Scan barcode
A review by brownsugar25
It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
I absolutely loved this book, this is even better than It Ends With Us. The plot takes a few more turns & I thought this would be past but it starts off exactly where we’re left with Lily & Atlas.
For the first time, we read about Atlas’s pov as well in this book & how they seek each other & start going out because now that Lily’s on the journey of healing from her trauma & Ryle keeps getting in the way & how Lily retaliates in this book & takes better care for Emerson. How any mother in that situation would create, this book also reminds us how abuse is never done and over with even after you walk out of that abuser's life and save yourself. It's saving yourself every single day and get reminded how things can go south in a matter of seconds if you're not careful enough. There are still remnants of the abuse and the PTSD that follows in this books. Everyone will need a trigger warning for this one too, so please be careful while reading.
And its made possible with everyone’s cooperation of how things work out but some people just never change. I hated Ryle even more in this book and the gaslighting that followed was incrutating experience since Lily was choosing herself and Emerson's happiness and safety every single day while Ryle is still around the picture, the good part is he will be gone at some point. But what annoys me is how his parents are not getting involved thinking about Ryle's anger. I think he needs to discuss this side of himself with his parents because what the actual F-.
But I will not talk about him. Because It Starts With Us is more about the blooming relationship between Lily & Atlas, how Atlas reminds her everyday how much he loves her with his love letters to her and making it up for Lily for all the missed years and opportunities where he could have swooped into her life. We also know a little more about Atlas's past as well and something that comes back for him in his present. Please readers stay tuned to read this book if you wanna what happened in the past and what happens thereafter.
There is a happy ending to them.
For the first time, we read about Atlas’s pov as well in this book & how they seek each other & start going out because now that Lily’s on the journey of healing from her trauma & Ryle keeps getting in the way & how Lily retaliates in this book & takes better care for Emerson. How any mother in that situation would create, this book also reminds us how abuse is never done and over with even after you walk out of that abuser's life and save yourself. It's saving yourself every single day and get reminded how things can go south in a matter of seconds if you're not careful enough. There are still remnants of the abuse and the PTSD that follows in this books. Everyone will need a trigger warning for this one too, so please be careful while reading.
And its made possible with everyone’s cooperation of how things work out but some people just never change. I hated Ryle even more in this book and the gaslighting that followed was incrutating experience since Lily was choosing herself and Emerson's happiness and safety every single day while Ryle is still around the picture, the good part is he will be gone at some point. But what annoys me is how his parents are not getting involved thinking about Ryle's anger. I think he needs to discuss this side of himself with his parents because what the actual F-.
But I will not talk about him. Because It Starts With Us is more about the blooming relationship between Lily & Atlas, how Atlas reminds her everyday how much he loves her with his love letters to her and making it up for Lily for all the missed years and opportunities where he could have swooped into her life. We also know a little more about Atlas's past as well and something that comes back for him in his present. Please readers stay tuned to read this book if you wanna what happened in the past and what happens thereafter.
There is a happy ending to them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Misogyny