with Ryle, CoHo showcases the complexity of abusive relationships.

Content Warnings

kshertz's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Any book I read in a day is always going to be a high rating. I couldn’t stop listening. It was compelling. It’s about domestic abuse and falling in love. It’s about trying to break the cycle. It was a thriller romance that I couldn’t stop thinking about and I would classify it as page turner. It’s not a 5.0 because it’s like super super pro babies. 🤪

Content Warnings

siennakt30's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

letsendtheworld's review against another edition

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informative sad medium-paced

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

2.0

The ONLY tolerable colleen hoover book if you ask me lmaooo, and the romanticisation of abuse in this book again<<<<<
Its just not it, CoHo always does this, impressioning young girls that they can "fix" the toxic, abusive guy, she really has no shame. I hate it.
I personally liked the book because the way victims get stuck in the cycle of abuse was VERY realistically showed, the whole back and forth victim goes through in their mind, loving their abuser, simultaneously hating the abuse, confused what to choose and save, the relationship or themselves, its all just very very realistically showed....
The writing style is REALLY cringey, literally like a wattpad fanfic, hated the insta-love trope but that all is fine because it was all intentional (not writing tho, CoHo's writing is just bad in general)
Alsooo HATEDDD how she literally forgave ryle in the end and became friends with him, evn allowing him to be her daughter's father

(like HELLLOOOO HE LITERALLY ALMOST R@PED YOU WHILE YOU WERE PREGNANT, have some fear girl)

so yeah, there's that.
Also Atlas was no "good guy" lolll he isn't evn there to begin with, he is just deliberately portrayed as the "good guy" coz the author (ahem ahem CoHo) wants him to be.
But yeah anyway... read it if you want to know how and why domestic violence victims can't "just leave" and why is it so hard for them to leave.

Content Warnings

thefictionaddict's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Content Warnings

raachreads's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

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