When it comes to some of the most popular and beloved authors of the 21st century, it’s impossible to forget the name of Colleen Hoover, for she has truly emerged as one of the queens of fiction in the last couple of years.
Published in August of 2016, Hoover based the story of the book on the relationship between her parents, which is why she describes it as a novel that was the hardest to write due to the painful experiences it brought up from her past.
The book reached the number one position on The New York Times Best Sellers list in January 2022, and more than 4 million copies have been sold. It also has over a billion tags on TikTok, and the novel has been translated into over 20 languages.
If you’re looking for a review of the book It Ends with Us, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, we will take a deep dive into this very popular book. Let’s jump right in.
| Title | It Ends With Us |
|---|---|
| Author | Colleen Hoover |
| Published Year | 2016 |
| Genre | Contemporary Romance, New Adult Fiction |
| Setting | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Protagonist | Lily Bloom |
| Antagonist | Ryle Kincaid |
| Themes | Domestic abuse, Love and forgiveness |
| Plot Summary | Lily Bloom, a young woman from Maine, falls in love with charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid in Boston. Haunted by her abusive past, Lily must navigate her complicated emotions when her first love, Atlas Corrigan, resurfaces. Torn between two men, she grapples with choices, forgiveness, and the complexities of abusive relationships. |
| Major Characters | Lily Bloom, Ryle Kincaid, Atlas Corrigan, Alyssa Bloom |
| Literary Significance | It Ends With Us" is a highly acclaimed novel that tackles sensitive subjects such as domestic abuse and the complexities of relationships. It received widespread praise for its emotional depth, thought-provoking themes, and well-developed characters. Colleen Hoover's storytelling and ability to tackle challenging topics with sensitivity have cemented the book's place as a significant contribution to contemporary romance and new adult fiction. |
At the novel’s beginning, the readers are introduced to Lily Bloom, a college graduate who dreams of opening a flower shop someday. Right after attending her father’s funeral, she meets Ryle Kincaid, a neurosurgeon, and the two are instantly attracted to each other.
While Ryle wants a casual fling, Lily is looking for a relationship, and the two end up parting ways. However, they meet again soon enough when Lily hires Allysa, Ryle’s sister, to work at her newly opened flower shop.
The attraction between Lily and Ryle is evident, and despite the latter’s reservations, they begin dating. Meanwhile, Lily attempts to gain closure over her dead father, who was abusive towards her mother.
She rereads the journals she kept as a child, and through them, we meet Atlas Corrigan, a homeless teenager who had taken shelter near an abandoned place near Lily’s home years ago.
During their younger days, Lily had shown immense kindness to Atlas, and they developed a caring and affectionate bond that had blossomed into a romance.
While the bond has ended tragically, Lily and Atlas bump into each other again while Lily is having dinner with Ryle and her mother.
As the novel progresses, we see Ryle displaying his abusive side. Although the first incident occurs before their wedding, the two get married as Ryle assures Lily it won’t happen again. But sadly, that doesn’t turn out to be true.
Towards the end, Lily gives birth to a baby girl, divorces Ryle, and seems ready to rekindle her bond with Atlas.
It Ends with Us Book Review
Writing about domestic violence and abuse in a sensitive manner is never easy, but Colleen Hoover somehow does it seamlessly in It Ends with Us.
She shows her readers that abuse is difficult to break or run away from. It’s especially evident through the marriage between Lily’s parents and how Lily desperately wants to believe Ryle when he says he will change.
Shedding light on PTSD, depression, and anxiety, Hoover encourages abuse victims to speak their truth even if it’s difficult to do so.
The writing in the novel is entertaining and sharp, and the story is extremely well-paced. You feel empathy towards Lily, sympathy towards Atlas, and rage over Ryle’s actions.
By showing Allysa as Lily’s ally, Hoover sets a beautiful example of female friendship and how feminism has eclectic ways of showing itself. We witness various forms of love, and the writer beautifully shows how the only kind of love that matters is the one that’s kind and selfless.
Characters in the novel It Ends with Us
Hoover created such interesting characters in It Ends with Us that you can’t help but react to them somehow. Here are the characters we meet in this novel:
1. Lily Bloom
Lily is the 23-year-old protagonist of the novel. She aims to have a flower shop of her own someday. Throughout the novel, she deals with the romantic relationship she gets into with a man named Ryle and how it affects her life.
2. Atlas Corrigan
Atlas was Lily’s first love. The two had met as teenagers and developed a warm and wholesome bond. They meet again years later, and he helps Lily escape the messy situation with Ryle.
3. Ryle Kincaid
Ryle is the neurosurgeon Lily meets at the novel’s beginning. The two fall in love, but the relationship becomes sour because of Ryle’s temper and his abuse of Lily.
4. Allysa
Allysa is Ryle’s sister and Lily’s close friend. Even though Ryle is her sibling, she doesn’t take his side when she learns about his abusive behavior. Instead, she is a supportive figure in Lily’s life.
5. Jenny Bloom
Jenny is Lily’s mother. She had an abusive husband, and although she tried to excuse his behavior in the past, she openly discussed how he treated her once Lily faced abuse at the hands of Ryle.
6. Marshall
Marshall is Allysa’s husband. Although he started as Ryle’s friend, he eventually started dating Allysa, and the two of them then married.
Movies and TV Adaptations
The novel will soon be made into a movie with reportedly the same name, whose filming has already begun. The cast includes Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Brandon Sklenar, and Jenny Slate.
Quotes
Colleen Hoover is an expert when it comes to words and dialogues. The novel It Ends with Us is filled with memorable quotes. Some of them are as follows:
“There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things.”
“Just because someone hurts you doesn’t mean you can simply stop loving them. It’s not a person’s actions that hurt the most. It’s the love. If there was no love attached to the action, the pain would be a little easier to bear.”
“Naked truths aren’t always pretty.”
“In the future… if by some miracle you ever find yourself in the position to fall in love again… fall in love with me.”
“Life is a funny thing. We only get so many years to live it, so we have to do everything we can to make sure those years are as full as they can be. We shouldn’t waste time on things that might happen someday, or maybe even never.”
“Maybe love isn’t something that comes full circle. It just ebbs and flows, in and out, just like the people in our lives.”
“Preventing your heart from forgiving someone you love is actually a hell of a lot harder than simply forgiving them.”
Conclusion
It Ends with Us deal with subjects like abuse, domestic violence, and PTSD that we often brush aside under the carpet. The fact that Hoover crafted a gripping story while mentioning crucial subjects is truly remarkable. The sequel, It Starts With Us, came out in October 2022.
Much like all her other novels, readers can feel themselves getting sucked into the world of It Ends with Us from the very first page. So, if you’re searching for a book to carry with you on your next vacation, this story will serve as the perfect travel companion.
