I'm guilty of aimlessly scrolling through TikTok whenever I get an opportunity, just like everyone else. I came upon a book recommendation for Colleen Hoover's novel there, which appeared on my 'For You page" at least three times per day. So I decided to give it a try. After reading the blurb, I went into the book anticipating a light-hearted romance about an adult love triangle. That was my very first blunder.
It Ends with Us, a young adult novel, is a gripping drama packed with harsh realities about the devastations of domestic violence. The story revolves around Lily Bloom, a modern flower store owner, and Ryle Kincaid, a charming neurosurgeon who has no desire to marry or have children. After Ryle loses a patient and Lily returns home from her violent father's funeral, they meet on the rooftop of an apartment complex. There are two timelines told in the book; one is the present where Lily is with Ryle, and the other is Lily's past with her first love, Atlas Corrigan, which is told through Lily's secret diary. Later on, we get to meet Atlas in the present timeline halfway through the book when he tries to help Lily not to repeat her parents' past.
Fifteen seconds. That’s all it takes to completely change everything about a person. Fifteen.
This novel has a profound message that is woven gradually from the beginning. These significant moments start in the first chapter, but I don't realize how crucial each of these times is until I continue reading. As I go on, these story pieces come together to build a scenario that portrays a very contemporary topic in such a raw, honest way.
And as hard as this choice is, we break the pattern before the pattern breaks us
Hoover's ability to carefully weave in foreshadowing throughout the novel is one of her most vital characteristics. For example, despite Ryle's sister, Rose, advising Lily against dating Ryle at the start of the book, Ryle's first hit on Lily after months of a seemingly healthy relationship catches me entirely of a surprise. Like many other readers, I mistook Rose's warning for Ryle's incapacity to commit to relationships, but it was more than that.
No one is exclusively bad, nor is anyone exclusively good. Some are just forced to work harder at suppressing the bad.
The fact that Hoover modeled the incidents between Lily and Ryle on her parents' terrible relationship is the most painful component of this book. In the Note from the Author, Hoover reveals that the initial incidence of abuse between Lily and Ryle was inspired by the first time Hoover's father ever slapped her mother, making the entire sequence depicted in the novel extremely raw and emotional.
This is the kind of book I want to give to every woman on this planet. No, not just women. Men, too, should read this book. If you come to this book for some romance, then yes, you’ll have it, but it’s not the book's central theme. Maybe that’s why I like it so much. It steps out of the comfort zone of its genre to discuss something more severe and more alarming. Not every romance book has to be only about love, and it can be so much more.
When I first heard about this book, one of the things that intrigued my interest was the title. And there's a specific moment in the novel where the title is echoed that had such a significant effect on me as I read it. I gasped. I literally gasped when I read that moment. Yes, the title is truly perfect.
You can stop swimming now, Lily. We finally reached the shore.
SCORE: 5/5
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