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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.75 stars
The movie is releasing soon, and I wanted to be a part of the discourse. Online, I heard the general disapproval for this novel regarding the romanticization of domestic violence.
IMO, I do not believe this novel romanticizes domestic violence. I think it cautiously investigated Lily's emotions and logic at the confluence of romantic love and domestic abuse. It dissected the "Why didn't she just leave?" mentality and unpacked the complex emotions that stem from receiving abuse from someone you love. I don't believe a plot that involves domestic abuse inherently romanticizes it. Nor do I believe the eventual happiness of an abusive character inherently excuses their violence.
That was the biggest point of online controversy: Ryle's ending. I understand Ryle's ending was a direct reflection of Colleen Hoover's dad. As outsiders, while we may not like to see abusers continue some form of relationship with survivors (e.g., co-parenting relationships), survivors of domestic violence with children should have the agency to establish boundaries between the abuser and their child.
That being said, since Lily allowed Ryle to build a connection with their daughter, Emerson, (at times unsupervised), we as readers should've been reassured that Ryle received treatment to prevent an episode in the presence of his daughter. It weakened the impact of the novel's message that we must find courage to make difficult but necessary decisions to break the cycle of violence. Although Lily was courageous in her decision to leave the relationship, we aren't certain the cycle was broken with her daughter because Ryle's treatment wasn't acknowledged.
There were other small aspects of the book I didn't fully love. I felt that some of Hoover's plot devices were primarily used to entertain and not inform. I sympathized for Atlas's adolescence, but his character reduced the story to a love triangle. He was my favorite character, but the integrity of the story could've been maintained without him. A story involving trauma should not feel like entertainment.
On that note, if Hoover felt the need to utilize Atlas as the antithesis of Ryle, the romance between Lily and Atlas flourished without sex between an 18 year-old Atlas and a 15 year-old Lily. I think Hoover implemented their sex to increase the stakes, but it only cheapened my perception of him.
Overall, I think the novel did well with its intent to explore how childhood experiences and witnessing domestic violence can shape a person's future relationships and self-perception. And for that reason, I'm giving it 4 stars.
The movie is releasing soon, and I wanted to be a part of the discourse. Online, I heard the general disapproval for this novel regarding the romanticization of domestic violence.
IMO, I do not believe this novel romanticizes domestic violence. I think it cautiously investigated Lily's emotions and logic at the confluence of romantic love and domestic abuse. It dissected the "Why didn't she just leave?" mentality and unpacked the complex emotions that stem from receiving abuse from someone you love. I don't believe a plot that involves domestic abuse inherently romanticizes it. Nor do I believe the eventual happiness of an abusive character inherently excuses their violence.
That was the biggest point of online controversy: Ryle's ending. I understand Ryle's ending was a direct reflection of Colleen Hoover's dad. As outsiders, while we may not like to see abusers continue some form of relationship with survivors (e.g., co-parenting relationships), survivors of domestic violence with children should have the agency to establish boundaries between the abuser and their child.
That being said, since Lily allowed Ryle to build a connection with their daughter, Emerson, (at times unsupervised), we as readers should've been reassured that Ryle received treatment to prevent an episode in the presence of his daughter. It weakened the impact of the novel's message that we must find courage to make difficult but necessary decisions to break the cycle of violence. Although Lily was courageous in her decision to leave the relationship, we aren't certain the cycle was broken with her daughter because Ryle's treatment wasn't acknowledged.
There were other small aspects of the book I didn't fully love. I felt that some of Hoover's plot devices were primarily used to entertain and not inform. I sympathized for Atlas's adolescence, but his character reduced the story to a love triangle. He was my favorite character, but the integrity of the story could've been maintained without him. A story involving trauma should not feel like entertainment.
On that note, if Hoover felt the need to utilize Atlas as the antithesis of Ryle, the romance between Lily and Atlas flourished without sex between an 18 year-old Atlas and a 15 year-old Lily. I think Hoover implemented their sex to increase the stakes, but it only cheapened my perception of him.
Overall, I think the novel did well with its intent to explore how childhood experiences and witnessing domestic violence can shape a person's future relationships and self-perception. And for that reason, I'm giving it 4 stars.
emotional
tense
fast-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
The story was pretty awful and made me sad and angry. Lily is so stupid of staying with Ryle for so long. I knew that she would end up with Atlas instead. He is the better choice. And Ryle’s excuse for hitting her was full of shit.
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As someone who is young (18) and inexperienced with relationships, I am so glad I read this! I've always told myself I would never let myself stay in an abusive relationship but this book had me wanting to give second chances! It put me right in that mindset and made me understand how easy it is to get caught in an abusive pattern. This book was so much more than a simple romance, and it was written so well! 5 stars read!
I’m not sure how I feel about this book. It was very readable, but the presentation of the abusive relationship at the centre of the story isn’t sitting well with me. It may present what the author thinks to be a real and raw description of the complexities of emotions in an abusive relationship, but I’m not sure we need a story that glamorizes the abuser. I’m not sure this book does that, but I am left unsettled.