A review by lixe02
It Ends with Us, by Colleen Hoover

challenging dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Honestly, my feelings are so divided on this book. At the beginning, it feels like it was written by a teenager and sometimes badly written (sorry to all the Colleen Hoover fans), but at the same time, the Author Note at the end explained so much. It did feel realistic but I also feel that although it isn't explicit,
SpoilerLily would maybe not tell her daughter about the abuse in the future, and I felt this was a judgment by CH on women/parents who are open about the abuse they received to their children. As she said, not all situations are the same, and not everyone gets an abuser as watered down as Ryle. Here, somehow she was sure Ryle would not harm their daughter, but in a lot of situations, the parent can use the children to get back at the parent who left them or can be abusive to the children as well.
 
I did enjoy the relationship between Alyssa and Lily. However the age diff between Atlas and Lily, and the fact that he came back on her 16th birthday so it wouldn't be illegal felt so creepy to me. Jeez. Which is a shame, because apart from that I really liked his character. Never questioned Lily or her choices, never tried to control her and always defending her.
SpoilerWhy couldn't he just have told the truth and said he was single? Lily said herself that if he had, it was probable she would never have gotten with Ryle in the first place. That still makes me angry.
 
Overall, the first half I didn't enjoy, and then started to be horrified, and moderately liked the end. Meh. 
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