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izabzh 's review for:
It Ends with Us
by Colleen Hoover
Many, many years ago, I picked up a Colleen Hoover novel because she was all the rage and I wanted to find out why. I enjoyed the first part, the friendship between the main characters, but not the rest (I can't even remember the title of that novel). So I gave up on Colleen Hoover.
Several years later, she's still there ! I tried reading Verity because it was a mystery/thriller and absolutely loved it, so I gave her another try.
I know there was a debate about "It ends with us" because of the subject and the way it was treated, so I'll state this first : it is *A* story, it does not reflect all the stories about all the women that are abused. I treated it as such. As I researched a little, I saw that Colleen Hoover had her own parents in mind when she wrote this, so again, it is about one story, it's not universal. I also have a small background with women abuse : my mother worked in a home for abused children and women, we work with such a shelter at my library and sadly, I had a friend who was abused by her husband (it didn't resolve quickly, long story, but she finally, finally left him, phew !). I'm not saying I'm a specialist, just that I heard several real life stories and yes, people don't always react the way they are supposed to, it's human and there are circumstances that outsiders don't even think about. To all the people who think "Why didn't they leave that man ?", there are books about that, please inform yourself. If you don't, well, then read this novel at least. As Lily says : "People spend so much time wondering why the women don't leave. Where are all the people who wonder why the men are even abusive ? Isn't that where the only blame should be placed ?"
To be honest, I wouldn't have fallen for Ryle (the abusive husband) in the first place, too assertive, sad background or not. But hey, I'm old and Lily was young, I guess he had his charm and people are not perfect. Which is part of why I loved this book : it's practically realistic. What Lily felt, others have felt. "He only hit me once, he was overwhelmed at the moment, he won't do it again, he has reasons that I understand even if I don't approve", all that stuff. To be in love and to be mistreated by that person that you love more than anyone else, repeating your parents' history even if you swore yourself you wouldn't, it has to be a shock. Please read the afterword by the author, you will understand the angle she has chosen - considering the children and parenthood. By the way, this novel felt more like a woman's fiction than a New Adult book. I loved the way Lily's strength grew... and bloomed (sorry !).
I loved this book so much that I picked "It starts with us", even if I usually don't read the same story by another point of view. I'm just curious, I didn't read much about it, I'm going in blind. It's on my physical TBR pile.
Several years later, she's still there ! I tried reading Verity because it was a mystery/thriller and absolutely loved it, so I gave her another try.
I know there was a debate about "It ends with us" because of the subject and the way it was treated, so I'll state this first : it is *A* story, it does not reflect all the stories about all the women that are abused. I treated it as such. As I researched a little, I saw that Colleen Hoover had her own parents in mind when she wrote this, so again, it is about one story, it's not universal. I also have a small background with women abuse : my mother worked in a home for abused children and women, we work with such a shelter at my library and sadly, I had a friend who was abused by her husband (it didn't resolve quickly, long story, but she finally, finally left him, phew !). I'm not saying I'm a specialist, just that I heard several real life stories and yes, people don't always react the way they are supposed to, it's human and there are circumstances that outsiders don't even think about. To all the people who think "Why didn't they leave that man ?", there are books about that, please inform yourself. If you don't, well, then read this novel at least. As Lily says : "People spend so much time wondering why the women don't leave. Where are all the people who wonder why the men are even abusive ? Isn't that where the only blame should be placed ?"
To be honest, I wouldn't have fallen for Ryle (the abusive husband) in the first place, too assertive, sad background or not. But hey, I'm old and Lily was young, I guess he had his charm and people are not perfect. Which is part of why I loved this book : it's practically realistic. What Lily felt, others have felt. "He only hit me once, he was overwhelmed at the moment, he won't do it again, he has reasons that I understand even if I don't approve", all that stuff. To be in love and to be mistreated by that person that you love more than anyone else, repeating your parents' history even if you swore yourself you wouldn't, it has to be a shock. Please read the afterword by the author, you will understand the angle she has chosen - considering the children and parenthood. By the way, this novel felt more like a woman's fiction than a New Adult book. I loved the way Lily's strength grew... and bloomed (sorry !).
I loved this book so much that I picked "It starts with us", even if I usually don't read the same story by another point of view. I'm just curious, I didn't read much about it, I'm going in blind. It's on my physical TBR pile.