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A review by kamrynkoble
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
2024 review:
I’m struggling to rate this. I know I need to bring it down from the five stars 16-year-old Kam originally gave it. There’s so much swirling about this book since I first read it—the coloring book, the nail polish, the movie, the sequel, the movie AGAIN with all the drama on and off set. Needless to say, this book did not fall out of a coconut tree. And that makes it more difficult to assess and honestly enjoy.
Petty complaints: sometimes CoHo’s quirkiness just doesn’t work for me. Ellen’s (especially with the current attitude toward her) prominent presence is…bizarre to me. I physically cringed at the Dory middle name. But whatever.
I think there’s extreme danger in talking about this like any contemporary romance, something that people do both to the book and now the movie (including the actors who should know better!).
I do like how the book was more clear about Ryle’s abuse than the movie, and I preferred Lily’s book internal monologue about deciding what to do. The movie seemed so fuzzy and then boom, she’s leaving and done. The back-and-forth and gray area is what makes this book so impactful. It puts yourself in her shoes and that’s what needs to happen.
I don’t know. I think I’m going to still read the sequel. There’s just so much controversy and drama that I could keep going on and on but I don’t really want to do that right now.
Original 2016 review, 5-star rating:
There have been many books I've had fewer problems with that have received worse ratings from me. This isn't a book that settles well with you, and it's not light entertainment alone. It was actually uncanny how quick and fun this was to read despite the turmoil it puts you through. I'm still sitting here, unsure of how to articulate what I'm thinking about <i>It Ends with Us</i> by Colleen Hoover.
It seems as if there's a little mission here in the review section of this novel to keep the actual subject matter secret. Do I have to comply with this? As the friend who recommended this to me said, it's best going in blind, so therefore it is called The Subject.
The Subject of this book is dark, misunderstood, and quite hush-hush. When it's talked about it (I'm in theater therefore we often have these moment-of-truth conversations about adult life because we're teenagers and don't know how to portray adult life well) you can look around the group and see the horrified expressions of discomfort and dread when it's brought up.
You know what's sad? The character who narrated would discuss misconceptions about those who deal with The Subject, and I had many of the disproved thoughts before reading this. It's changing, so sly in execution yet so impactful.
I was at war myself this whole time. I didn't know what I wanted, and even though I've experienced nothing that the main character has in life, the indecision I felt in my own heart put me directly in her shoes and laced them tight. I've never felt that, and it makes me want to be a better writer. What an achievement - this book is truly remarkable.
Not to mention the cover is so strikingly beautiful and makes even more sense now that I'm done.
Despite all the good, I have to bring up the bad. For the first one hundred or so pages the characters all read like direct archetypes and there were many, many tragic pieces of dialogue that made me physically cringe throughout. Also, I don't know if I've ever read more descriptive "scenes" in my life. If that's not up your ally, you might be scandalized if we're being honest. There's an obsessive reoccurring reference to Ellen that's a bit odd, especially if you don't watch Ellen, but it's not a hindering allusion. Odd, but not hindering.
Now that I've gotten the good, bad, and the ugly out all I want to do is encourage you to read this. It truly is changing.
I’m struggling to rate this. I know I need to bring it down from the five stars 16-year-old Kam originally gave it. There’s so much swirling about this book since I first read it—the coloring book, the nail polish, the movie, the sequel, the movie AGAIN with all the drama on and off set. Needless to say, this book did not fall out of a coconut tree. And that makes it more difficult to assess and honestly enjoy.
Petty complaints: sometimes CoHo’s quirkiness just doesn’t work for me. Ellen’s (especially with the current attitude toward her) prominent presence is…bizarre to me. I physically cringed at the Dory middle name. But whatever.
I think there’s extreme danger in talking about this like any contemporary romance, something that people do both to the book and now the movie (including the actors who should know better!).
I do like how the book was more clear about Ryle’s abuse than the movie, and I preferred Lily’s book internal monologue about deciding what to do. The movie seemed so fuzzy and then boom, she’s leaving and done. The back-and-forth and gray area is what makes this book so impactful. It puts yourself in her shoes and that’s what needs to happen.
I don’t know. I think I’m going to still read the sequel. There’s just so much controversy and drama that I could keep going on and on but I don’t really want to do that right now.
Original 2016 review, 5-star rating:
There have been many books I've had fewer problems with that have received worse ratings from me. This isn't a book that settles well with you, and it's not light entertainment alone. It was actually uncanny how quick and fun this was to read despite the turmoil it puts you through. I'm still sitting here, unsure of how to articulate what I'm thinking about <i>It Ends with Us</i> by Colleen Hoover.
It seems as if there's a little mission here in the review section of this novel to keep the actual subject matter secret. Do I have to comply with this? As the friend who recommended this to me said, it's best going in blind, so therefore it is called The Subject.
The Subject of this book is dark, misunderstood, and quite hush-hush. When it's talked about it (I'm in theater therefore we often have these moment-of-truth conversations about adult life because we're teenagers and don't know how to portray adult life well) you can look around the group and see the horrified expressions of discomfort and dread when it's brought up.
You know what's sad? The character who narrated would discuss misconceptions about those who deal with The Subject, and I had many of the disproved thoughts before reading this. It's changing, so sly in execution yet so impactful.
I was at war myself this whole time. I didn't know what I wanted, and even though I've experienced nothing that the main character has in life, the indecision I felt in my own heart put me directly in her shoes and laced them tight. I've never felt that, and it makes me want to be a better writer. What an achievement - this book is truly remarkable.
Not to mention the cover is so strikingly beautiful and makes even more sense now that I'm done.
Despite all the good, I have to bring up the bad. For the first one hundred or so pages the characters all read like direct archetypes and there were many, many tragic pieces of dialogue that made me physically cringe throughout. Also, I don't know if I've ever read more descriptive "scenes" in my life. If that's not up your ally, you might be scandalized if we're being honest. There's an obsessive reoccurring reference to Ellen that's a bit odd, especially if you don't watch Ellen, but it's not a hindering allusion. Odd, but not hindering.
Now that I've gotten the good, bad, and the ugly out all I want to do is encourage you to read this. It truly is changing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent