Introduction
It Ends With Us is a hit fiction novel written by Colleen Hoover and released to the public on 29th February 2016 boasting 384 pages total it began to gain a mass of media attention within 2021 which in turn made it one of the most read fiction romances of 2021 and 2022. Like most, I first encountered this book on TikTok in 2022, from then I bought my own copy and read it within 2 days, this was one of the most captivating novels I have ever read. Something that sets many of Colleen’s novels aside from many is their use of realism rather than escapism which is no different from IEWU.
Storyline/plot
Within this book we follow Lily Bloom, a 23 year old florist from a small town in Maine, as she navigates life in Boston exploring love, friendship and owning a business in such a competitive environment. We learn about Lily and her present relationship with neuro surgeon Ryle Kincaid as well as her past relationship with childhood sweetheart Atlas Corrigan, and how these two loves can intertwine and the effects it has on her present and future.
While we learn about the relationship between a 15 year old Lily and 16 year old Atlas during the flashback sections of the book we also get an insight into the relationship Lily’s parents shared during this time which helps us learn more about her attachment to Ryle and their relationship during the present tense, no matter how far from perfect it may be.
Writing Style
As previously mentioned Colleen Hoover is best known for her impeccable writing style used to create realism over escapism making her books so heart wrenching as well as potentially relatable to anybody who may have ever experienced any of the same hardships some of her characters may have endured. This unique approach to fiction is what makes Colleens books so engaging as well as her incredible use of character building making the reader feel fully immersed into their lives including every up and down they may experience throughout the novel.
Pros/cons
Personally I loved this book and have recommended it to multiple members of family and friends, it explores hard hitting subjects in a way many authors tend to shy away from, luckily this book is the perfect balance of addressing issues without glamorizing them. The pros of this story is how empowering it could be to such a wide number of women worldwide as well as educating others on the types of relationships others go through to help them understand that sometimes it just isn’t as simple as “just leaving”. The cons would be that sometimes some parts could come across as a little repetitive although mostly this is use to show symbolism of certain items or phrases that relate to future parts of the book.
Conclusion
I gave this book a five star rating due to its depiction of love and the struggles that can come with it as well as the battle of your mind over your body. I Would personally recommend this book to anyone over the age 18 as even though it is a popular book that many young adults have come across it does deal with some heavier subjects (domestic violence, sexual assault, attempted rape and severe PTSD) which I wouldnt reccommend to a younger audience.