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A review by bookishlucy
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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
4.25
I've heard a lot about this book and Colleen Hoover online. Not much of it was good. I've heard people say this book romanticizes abuse and I couldn't disagree more. This book shows the complicated, messy, confusing, and ugly things victims go through. It shows the reality of abuse. Ryle didn't start out abusive, the first time he hurt her he apologized and he had an explanation for why and the book still made it very clear that none of that justified him ever laying hands on Lily.
I think this was a very raw and grueling portrayal, and I think Lily handled it the best she could. I was so scared for her at the end but so proudwhen she decided to leave Ryle.
The time skips in between chapters was a bit discombobulating at the beginning of the book. We were already going back to when Lily was 15 through her diary entries. So having months pass in between each chapter in the present was a bit much. But when the diary entries were over it was less of a whirl-wind to read.
I've seen people criticize the fact that Lily wrote to Ellen DeGeneres in her diary, and while I agree it was cringe, Lily was also 15 at the time. I actually think Colleen did a good job at writing a 15-year-old. Teenagers are cringe sometimes, and a lot of authors are scared to go there, which results in characters that feel way too mature for their age. In her diary, Lily felt like a 15-year-old who was going through shit no kid should have to go through.
Reading Colleen's note at the end, about her own father makes me sad. The fact that people online say this book romanticizes any of Ryle's actions is so far from true and is not at all what Colleen tried to do with this book. This is not a case of a book being badly written. It was so clear to me!
These situations are always complex and victims aren't perfect. They don't leave at the right times, sometimes they don't leave at all. I think Colleen Hoover did a great job of portraying the complex emotions someone can go through in these kinds of situations. I just wish media literacy wasn't dead so other people might understand and feel more compassion for what victims of DV go through.
I highly recommend this book but obviously, check the trigger warnings first!
(Also, I do think it's wild she tried to make adult coloring books for this book series! And the fact she actually brought out a nail polish line, after the backlash about the coloring books, is even more wild. I don't think it's appropriate and marketing this book as a romance is also not appropriate. For those reasons, I'm not going to be buying any of Colleen's other books myself unless they're second-hand. But I will probably be checking out more of her works.)
I think this was a very raw and grueling portrayal, and I think Lily handled it the best she could. I was so scared for her at the end but so proud
The time skips in between chapters was a bit discombobulating at the beginning of the book. We were already going back to when Lily was 15 through her diary entries. So having months pass in between each chapter in the present was a bit much. But when the diary entries were over it was less of a whirl-wind to read.
I've seen people criticize the fact that Lily wrote to Ellen DeGeneres in her diary, and while I agree it was cringe, Lily was also 15 at the time. I actually think Colleen did a good job at writing a 15-year-old. Teenagers are cringe sometimes, and a lot of authors are scared to go there, which results in characters that feel way too mature for their age. In her diary, Lily felt like a 15-year-old who was going through shit no kid should have to go through.
Reading Colleen's note at the end, about her own father makes me sad. The fact that people online say this book romanticizes any of Ryle's actions is so far from true and is not at all what Colleen tried to do with this book. This is not a case of a book being badly written. It was so clear to me!
These situations are always complex and victims aren't perfect. They don't leave at the right times, sometimes they don't leave at all. I think Colleen Hoover did a great job of portraying the complex emotions someone can go through in these kinds of situations. I just wish media literacy wasn't dead so other people might understand and feel more compassion for what victims of DV go through.
I highly recommend this book but obviously, check the trigger warnings first!
(Also, I do think it's wild she tried to make adult coloring books for this book series! And the fact she actually brought out a nail polish line, after the backlash about the coloring books, is even more wild. I don't think it's appropriate and marketing this book as a romance is also not appropriate. For those reasons, I'm not going to be buying any of Colleen's other books myself unless they're second-hand. But I will probably be checking out more of her works.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Rape, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Gun violence