By Sesa Graham
It Ends with Us, written by Colleen Hoover, has been blowing up on TikTok as one of the top-rated books for 2022 to read. Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-two novels. Hoover incorporates the heavy topic of domestic violence with intertwining the true depth of romance, and what is meant for you will come back to you.
It Ends with Us follows a girl named Lily Bloom. Lily is determined, strong, and compassionate. This book follows the dark parts of Lily that caused trauma in her life at such a young age. Lily is twenty-three living in Boston and is coping with her abusive dad dying.
When Atlas Corrigan enters the chapters, it takes you back in time to a time in Lily’s life that she thinks about often. You can’t help but feel sorry for the things that Atlas went through when he was younger. Although Lily and Atlas went through different things, they both found their home in one another at a young age. You also can’t help but fall in love with his character because of how good he treats Lily. He soon becomes Lily’s first love, but then he leaves.
Ryle Kincaid, Lily’s second love, is much different than her first. Ryle is born into the upper-class, a resident surgeon, and their romance was for the movies. Until it wasn’t. Ryle’s anger, much like Lily’s father, was unwarranted. But after she apologized, she forgave him time and time again. Once she has enough, she finds out that she is carrying Ryle’s baby.
Lily’s first love makes a new appearance in the book, but he’s not the same boy from high school. He is a successful chef who moved to Boston, where they both talked about living when they were young. Atlas becomes Lily’s confidant when he discovers what Ryle has been doing to Lily. He knows that he has to support Lily’s decisions. How Hoover writes Atlas into this book makes it easy for the reader to love his character.
Once Lily delivers Emmy, Lily decides that she doesn’t want her daughter to grow up witnessing abuse. So she divorces Ryle but lets him see Emmy. At the end of the book, Lily and Atlas see each other on the sidewalk and realize that now is their time to have a happy ending.
Overall, this book had me hooked. I read it in a single day and was immediately drawn in by the characters. There are parts of this book that can be triggering, but I felt like I wasn’t alone during those times. Hoover’s writing style makes this book seem as though you are seeing the story unfold in front of your eyes. Non-fiction or fiction, this book gives you hope that there is still good in the world if you have been dealt a bad card. If you enjoy this book, make sure to check out other novels by Hoover. She has become my new favorite author of 2022.
