I’m not going to lie. Ever since this summer, I have been feeling a little bit remorseful that I am an English major who has never read a single book by Colleen Hoover. Crazy, right? Believe me, It Ends With Us has been at the top of my TBR list for months but because I was taking four English classes this past semester, reading even more was definitely not how I wanted to spend the minimal free time that I had. Luckily, this past winter break, I finally had the time to sit down to see if It Ends With Us is worth the hype it has gained. Let me tell you, from the moment I started reading, I sure wasn’t disappointed.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book so fast — I literally couldn’t put it down! I was amazed at how Hoover was able to take a seemingly-basic romance trope and craft such a gut-wrenching yet beautiful story. I found it absolutely brilliant that Hoover could use Lily’s diary entries as a way to detail her past but also as a tool to intensify the tension between Lily and Ryle. I also admired how Hoover was able to draw on her own personal experiences in an effort to work towards transforming public perception on abusive relationships. The way in which Hoover used her writing to teach through a work of fiction was commendable. Honestly, I wish more authors were able make the audience feel empathy with the characters so effortlessly and concisely so that an emotional response to the characters’ situation is as strong.
Needless to say, I was a big fan and would recommended this book to many. As I closed the book after I fell in love and got my heart broken in a short 376 pages, I sat in silence. Then, I opened up Ugly Love and fell in love all over again.