“It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover was a book that truly takes the reader into the depths of… How would you respond?
SPOILERS AHEAD… Be warned.
The story revolves around Lily, a woman who wants to be nothing like her mother–someone who was beaten by her husband and often broken because of it.
However, as a teenager, she meets Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy who’s living in an abandoned house on the other side of the alley. She knows she could put him in danger because her father is unhinged. But they develop a strong friendship, and then romance. Atlas is Lily’s first. But then he leaves her to live with his uncle.
In present day, Lily is a strong, sophisticated woman, who is pissed at her father now that he’s died. She doesn’t know where to put the hurt.
It’s then that she runs into Ryle Kincaid. He’s a doctor, we find out, who has a bit of a temper. But Ryle isn’t totally a hothead. He’s got a heart of gold and he’s trying desperately to save those he can.
However, despite his best efforts to be a kind and loving man, his anger and frustrations start to build and Ryle becomes a different person after Lily and he gets married.
Lily finds herself in the same position as her mother and she doesn’t know what to do.
In addition, Ryle gets insanely jealous about Lily’s relationship with Atlas.
By the end, you’re definitely rooting for Lily and Atlas and hope that Ryle goes on his merry way.
Colleen does a great job showing the ambiguity in love. Sometimes, who you love isn’t good for you and you have to be willing to walk away. This book certainly had me questioning how I would have responded in a similar situation and honestly, I’m not sure I would have been much different from Lily.
In conclusion, “It Ends With Us” was a spectacular read about the entanglement between people and how our emotions can sometimes get in the way. Despite dealing with some darker topics, such as homelessness and domestic abuse, this book was a fantastic read. I highly recommend it.
