“It Ends With Us” Book Review
“It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us.”
How I finally got around to reading It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
I’m finally getting back into something resembling a proper writing routine, but even so I’m almost as surprised as you that I’ve finished this article so quickly after the last one. I really need to start spacing these out, or Stani will realize I have too much time on my hands and quickly fill it with tasks…
Anyway, it’s a new day and - you guessed it - it’s time for a new book review. And, oh boy, is this a juicy one.
If you’ve been following the last posts, you know that I’ve challenged myself to write a book review for every single book I’ve read this year. So far, we’re on number 42! That’s a lot of writing to do, now that I think about it… but, hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day!
After starting the year off on the sun-soaked shores of Ithaca, and pivoting wildly into the shoes of His Excellency Sam Vimes, Duke of Ankh Morpork, I took yet another wild turn in the hopes of surprising my brain with something I would never normally read. That’s right, we’re going down the “TikTok made me buy it” rabbit hole!
Well, in this case, it was more like “Stani-saw-the-movie-and-was-badgering-me-to-read-the-damn-book-so-we-can-gossip-about-all-the-drama”- made me buy it, but you get the jest.
Honestly, picking up this book my expectations were literally so low an ant couldn’t trip over them. Of course, I’d read some romance novels in the past, but those were classics, like Jane Eyre, that have stood the test of time under countless reviewers. It Ends With Us sounded like one of those books that was hyped just for the sake of being hyped, and I couldn’t help attributing all the attention it was receiving to the drama surrounding the movie (#teamjustin by the way! - yes, as a big, bearded, grumpy guy, I’ve given in and fully embraced the tea…)
This edition made me do it!
Before I jump into my rambling review, I just wanted to make a quick note about the edition, which we bought, as it was a VERY deciding factor in actually making me read It Ends With Us.
You saw the super polished image of it at the start of this blog post, but here’s a more realistic depiction of it (and yes, that’s an Amazon Affiliate link, so please buy a yacht or something from Amazon in the next 24 hours, because I’m tired of eating only rice cakes…).
The book looks gorgeous, with and without the sleeve, and I have a particular fondness for sprayed edges. Since the book isn’t massive, even picking it up and just sitting by the window to read gave me such a feeling of relaxation and joy that I quickly overcame my initial reluctance to get into it. And into it I got…
It Ends With Us - A Book Review From a Guy
As I said above, I really had very low expectations for this book, without knowing anything about it except for the fact that there was a whole lot of drama surrounding the movie, and that it was going absolutely viral on social media.
But once I opened it, I quickly realized that there might actually be a decent story in there. The first thing you see when you start reading is the dedication:
“For my father, who tried his very best not to be his worst.
And for my mother, who made sure we never saw him at his worst”
Unexpectedly, this struck a chord. While I was blessed with parents that were very decent people, growing up I still had people in my family who were, for lack of a better word, unstable. And I think that it’s like that for most of us. Even the happiest families have that one person that never truly dealt with their demons and let them conquer him.
I remember reading this dedication and immediately adjusting my reading position. That’s the impact it had on my. It was time to get serious…
So, fully locked and loaded, I was ready to finally dive in. And then the first paragraph hits, and I’m left with very, very mixed feelings. On one hand, I love books that tell their story from a first person narrative. Reading feels more like a dialogue and by the end of the book you feel that the narrator is a real person whom you care about, and whom you’ve seen grow and evolve before your eyes.
On the other hand, the book quite literally begins with Lily Bloom sitting on the edge of a building, thinking about suicide. I know, I know, it’s a serious topic, and authors also need a very strong hook to grab the attention of readers (and editors) from the get-go. But this just felt like something that was written by an edgy 12 year old who just discovered her mom’s clothes from her emo era.
I was just about to give up on the book before I even started, when my eyes caught the next few sentences, which reeled me back in. Okay, she wasn’t considering her own suicide, but rather musing about people that decide to off themselves in general, musing on the age-long question of life and death. In her defence, there are very few of us who have so far blessedly escaped that dreaded internal monologue about facing our own mortality.
And then the next few pages hit. It wasn’t simply a random evening to stand on the edge of the roof and think about people ending their lives. It was the day of her father’s funeral. Where she stood up and made a statement against a man who clearly wasn’t the best parental figure, to put it mildly.
I won’t lie, It Ends With Us and I had a rocky start, but after this point I was hooked. Again, my parents are nothing like Lily’s but I’ve had to attend a few funerals in my time, some for people I miss dearly to this day, and some for people who quite frankly didn’t deserve the tears spent on their behalf.
For those in the latter category, when asked to speak or talk to the family, I always tried hard to find a good word, a decent memory, a redeeming quality. Maybe it’s a cultural thing. Or maybe just the way I was raised. But never in a million years would I have the balls to do what Lily did at her dad’s funeral. So a few pages in, I was already filled with equal parts jealousy and admiration for her courage.
Now I’ve spent way too much time talking about the prologue, so I will try to move things along. While still on that famous rooftop, Lily ends up meeting Ryle, and the moment he gets into the picture, I had a genuine snort of laughter at the banality of his introduction. Of course, here enters the romantic interest, who is a bloody neuro-surgeon, wealthy, successful, with dashing good looks, and arms the size of tree trunks.
No offense to Colleen Hoover, but lady, have you actually seen neuro-surgeons? And I mean the successful ones?
