By Caitlin Hofen, Feature Editor
I really drug my feet on reading anything by Colleen Hoover, simply because I’ve seen so many mixed reviews on her writing.
A good friend recommended I read “It Ends with Us,” so I decided to try it.
Readers meet Lily Bloom, a girl who just moved to Boston and is ready to start her adult life after college.
Following her father’s funeral, Lily meets a neurosurgeon medical student named Ryle, who wants nothing to do with a serious relationship.
WHIRLWIND ROMANCE
Lily goes about her business and opens her dream floral shop before she reconnects with Ryle.
Their budding romance takes a turn when Lily encounters her first love, Atlas, while on a date with Ryle.
Convinced she is happy in her life, Lily attempts to forget about Atlas and ends up marrying Ryle for the life of luxury and comfort.
The rest of the book plays on readers’ emotions as Lily struggles to decide if she should stay with Ryle and endure abuse or save herself and come to terms with her past.
The character of Lily is extremely relatable because she is trying to find where she belongs.
And the character of Ryle is very likable because of his occupation and the positive character development he goes through in the first half of the book.
I think he is the perfect example of how there are two sides to every story.
SHOCKING
PLOT TWISTS
As I read the book, I could feel the emotions of Lily as her romance with Ryle started and later when she has to make one of the most difficult decisions of her life.
Many of her thoughts and feelings were relatable as someone who is trying to find her place in the world.
Almost all the characters that were mentioned were round and well-thought-out.
At less than 400 pages, I read this book in less than a day.
But the plot twists and tough decisions made by characters made me want to read more and more.
It’s fast-paced enough to keep readers engaged without bombarding them with descriptions of characters or settings.
This isn’t my typical go-to read, but I want to say it was almost a pallet cleanser because it was so real and relatable, even as someone who hasn’t gone through everything Lily has.
On the surface, I thought this would be the typical love-triangle romance plot.
However, I was shocked from the middle of the story to the end like many other readers have expressed.
I think Colleen Hoover handled the topics discussed in this book well and with grace.
I don’t recommend this book to everyone because it does deal with domestic abuse and assault.
I can’t say that Colleen Hoover is my next favorite author, but I think she wrote this book beautifully, at a time when it is necessary for young women to read.