When the line "It ends with us" is finally said in Colleen Hoover's novel, it was like a literary mic drop. I think the exact words out of my mouth were DAMN. This book was a 5-star read for me. I loved how it took on difficult topics, its enticing characters, and the beautifully crafted full-circle moments that it gave the reader. This was a wonderful read and I am incredibly excited to share my thoughts with you in this post!
It Ends With Us tells the story of Lily Bloom. Growing up, Lily lived in a tense and unhealthy family household. What made her home life bearable was her secret friend Atlas, who could empathize with her, coming from an unstable home of his own. When Lily moves to a new city, her painful past is locked away without much closure, that is until she meets Ryle. The confident and successful surgeon with whom Lily has an undeniable connection. As Lily's life blooms around her, she is forced to reface her past with Ryle in ways she never anticipated.
Something that this book delivered so well was the feeling of anticipation. This is extremely prevalent in Lily ad Ryle's first encounter. I was left wanting more, which I anticipated there would be, so I impatiently devoured through pages trying to get there.
With some characters, you can tell from the moment that they meet they are destined to be together, and Lily and Ryle are like that. I mean, who can resist a guy who goes knocking on 29 doors to find you? I often find myself criticizing books for being too predictable. But if it is only predictable in the sense that two characters will end up together; I think we can forgive the predictability. There is nothing more gratifying than having two lovers succeed despite all the challenges thrown up against them.
There were a couple of quotes that stood out in this book, the first was when Lily and Ryle first meet and he says:
"It was nice meeting you Lily Bloom. I hope you defy the odds of most dreams and actually accomplish yours." p.26.
The second quote that resonated with me described a feeling I had never to put into words:
"But he somehow made me want to know everything he knew." p.149
The most important takeaway from this novel is the conversation around abuse. This story did an impeccable job showcasing the various sides and opinions with care. It made me experience points of view I never had before, taking a 360-degree approach to a complicated topic. Hoover examines what it is like to be a victim and the complexities of staying with or leaving their abuser. She also explores the perspective of the abuser, from a human lens that lets the reader see all sides, and eventually amplifies the difficulties of the victim's decision to leave or stay.
I cannot recommend It Ends With Us highly enough. I struggled to write this review because I couldn't find the words to describe this book and do it justice. And at the same time I really did not want to give anything away. If you are looking for something bursting with heart, pain, love, and friendship, you have found it.
Yours Literarily,
Lauren.
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