Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

33 reviews

amissabellator's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Self harm, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Mental illness, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit, Death of parent, Homophobia, Infidelity, Medical content, and Stalking

This story builds up and then follows an incredibly tense and detailed toxic

and ultimately abusive

relationship. The book also includes graphic depictions of sexual assault and domestic abuse, so be wary. Following the tropes of many romance novels, it includes depictions of sex and pregnancy - including following two prominent characters throughout their pregnancies. A character also acts very jealously and possessively, even accusing their partner of infidelity on multiple occasions

and acts violently because of it

. A separate, but important, plotline follows the main character as she recounts her past with a previous high school lover, Atlas, who was homeless at the time.

Both characters graphically recount the domestic abuse suffered by their parents and themselves.

One of the main characters is also subtly implied to be suffering from a mental illness as the result of a traumatic childhood event involving gun violence (graphically described), and said illness is suspected to be the cause of current emotional dysfunction. A minor character follows the stereotypical trope of the gay best friend (and only exists in a single chapter).

former_nonreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Cursing, Blood, Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, and Injury/Injury detail

celina_2604's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Sexism

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Pregnancy, Stalking, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

lilybear3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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? Yes

0.25

 

**This is the first and only book of Colleen Hoover’s that I will read, due to problems surrounding her son’s harassment to a minor, her response to that, and her romanticizing abuse in her writing.  If you’d like more information, I encourage you to research.  I picked up this book at the library (no money given) so I could formulate my own opinion about a book and author that skyrocketed in popularity.  Hopefully, I wrote this review in a way that is understandable.

Into the review: 

I rarely take notes while reading books, but this one was so terrible, I almost did a page-by-page commentary because I couldn’t believe what I was reading. 

The names in this book are just wild.  Lily Blossom Bloom? Ryle?

Emerson Dory?? TF<spoiler/> 

The writing is bad for a number of reasons.  I’m so confused by the choice of randomly italicized sentences.  The story is told in first person, so it’s already an internal monologue!  It will be going relatively well and then Hoover drops a sentence that just takes you out of it. There are also unrealistic things that happen, like

they very last-minute wake everyone up to take a midnight flight to vegas.  I guess anything is possible when you make rich characters.

I felt like this was (and is) written for straight white people who think certain scenarios or dialogue are romantic when they’re actually cringy. 

About 130 pages in, something finally happens, but it is the dumbest scene I have ever read. 

there is no way Ryle was that drunk to grab a pan out the oven with no oven mitt. Secondly, why are they having sex WHILE HIS HAND IS BLEEDING A LOT? I don’t understand because he’s a SURGEON.

 

Talking about characters

As far as characters go, everyone in this book is unbearable, except for her mom at Atlas.  While Atlas is sort of written with a savior complex, it is completely forgivable due to how much I hated Lily, Ryle, and Allysa.  Best Atlas quote: “it wasn’t pity sex, I know I was there.” 

I hate miscommunication. There isn’t really the miscommunication trope, it’s that realistically, you would talk with your partner about having kids, moving in, etc. BEFORE marrying. 

Told in Lily’s perspective, it was difficult to read in that I had no idea why she was doing or saying the things she did.  She redeemed herself a little and I even felt proud of her for a moment, then continued to disappoint me.  The best chapter of the books is when Lily asks for help from her mother, her mother is affirming and supportive 

The ending: 

The epilogue ties up loose ends but leaves it open for a sequel with her new relationship with Atlas. I’m confused that she didn’t want her daughter to be around Ryle and his temper but is letter her have time with him?

This is a general statement, but I wanted more Atlas in this book, he just disappeared in the last 1/3 of the book. 

Final thoughts:  @thecalvinbooks on TikTok said it best, Colleen Hoover books are for people who don't read, they're not written well.  People who are getting into reading shouldn't read them because they won't want to read anything that isn't this type of writing. 

Reading articles on my own, I know Colleen Hoover is problematic in that some of her books are marketed as romance even though there are abusive relationships and abuse scenes.  One article wrote that typically romance novels are based around consent, Hoover romanticized abuse and homelessness in this book.  I also feel like the abuse scenes were used for shock and propelled the story, leaving readers on edge to see what happens next, I won't lie, I felt this myself.  She has a savior complex with her stories where a man will come and save the woman in distress and there is no representation whatsoever.  It is a book written by a white woman, for white women.

The author’s note outlines that this story was based on her experience watching her father abuse her mother. She says it was hard to write,

making Ryle (a character she loved) be abusive and Lily (also loved) continue to stay

, writing how hard it is the break the cycle of abuse and why victims stay. There are two resources for domestic violence and homelessness listed in the back of the book. 

While I can sympathize with her experience and know that versions of Lily and Ryle’s relationship exist in the real world, I cannot recommend this book to people without sharing all of the trigger warnings, which should have been in the beginning of this book.  Periodically, she has a monologue on abusive relationships, why some victims choose to stay, and why the cycle of abuse is hard to break.  I appreciated it at times, but it did not make up for the fact that this book was propelled by those triggering scenes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Sexual content, Violence, Abandonment, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Medical content, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, and Stalking

Minor: Sexual assault, Death, Infidelity, Rape, and Death of parent

akumi's review against another edition

emotional 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? No

1.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Death of parent, Infertility, Medical content, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Rape

gabriella_'s review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

I was not the biggest fan of the delivery - the dialogue feels inorganic, plot points are very predictable (which may be part of the point but left little surprise), and some of the writing beyond dialogue didn’t vibe with me. I will say though - it was absolutely a satisfying read. Her writing had a good flow, the chapters were short and manageable, and the story felt like a rollercoaster. It kept my interest (though it was a rough start).

The relationship was unhealthy, but that was the point. I think it adequately showed how difficult it can be to leave a situation like Lily’s - and how powerful and difficult it is to leave. Her conversation with her mother had me choked up.

This is by far my favorite Colleen Hoover book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual content, Stalking, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Medical content, Misogyny, and Pregnancy

lomis's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Stalking, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Stalking and Pregnancy

trishnasaha's review against another edition

fast-paced

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Toxic relationship, and Rape

Moderate: Murder, Death of parent, and Stalking

Minor: Pregnancy

5_nbx1328's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is going to stick with you forever, you will cry with it, smile with it and end with it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Stalking

Moderate: Cursing and Sexual assault

Minor: Death of parent

ladieswholunch's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

2.0

I appreciate what CoHo is trying to do here, but I don’t think it’s executed well at all. Even the parts that are meant to be romantic and cute are wholly uncomfortable or downright gross. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual assault, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Rape