It Ends with Us - BOOK FEATURE!

Hey! Due to all the news about the new movie based of Colleen Hoover's It Ends with Us, I thought I'd do a quick review of my thoughts of the book. Enjoy!

It Ends with Us was published in 2016 and has become adored by fans around the globe. It is one of Colleen Hoover's most well-known and popular books, and has been a New York Times #1 Bestseller and given the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance in 2016. It recently started production for a film starring Blake Lively as the main character, however it came to a halt due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike. The sequel, It Starts with Us, was published in 2022, and at this point it is unkown if the sequel is going to be made into a movie.

Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up - she graduated from college, moved to Boston and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. he's also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily, but Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan - her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heartwrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. It Ends with Us in an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

*SPOILERS*

It Ends with Us portrays abusive relationships in such a truthful way that many people don't see. The character of Lily is so strong and relatable to many readers. I love how we get to read her diary about her past life in Maine throughout the book because I think that each time we read it, it provides just enough backstory for the next section of the story, but it also leaves us waiting to see what happens next.

When I first read the book, I didn't like Ryle from the start, however others that have read the book say the opposite. At the beginning, he

is portrayed as a mysterious and arrogant guy, however further negative personality traits are revealed throughout the book. I felt so sorry for Lily, as she had already watched her mother struggle through the same things that she was going through, and as an outsider, young Lily didn't understand why her mother wouldn't just walk away, until she was in the same situation.

Lily's friend Alyssa, who also turns out to be Ryle's sister, is such a good friend to Lily, while also being a good sister to Ryle. She was put in a very difficult position due to the conflict between her best friend and her brother, however she understood more of Ryle's history, which meant that she sympathised more with him, and also comforted Lily and was there for her to talk to.

*END OF SPOILERS*

Favourite quote - "It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us." - Lily Bloom.

It Ends with Us is such an important read, and I hope that everyone will continue to be inspired by Lily's story. Let me know in the comments your thoughts on the book!

-Ashley :)