Author: Colleen Hoover

Year of Publication: 29 February 2016

PLOT: 5/5

CHARACTERS: 5/5

WRITING: 5/5

CLIMAX: 5/5

ENTERTAINMENT: 5/5

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Plot:

The subject matter in this book is challenging to read about and will struck a little bit of a personal chord with many. Yet even though it’s a challenging book, I believe it to be a very crucial one. This book broadened my perspective on the experiences of many people and confirmed my conviction that most people fall somewhere in between the extremes of black and white. While theyve done something evil, a person isn’t necessarily entirely bad; they can also be excellent. With tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat, I finished this book. I’m sure that I will remember this book for the rest of my life. Colleen’s emotional investment in the narrative was palpable to me, and it brought the tale to life.

Although though Lily hasn’t always had it easy, she’s never let that stop her from striving to live the life she desires. She graduated from college, relocated to Boston, and established her own business. She has come a long way from the small town where she was raised. Yet when Lily starts to develop feelings for a handsome neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in her life starts to appear too perfect to be true.

Ryle is aggressive, obstinate, and perhaps a little conceited. He is also intelligent, sensitive, and completely infatuated with Lily. And it surely doesn’t hurt that he looks good in scrubs. Lily is unable to shake him from her mind. But Ryle’s utter distaste for partnerships is unsettling. Lily can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place, even as she finds herself breaking his “no dating” rule.

Her first love and a reminder of the past she left behind, Atlas Corrigan, enters her mind as questions about her current relationship overwhelm her. He served as both her ally and defender. Everything Ryle and Lily have created together is under danger when Atlas arrives out of nowhere.

With this daring and intensely private novel,

It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the greatest cost. It is a heartbreaking story.

What I liked/disliked about the book?

The overall message of this book was very strong, and it resonated even more after reading the author’s note at the end. It is far from perfect, and there were definitely passages that really got on my nerves. Thus, I must commend Colleen for penning a tale that hit so near to home and for attempting to understand Lily’s perspective, as I’m sure her tale will strike a chord with a lot of people.

From the outside, it appears such a simple and clear thing that if you are in an abusive relationship, you walk away from it, as Colleen emphasises frequently throughout the book. Yet, reality is never so simple, and there might be a lot of variables at play. I really enjoyed the focus on cycles and patterns of abuse, how Lily ended up in the same predicament as her mother all those years before, and how getting a glimpse into Lily’s early life gives us a better understanding of who she is as a person and how she came to be. At the end, this story is about finding the will to end such a cycle, and I believe Colleen did an excellent job of illustrating Lily’s progress.

Those for whom the first question they ask is, “Why doesn’t she leave him?” when they learn about abuse. Why does she allow her fear rule her, and why is she so self-centered that she forces her kids to see such atrocities in the place that was supposed to be their haven? But we should instead enquire as to what is wrong with him. We ought to pause and think about how she feels and the challenging choices she must make rather than finding reasons to blame him and trying to defend him.

Will I recommend this book?

Indeed, very advised. If you decide to read this book, I advise you to prepare a box of tissues and to finish reading the author’s note. I sobbed all the way to the finish line and again after reading the author’s note. This book is compelling and well worth reading.

Final Verdict

This was a stunning and tragic novel. I advise everyone to try it. You should read it. You will fall in love, have your heart torn out, and be forced to reevaluate your previous notions about abuse after reading this novel. The most heartbreaking novel I’ve read in a LONG time is this one. It was utterly addictive.