But, to her credit, there is a solid reason for Ryle (God, that name is absurd…) looking like that. He is the stereotypical “tall, dark, and handsome” love interest that every girls wants to meet at least once. Unfortunately, in real life, those fine-looking specimen are usually a far cry from their literary counterparts, with dark sides that turn toxic at best, and violent at worst. And sadly for Lily Bloom, Ryle would end up being a much more lifelike character that she’d ever imagined.
At first, it seems like their relationship is perfect and everything is going well in life. But that’s usually when life likes to remind us of it’s capricious nature and flip the tables in the blink of an eye.
It starts with small things. Random outbursts. An accusing look here and there. A snarky comment. But it quickly grows into an avalanche of toxic behaviour leaving Lily questioning how she became the woman she swore she’d never become - her mother.
Enter Atlas (the names in this novel, I can’t even…). Childhood friend, turned into first love. A peace of her she thought she’d lost, who appears at the right moment like Prince Charming on his white horse, ready to save her from the big bad wolf in disguise she’s inadvertently ended up with. But because things are never as simple as they appear to be, fate throws another curveball - Lily is pregnant.
Usually, at this point in the story, the hero or heroine faces a choice - stay with the abusive partner for the sake of the child, or risk it all for the sake of love and promised happiness. I was kind of expecting the plot to pivot in this Twilight-like duel for Bella’s…sorry, Lily’s heart.
To my very pleasant surprise, there was a third choice, which Lily opted for. And that is breaking the cycle. Leaving both to focus on her own journey of personal growth and healing, and - equally as important - giving Ryle a chance to heal from his own trauma and work on his own demons, so he can actually have a relationship with his child.
Frankly, I don’t want to go into further details, not only for fear of spoiling some key moments in the book, but also because this post would then become way too long for anyone but Stani to ever read. But I will say this - rarely have I seen such good depiction of abuse, and dealing with the aftermaths of trauma in literature. And rarely have I enjoyed a “villain’s” character development more.
Is “It Ends With Us” Worth Reading?
I genuinely found It Ends With Us quite enjoyable, and I’m excited to read the sequel - It Starts With Us. Which is more of a prequel, rather than a sequel, from what I understand, but I guess we’ll figure that one out when I eventually get to reading it.
Who is “It Ends With Us” perfect for?
Those readers looking to explore difficult topics like trauma, spousal abuse, and toxic relationships
Those readers looking for a gripping story that feels much more rooted in real life than most of it’s counterparts in the genre
Those readers looking for stories about overcoming adversity and personal growth
And this is my very personal take - Those male readers looking to diversify their reading list with something that doesn’t involve massive fictional worlds, but can rival them in the sheer substance of emotional attachment
Those who got VERY confused by the movie and want to figure out what the story is actually about (yeah, I said what I said!)
Who is “It Ends With Us” not ideal for?
Those that have experienced spousal abuse and intense trauma from a relationship. I know that the whole premise of the book is to give survivors a voice, but in all honesty, it might be hard going through some chapters, especially if the situation is ongoing or recent.
Younger readers. Scratch that, I’d even say anyone under 25 or even 30. While the story could be enjoyed by younger people as well, I think that life needs to kick you around the block a few times before you could really appreciate it.
Those looking for a light-hearted, easy read to pass the afternoon. This book will make you think and reflect, and you might not necessarily like the reflections that you end up with.
Final Thoughts on “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover
Was it what I expected? Hell no! Am I glad I read it? Hell yes!
In fact I was so enthusiastic to discuss the book after I finished it that Stani and I literally stayed up for hours the following days just talking about our takes on the story. It was such a great bonding experience that reminded us about why we started our little book club, and how thrilling it is to share the same interest with your spouse.
I was so glad that the book was nothing like what I thought it’d be that when Stani asked if I wanted to watch the movie with Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, I immediately agreed. Oh what a horrid, horrid mistake!
I might get bashed by a wave of angry comments from die-hard Hoover and Lively fans, but what-in-the-actual-hell? There were so many things wrong with the movie that it took us nearly 4 hours to watch it, as I had to pause every couple of minutes and voice my displeasure at what I was seeing.
Completely ignoring the fact that Blake Lively is about a decade or two too old to play Lily Bloom, and that she has the emotional range of a teaspoon, the entire movie felt like somebody gutted the original project and decided to give the result to a group of kindergarteners to glue back together during their arts & crafts class.
If your only opinion on the story is based on the movie, I highly encourage you to read the book, as it’s an entirely different experience. And while that statement is about as cliche as it can get, I feel that it’s never been more true.
If you enjoyed reading our It Ends With Us book review, leave us a comment. If you plan to storm my house and burn me at the stake for bashing your favorite bits (or actors), leave us a comment as well, as it’s only good manners to give a guy sufficient time to prepare.
We’ve now gone through 3 books from the whooping 42 (so far) that I’ve read this year, so we still have some way to go. I wonder if anyone will actually have the nerves to read through 42 posts of my - for lack of better term - prose… Anyway, moment of self doubt and existential crisis aside, join me for the our next post in the series, where we take our first foray into Russian Literature with Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita!
Oh, and don’t forget about our giveaway! Make sure to comment here or on any of our recent posts on TikTok or Instagram for a chance to win not 1 but 2 Leatherbound editions from Barnes and Noble!
It’s finally time to do a It Ends With Us book review by a guy! Was this book what I expected? Hell no! Am I glad I read it? Absolutely!