Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

29 reviews

clareasday's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Blood, Rape, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Grief, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexual violence, Violence, Abandonment, Addiction, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Stalking, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

rachjy's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Stalking

aiiime's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Blood, Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Vomit, Cancer, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Stalking, Violence, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

sandy_77's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Don't think it is right to think that it is okay,I would not recommend for anyone under 18 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Grief, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Death, Body shaming, and Body horror

Do not recommend for teens or young adult

issyd23's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

THIS BOOK IS CAMP!!! 1🌸

I feel bad for hating/ridiculing this book b/c the content is heavy and the Note from the author is genuinely moving…but:

• the protagonist is a florist
• the onesie party
• THE ELLEN DEGENERES DIARIES 😭

Would it kill Colleen Hoover to give a character a normal name?

• lily blooming bloom
• Ryle Kincaid 
• Atlas corrigan 
• Dory!?

Okay. Since we’re on the subject… the first guy I ever had sex with was homeless.

Ellen, I am confident that the next sentence I am about to write has never been written or spoken aloud before.

When he was wiping that cow shit on me, it was quite possibly the most turned-on I have ever been.

Now go get my baby and take her away from here so I can have some sex with my filthy rich husband.

TLDR: my Colleen Hoover curiosity ends with this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Classism, Cursing, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Stalking

singlespeedahead's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Violence

amissabellator's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Blood, Alcohol, Child abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Mental illness

Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, Death of parent, Stalking, Vomit, and Medical content

This story builds up and then follows an incredibly tense and detailed toxic

Spoiler

and ultimately abusive

relationship. The book also includes graphic depictions of sexual assault and domestic abuse, so be wary. Following the tropes of many romance novels, it includes depictions of sex and pregnancy - including following two prominent characters throughout their pregnancies. A character also acts very jealously and possessively, even accusing their partner of infidelity on multiple occasions

Spoiler

and acts violently because of it

. A separate, but important, plotline follows the main character as she recounts her past with a previous high school lover, Atlas, who was homeless at the time.

Spoiler

Both characters graphically recount the domestic abuse suffered by their parents and themselves.

One of the main characters is also subtly implied to be suffering from a mental illness as the result of a traumatic childhood event involving gun violence (graphically described), and said illness is suspected to be the cause of current emotional dysfunction. A minor character follows the stereotypical trope of the gay best friend (and only exists in a single chapter).

former_nonreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Cursing, Blood, Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, and Injury/Injury detail

celina_2604's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Sexism

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Pregnancy, Stalking, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

lilybearillini3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.25

 

**This is the first and only book of Colleen Hoover’s that I will read, due to problems surrounding her son’s harassment to a minor, her response to that, and her romanticizing abuse in her writing.  If you’d like more information, I encourage you to research.  I picked up this book at the library (no money given) so I could formulate my own opinion about a book and author that skyrocketed in popularity.  Hopefully, I wrote this review in a way that is understandable.

Into the review: 

I rarely take notes while reading books, but this one was so terrible, I almost did a page-by-page commentary because I couldn’t believe what I was reading. 

The names in this book are just wild.  Lily Blossom Bloom? Ryle?

Spoiler

Emerson Dory?? TF<spoiler/> 

The writing is bad for a number of reasons.  I’m so confused by the choice of randomly italicized sentences.  The story is told in first person, so it’s already an internal monologue!  It will be going relatively well and then Hoover drops a sentence that just takes you out of it. There are also unrealistic things that happen, like

Spoiler

they very last-minute wake everyone up to take a midnight flight to vegas.  I guess anything is possible when you make rich characters.

I felt like this was (and is) written for straight white people who think certain scenarios or dialogue are romantic when they’re actually cringy. 

About 130 pages in, something finally happens, but it is the dumbest scene I have ever read. 

Spoiler

there is no way Ryle was that drunk to grab a pan out the oven with no oven mitt. Secondly, why are they having sex WHILE HIS HAND IS BLEEDING A LOT? I don’t understand because he’s a SURGEON.

 

Talking about characters

Spoiler

As far as characters go, everyone in this book is unbearable, except for her mom at Atlas.  While Atlas is sort of written with a savior complex, it is completely forgivable due to how much I hated Lily, Ryle, and Allysa.  Best Atlas quote: “it wasn’t pity sex, I know I was there.” 

I hate miscommunication. There isn’t really the miscommunication trope, it’s that realistically, you would talk with your partner about having kids, moving in, etc. BEFORE marrying. 

Told in Lily’s perspective, it was difficult to read in that I had no idea why she was doing or saying the things she did.  She redeemed herself a little and I even felt proud of her for a moment, then continued to disappoint me.  The best chapter of the books is when Lily asks for help from her mother, her mother is affirming and supportive 

The ending: 

Spoiler

The epilogue ties up loose ends but leaves it open for a sequel with her new relationship with Atlas. I’m confused that she didn’t want her daughter to be around Ryle and his temper but is letter her have time with him?

This is a general statement, but I wanted more Atlas in this book, he just disappeared in the last 1/3 of the book. 

Final thoughts:  @thecalvinbooks on TikTok said it best, Colleen Hoover books are for people who don't read, they're not written well.  People who are getting into reading shouldn't read them because they won't want to read anything that isn't this type of writing. 

Reading articles on my own, I know Colleen Hoover is problematic in that some of her books are marketed as romance even though there are abusive relationships and abuse scenes.  One article wrote that typically romance novels are based around consent, Hoover romanticized abuse and homelessness in this book.  I also feel like the abuse scenes were used for shock and propelled the story, leaving readers on edge to see what happens next, I won't lie, I felt this myself.  She has a savior complex with her stories where a man will come and save the woman in distress and there is no representation whatsoever.  It is a book written by a white woman, for white women.

The author’s note outlines that this story was based on her experience watching her father abuse her mother. She says it was hard to write,

Spoiler

making Ryle (a character she loved) be abusive and Lily (also loved) continue to stay

, writing how hard it is the break the cycle of abuse and why victims stay. There are two resources for domestic violence and homelessness listed in the back of the book. 

While I can sympathize with her experience and know that versions of Lily and Ryle’s relationship exist in the real world, I cannot recommend this book to people without sharing all of the trigger warnings, which should have been in the beginning of this book.  Periodically, she has a monologue on abusive relationships, why some victims choose to stay, and why the cycle of abuse is hard to break.  I appreciated it at times, but it did not make up for the fact that this book was propelled by those triggering scenes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Sexual content, Violence, Abandonment, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Medical content, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, and Stalking

Minor: Sexual assault, Death, Infidelity, Rape, and Death of parent