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jacquibear's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, and Pregnancy
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Alcohol
jeanaquinlan's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
I watched the movie recently and really liked it (despite all the drama surrounding it). The book was even better. It kept me interested and engaged, and I felt myself rooting for Lily and Atlas. The Ellen Degeneres subplot was…weird, though. I listened to Colleen Hoover’s authors note, and I applaud her for writing such a deeply personal story about a topic (DV) that often is ignored or downplayed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Gun violence, Grief, and Death of parent
veronyqueso's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
mirasreadingnook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I wasn't planning on reading this book, but between a free copy and the film releasing, I was curious about it. I heard it was somewhat controversial and didn't know what to expect.
I found the writing style easy to read, though it was a little simple and informal for my taste. There were moments where the prose was cliche and corny, though I felt the good intentions of it were there. While an important feature, the use of Ellen Degeneres and Finding Nemo felt a bit dated for today’s readers and I wonder how they addressed this in the film adaptation. And on the topic of Ellen, the letters were a bit long at times and had me yearning to get back to the present timeline.
I appreciated the slow burn of Lily and Ryle in terms of the abuse. Spending much of the novel first exploring their relationship and their love for each other made it so that when he did start to harm her, you could feel her internal conflict.
It Ends with Us is not a book I would usually read, but I am content that I did. The depiction of domestic violence was enlightening to me and gave me some perspective for those in similar situations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide and Blood
kamrynkoble's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
3.5
2024 review:
I’m struggling to rate this. I know I need to bring it down from the five stars 16-year-old Kam originally gave it. There’s so much swirling about this book since I first read it—the coloring book, the nail polish, the movie, the sequel, the movie AGAIN with all the drama on and off set. Needless to say, this book did not fall out of a coconut tree. And that makes it more difficult to assess and honestly enjoy.
Petty complaints: sometimes CoHo’s quirkiness just doesn’t work for me. Ellen’s (especially with the current attitude toward her) prominent presence is…bizarre to me. I physically cringed at the Dory middle name. But whatever.
I think there’s extreme danger in talking about this like any contemporary romance, something that people do both to the book and now the movie (including the actors who should know better!).
I do like how the book was more clear about Ryle’s abuse than the movie, and I preferred Lily’s book internal monologue about deciding what to do. The movie seemed so fuzzy and then boom, she’s leaving and done. The back-and-forth and gray area is what makes this book so impactful. It puts yourself in her shoes and that’s what needs to happen.
I don’t know. I think I’m going to still read the sequel. There’s just so much controversy and drama that I could keep going on and on but I don’t really want to do that right now.
Original 2016 review, 5-star rating:
There have been many books I've had fewer problems with that have received worse ratings from me. This isn't a book that settles well with you, and it's not light entertainment alone. It was actually uncanny how quick and fun this was to read despite the turmoil it puts you through. I'm still sitting here, unsure of how to articulate what I'm thinking about <i>It Ends with Us</i> by Colleen Hoover.
It seems as if there's a little mission here in the review section of this novel to keep the actual subject matter secret. Do I have to comply with this? As the friend who recommended this to me said, it's best going in blind, so therefore it is called The Subject.
The Subject of this book is dark, misunderstood, and quite hush-hush. When it's talked about it (I'm in theater therefore we often have these moment-of-truth conversations about adult life because we're teenagers and don't know how to portray adult life well) you can look around the group and see the horrified expressions of discomfort and dread when it's brought up.
You know what's sad? The character who narrated would discuss misconceptions about those who deal with The Subject, and I had many of the disproved thoughts before reading this. It's changing, so sly in execution yet so impactful.
I was at war myself this whole time. I didn't know what I wanted, and even though I've experienced nothing that the main character has in life, the indecision I felt in my own heart put me directly in her shoes and laced them tight. I've never felt that, and it makes me want to be a better writer. What an achievement - this book is truly remarkable.
Not to mention the cover is so strikingly beautiful and makes even more sense now that I'm done.
Despite all the good, I have to bring up the bad. For the first one hundred or so pages the characters all read like direct archetypes and there were many, many tragic pieces of dialogue that made me physically cringe throughout. Also, I don't know if I've ever read more descriptive "scenes" in my life. If that's not up your ally, you might be scandalized if we're being honest. There's an obsessive reoccurring reference to Ellen that's a bit odd, especially if you don't watch Ellen, but it's not a hindering allusion. Odd, but not hindering.
Now that I've gotten the good, bad, and the ugly out all I want to do is encourage you to read this. It truly is changing.
I’m struggling to rate this. I know I need to bring it down from the five stars 16-year-old Kam originally gave it. There’s so much swirling about this book since I first read it—the coloring book, the nail polish, the movie, the sequel, the movie AGAIN with all the drama on and off set. Needless to say, this book did not fall out of a coconut tree. And that makes it more difficult to assess and honestly enjoy.
Petty complaints: sometimes CoHo’s quirkiness just doesn’t work for me. Ellen’s (especially with the current attitude toward her) prominent presence is…bizarre to me. I physically cringed at the Dory middle name. But whatever.
I think there’s extreme danger in talking about this like any contemporary romance, something that people do both to the book and now the movie (including the actors who should know better!).
I do like how the book was more clear about Ryle’s abuse than the movie, and I preferred Lily’s book internal monologue about deciding what to do. The movie seemed so fuzzy and then boom, she’s leaving and done. The back-and-forth and gray area is what makes this book so impactful. It puts yourself in her shoes and that’s what needs to happen.
