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A review by merylas
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
*spoilers included*
This is not a love story. This is not a love triangle, will they won’t they. This is a story about domestic abuse.
This is a story about being on the outside and adamantly thinking you’d do something but then reality makes you realize how hard and confusing that really is. Abusers don’t always start as abusers and people you wouldn’t expect can be abusers.
That said, this is a very powerful and well written story. I laughed, I cried, I loved, and I hated.
Things I didn’t love:
- Atlas asking how old Lily was (15 when he was 18), and waiting until she was 16 to have sex. This is never brought up in a sketchy way as Colleen wants you to love Atlas unconditionally, but him coming back on her birthday felt less romantic than she intended.
- I’ve read reviews that said Ryle’s abuse of the chair was foreshadowing of his abuse but that didn’t read to me. That read to me as Ryle letting off anger while alone (or at least he thought he was) at an inanimate object; he purposely chose to release pent up emotion in an environment that would not harm any living creatures. If this was intended as foreshadowing, it was not achieved.
- Atlas and Lily end up together in the epilogue. I think it was unnecessary. They had a bond formed from understanding and abuse; there is definite love there but just learning that they each are safe and successful was enough and could have led to an actual adult friendship.
- Not enough Devin. Loved him, and he could have been someone she leaned on more instead of Atlas (Colleen sort of explained it away but I didn’t really buy it… clearly only having Atlas was meant to show how in love she still is with him)
This is not a love story. This is not a love triangle, will they won’t they. This is a story about domestic abuse.
This is a story about being on the outside and adamantly thinking you’d do something but then reality makes you realize how hard and confusing that really is. Abusers don’t always start as abusers and people you wouldn’t expect can be abusers.
That said, this is a very powerful and well written story. I laughed, I cried, I loved, and I hated.
Things I didn’t love:
- Atlas asking how old Lily was (15 when he was 18), and waiting until she was 16 to have sex. This is never brought up in a sketchy way as Colleen wants you to love Atlas unconditionally, but him coming back on her birthday felt less romantic than she intended.
- I’ve read reviews that said Ryle’s abuse of the chair was foreshadowing of his abuse but that didn’t read to me. That read to me as Ryle letting off anger while alone (or at least he thought he was) at an inanimate object; he purposely chose to release pent up emotion in an environment that would not harm any living creatures. If this was intended as foreshadowing, it was not achieved.
- Atlas and Lily end up together in the epilogue. I think it was unnecessary. They had a bond formed from understanding and abuse; there is definite love there but just learning that they each are safe and successful was enough and could have led to an actual adult friendship.
- Not enough Devin. Loved him, and he could have been someone she leaned on more instead of Atlas (Colleen sort of explained it away but I didn’t really buy it… clearly only having Atlas was meant to show how in love she still is with him)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Child death
Minor: Infertility