A review by jennafrizz
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

challenging emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.5

this book was SO surprising. def one of the better colleen hoover books ive read. ive seen a lot of negative things about it but aside from that i went in completely blind in terms of the storyline and characters and was pleasantly surprised. the characters backstory felt real, and the journey through lily's past through her diary entries was a great way to write it. yeah the writing is a bit juvenile, but colleen hoover clearly writes for a mass audience and her stories are really accessible and easy to digest for people who dont read much, which i think is a good thing. ive never experienced domestic violence before so reading this was really eye opening. i found it to be gripping from the beginning and was completely invested in it. definitely give it a read - if you're someone who is a seasoned reader and appreciates more complex writing and stories this wont be for you, but if that doesnt bother you then its worth it all the way. 

 
one negative review i read talked about how hoover was glorifying DV bc it was marketed as a love triangle and bc of quotes like 'no ones a bad person sometimes we just do bad things'. idk how it was marketed so if it was shown to be a love triangle thats def questionable, but this book is written from the perspective of someone being abused by their partner. i felt that it seemed to be a very real depiction of the kinds of thoughts someone might have. just like lily said, when youre looking from the outside in its so easy to think that youd just walk away without a seconds thought but its so hard to cut off someone you love. i can imagine there would be parts of you that would want to give them the benefit of the doubt. im not sure what colleens intention was when writing it but shes not an idiot, i dont think she would be glorifying an abusive relationship. especially considering lily does end up leaving ryle. i feel like its an uncomfortable but likely real depiction of what causes people who stay in abusive relationships. 
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