I don’t know. I think I’m going to still read the sequel. There’s just so much controversy and drama that I could keep going on and on but I don’t really want to do that right now.
Original 2016 review, 5-star rating:
There have been many books I've had fewer problems with that have received worse ratings from me. This isn't a book that settles well with you, and it's not light entertainment alone. It was actually uncanny how quick and fun this was to read despite the turmoil it puts you through. I'm still sitting here, unsure of how to articulate what I'm thinking about <i>It Ends with Us</i> by Colleen Hoover.
It seems as if there's a little mission here in the review section of this novel to keep the actual subject matter secret. Do I have to comply with this? As the friend who recommended this to me said, it's best going in blind, so therefore it is called The Subject.
The Subject of this book is dark, misunderstood, and quite hush-hush. When it's talked about it (I'm in theater therefore we often have these moment-of-truth conversations about adult life because we're teenagers and don't know how to portray adult life well) you can look around the group and see the horrified expressions of discomfort and dread when it's brought up.
You know what's sad? The character who narrated would discuss misconceptions about those who deal with The Subject, and I had many of the disproved thoughts before reading this. It's changing, so sly in execution yet so impactful.
I was at war myself this whole time. I didn't know what I wanted, and even though I've experienced nothing that the main character has in life, the indecision I felt in my own heart put me directly in her shoes and laced them tight. I've never felt that, and it makes me want to be a better writer. What an achievement - this book is truly remarkable.
Not to mention the cover is so strikingly beautiful and makes even more sense now that I'm done.
Despite all the good, I have to bring up the bad. For the first one hundred or so pages the characters all read like direct archetypes and there were many, many tragic pieces of dialogue that made me physically cringe throughout. Also, I don't know if I've ever read more descriptive "scenes" in my life. If that's not up your ally, you might be scandalized if we're being honest. There's an obsessive reoccurring reference to Ellen that's a bit odd, especially if you don't watch Ellen, but it's not a hindering allusion. Odd, but not hindering.
Now that I've gotten the good, bad, and the ugly out all I want to do is encourage you to read this. It truly is changing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent
krissduhh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Re-read in preparation of the movie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Cursing
emileemaree's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Gun violence, Infertility, and Abandonment
spacetoread's review against another edition
2.0
i simply would not happily leave my infant with the man who tried to r*pe me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Gun violence
skyebrary's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? No
4.0
Happily surprised to like this book. Admittedly I took me longer than I prefer to become invested in the story (~40%) but I’m glad I stuck with it.
I loved the way Colleen Hoover told Lily’s story and foiled it against her mother’s. I loved the emphasis that life is not black and white and you truly don’t know how you will handle a situation until you are in it. I find that to be a very valuable life lesson.
Lily and Ryle’s story is tragic. Ryle is tragic. The story about his brother broke me. At times, I wanted them to work it out. But I love that Lily made the decision to leave him and that she did it for her daughter.
I loved that “it ends with us” ended up being about Lily and Emerson. That was beautiful.
Will definitely read the next!
⭐️ Favorite Quotes ⭐️
“[…] no matter how convinced you are that your life will turn out a certain way, all that certainty can be washed away with a simple change in tide.”
“Life is a funny thing. We only get so many years to live it, so we have to do everything we can to make sure those years are as full as they can be.”
“It stop here. With me and you. It ends with us.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Self harm, and Violence
anethamroziova's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
2.75
Lily's story is a great example of how a relationship with an abuser can work and a realistic portrayal of domestic abuse. Of course, every abusive relationship is different and manifests in various ways—there are many types of abuse like economic, physical, verbal and so on. I also really liked Lily's internal struggle—it shows how hard it can be to leave such a relationship because it’s just not as simple as it might seem. It’s not black and white, as the author mentions in the author's note.
As for Ryle, I’m really glad Lily decided not to stay with him, because if she had… just no, I don’t want to think about that. Ryle mentions he’s been in therapy, but it doesn’t seem to be working. It’s not his excuse for his behaviour, it’s his reality... right, so he’s basically excusing it. Why doesn’t he try a different therapist or take an anger management course? There are so many other options than physically abusing someone you love.
When it comes to Atlas, I have to admit that his character was probably the only one portrayed with at least some depth. Given that he was 18 and Lily was 16 when they had a romantic relationship, I think the age difference is fine. Atlas may be legally an adult, but he's still just a high school kid. If he were 20+, it would be a different story. Remember what you were like at 18—not exactly fully mature, right?
The theme was handled well, but overall, it felt underdeveloped. I think the author could’ve gone deeper into the issues and characters. A lot of thoughts were introduced but not fully explored, even though there was potential.
Now, onto the marketing… Pink is a colour that usually suggests romance, making you think this is a nice, light romantic read. But in this case, it’s misleading. There are no trigger warnings, which would’ve been helpful since the blurb doesn't give any hint about the serious topics inside. On top of that CoHo decided to release a colouring book inspired by the story (which was eventually cancelled after backlash on social media), and she also launched a collection of nail polishes inspired by this book and her other novels. Which, honestly, is quite distasteful…
I’m also frustrated and disappointed that Blake Lively, Colleen Hoover and other actors are promoting the movie based on this novel as a cute romantic comedy, barely addressing the important theme of domestic abuse. The only person who openly talks about it is Justin Baldoni, and I’m really grateful for that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Child death and Gun violence