freddie_mercury05's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Grief, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Physical abuse, Blood, Injury/injury detail, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Cursing
Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Self harm, Rape, and Suicide attempt
bluebellvine's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol, Cursing, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Blood, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Child abuse, Alcoholism, and Sexual assault
its_van_vulpen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Physical abuse
woosha's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It's honestly such a page turner, but some parts feel very... cringe? off? questionable? I don't mean to be mean to the author, but her writing style feels like what I'd normally find on wattpad. This is not a book about romance and should never be marketed as one. A heavy topic brought up, but not depicted in the best way. And it seems like it's targeted towards younger audiences. Could have terrible impact on those not having prior knowledge of such themes.
Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Rape, Violence, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy
Minor: Misogyny
lindsayvale's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Blood, and Rape
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Child death
cdoubet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Vomit, Classism, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Rape, Suicide, Violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, Cursing, Infertility, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Pregnancy and Death of parent
Minor: Bullying
bee_thebee's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I cringed a lot, I cried, I was shocked and many emotions.
I hated the author, probably still do. But it's one of her best books I think, I just really hate her writing style and the way she uses trauma as a plot and drama factor of her books. I feelike she's not acknowledging it enough.
Th only thing about this book that I actually enjoyed was Atlas and the diary entries. That's it.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Physical abuse
Minor: Blood and Suicidal thoughts
jupiterlee's review against another edition
However, it really was not for me and I did not finish it. I think I realised very quickly that it was not a book that I was going to struggle with when Ryle told Lily he wants to fuck her after just meeting her: fuck-boy characters are ones that I just do not get along with. Now, saying this I do not mind smut and I don't mind a character being out there, but instantly I was questioning the intent of the book, and then when Ryle was described as "a person who does bad things", I knew there was going to be things that I did not like.
I really do think that this book should come with trigger warnings as some of the things do come slightly out of the blue, and some of the things he does is so relevant to some abusive relationships today that it can it range from subtle triggering to major triggers. I agree with book being written to highlight issues and being a medium for people to educate themselves on trauma etc but this is not a book that I feel does that, and I believe that it just uses trauma in a unproductive way.
if you are going to read this book, I really do suggest having a good read at the triggers before just in case!
**Domestic Abuse, Physical Abuse, Toxic Relationship, Emotional Abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, Relationship with a Minor, Death of a Parent**
Graphic: Gun violence, Grief, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Injury/injury detail, Misogyny, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
clare072's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Rape
Minor: Death of parent, Medical content, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, Death, and Injury/injury detail
kelly_e's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Author: Colleen Hoover
Series: It Ends with Us #1
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: August 2, 2016
T H R E E • W O R D S
Gritty • Emotional • Powerful
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Lily has had to work hard in order to get where she is today, leaving her small town and upbringing tainted by a toxic environment behind for big city life. Ryle is a brilliant neurosurgeon, with a dose of arrogance, a very busy schedule, and a firm no dating rule. After a chance encounter one night, Lily cannot get Ryle off her mind, despite them having very little in common. When life throws them together a second time, they cannot ignore the chemistry, and it all seems too good to be true.
As Lily starts to question Ryle's behaviour, her first love, Atlas, a boy she's never forgotten helping as a teenager walks back into her life threatening absolutely everything.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I'll start out my saying, that I personally wouldn't classify this as a romance novel. For me it's more of a dark contemporary fiction that explores various forms of love. It isn't light nor is it fluffy. What it is, is difficult to read and a realistic portrait of the heartbreaking reality faced by many in abusive relationships. It's a portrayal of how hard it is to break the cycle. Of how despite the violence and abuse, love can still exist. Of how easy it is for people to judge when they are on the outside looking in. The novel is beautiful and it is ugly, and it shines a light that abusive relationships are not black and white. I appreciated the author's note detailing the reason why she wrote this book and her deep personal connection to the content.
Colleen's writing is really good. She drew me into the story from the very beginning and I didn't want to stop reading. The characters were captivating, whether they were good or bad, and for me that's the power of great character development. I appreciated the letters Lily wrote to Ellen. To me this felt like a type of journal in which Lily shared her deepest secrets and desires, and gave insight into her past that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. I also really liked the floral shop backdrop. And I loved how Lily grew to understand and have empathy for her mother. I also appreciated Alysa and Marshall as key support for Lily.
In my opinion, Colleen Hoover has done something important with this book. If nothing else than to show people they are not alone.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• CoHo devotees
• readers who enjoyed Love and Other Words
⚠️ CW: death, death of parent, child death, grief, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, physical abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, violence, sexual violence, gun violence, alcohol, alcoholism, drug use, cursing, sexual content, rape, toxic relationship, mental illness, PTSD, homelessness, suicide, infertility, pregnancy, gaslighting, child abuse, injury/injury detail, blood, suicidal thoughts
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things."
"Plants reward you based on the amount of love you show them. If you’re cruel to them or neglect them, they give you nothing. But if you care for them and love them the right way, they reward you with gifts in the form of vegetables or fruits or flowers."
"Most plants do need a lot of care to survive. But some things, like trees, are strong enough to do it by just relying on themselves and nobody else."
"Maybe love isn't something that comes full circle. It just ebbs and flowers, in and out, just like the people in our lives."
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Rape, Violence, Injury/injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug use, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Gaslighting, Suicide, and Blood
Minor: Child death and Grief
PTSD, homelessness