Review Of It Ends With Us

This book drove me CRAZY!! In a really good way, though. Coming from Colleen Hoover, there was a lot of excitement and buzz surrounding this book. I had heard great reviews and accolades for it and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I went into the book after reading the blurb and had assumed a different storyline. Another thing I knew was that it was inspired by her real life and I love to read such stories. They are of a different breed and I can connect to them on a totally different level.

This was undoubtedly such kind of a book and it struck an emotional chord with me. This book was all about pain . It's about how we continue to love a person despite the pain they put us through and the struggle to accept that love is actually winning over the pain, despite one's resistance. A very sensitive topic is expressed through a beautiful story written by one of the most established Romantic authors of the current times.

That being said and done, this story was not what I had in mind since I expected more of a love triangle from the blurb. I was wrong but I was not disappointed. This book is way more than just love. It's a struggle and a social message. I don't want to touch upon the story since it's better to dive into it without knowing what it's all about. As a reader I had a good time reading it and could connect and empathize with issues that were addressed and dealt with. I could understand Lily and her feelings for Atlas. I loved the way flash back was told through letters written in a journal. All that was PERFECT, but when it comes to Ryle, I really couldn't form a strong opinion. I liked him at parts, hated him at some parts and felt sorry for him on more than one occasion. That's where the problem lies, I liked the characters but I couldn't love them. There was nothing that stood out to me in the way that they were depicted. I believe this book was more about delivering a strong message rather than being character oriented. I can love flawed characters ( Characters in my book are flawed and I still love them), but in the case of this book, I loved the storyline more than the individual characters which is not necessarily a bad thing.

The story was nice, the writing was beautiful( like always, no doubt in that), but as a critic I think it lacked in the execution department. I love Colleen Hoover books but I don't think this is her best book though it holds a personal touch to it which evokes an emotional response from the readers. The first part was very engaging as it alternated between past and present. The flow was good too. In the second part, it dragged at parts and the end was kind of rushed. Somehow the balance was lost and it was kind of messy. Though the 'message' was strong, it kind of lacked the love that is present in her other books. Though I understood it, I failed to see the love between Ryle and Lily. Their chemistry didn't appeal much to me . The love between her and Atlas was more transparent and likable.

Though I won't consider this as her best book, at the end of this, I was in tears. Her style of writing really sucked me in and made me question a lot of things. Though I won't give it five stars, I would recommend it to everyone. This is a must read and might resonate at different levels for different people.

The author's note at the end is a must read. It's a very bold step by Colleen and I applaud her and her mom for it.

Overall, I loved it!!!!!!