It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover initially follows a love story that quickly takes a dark, dangerous turn. The story is told from the perspective of Lily Bloom, and entails her intense attraction for Ryle Kincaid, a neurosurgeon who, at first, doesn’t care for more than a one-night stand with Lily as he is too focused on his career for a relationship. However, he gives in to his love for Lily and the couple begins a relationship together. Lily quickly learns that their relationship is becoming a mirror of the abusive relationship between her father and mother. Her father, who died at the beginning of the story, abused Lily’s mother throughout her entire childhood.
The novel primarily focuses on the theme of breaking the cycle of abuse. The motif and mirror of the two abusive relationships are foreshadowed when Lily first meets Ryle, and he is in a fit of rage, kicking a chair. It reminds her of her abusive father. Lily makes the connection again later when Ryle hurts her during their relationship. However, Lily struggles to come to terms with the fact that the people who love us most can still hurt us. Although, Hoover clarifies that this is not true love. It isn’t until she falls pregnant with Ryle’s child that she recognises she needs to step away from the relationship and raise her child away from an abusive environment. Breaking generational cycles of trauma is a popular topic of conversation amongst millennials and generation Z today, who have recognized the trauma and abuse cycles of previous generations and have taken responsibility to heal. There has been a rise in mental health acceptance amongst younger generations, and many seek therapy. Social media and influencers have even been notorious for spreading resources and places people can seek help.
It Ends with Us begins as a love story, but soon becomes an examination of what love is and isn’t. The understanding and empathy Hoover evokes for abusive survivors is done so sensitively, without judgement. The story highlights a powerful message about the importance of making hard decisions and the courage we must find within ourselves to face such choices. I suspect many will resonate with this story and the characters.
{
"I really enjoyed It Ends with Us. Hoover does a fantastic job of telling a complicated story in a way that's easy to follow. The characters are well-developed and believable, and I found myself feeling invested in their story. The audiobook is narrated by Olivia Song and she does an amazing job of bringing the characters to life. Overall, I would highly recommend this audiobook to anyone looking for an emotionally charged read."
Kris R. (5 out of 5 stars)
}
"It Ends with Us”, is a twisted story of life, love and sadly, reality for many people. It tells the story of Lilly, who has witnessed her father abuse her mother her entire life and then, the abuse she endures at the hands of her husband, Ryle. First off, who names main characters Ryle and Atlas? The story takes readers through the highs of real love and the lows of domestic abuse and rape. I found myself wondering who would return to that? And also, why would you allow your child to be alone with that monster? But sadly, this is really for lots of people. The story seemed a little contrived with handsome neurosurgeon, successful chef, successful business, but, all in all, I thought the author made some valid points about why people stay in abusive relationships. "
—
Julie (5 out of 5 stars)