Rating: 4.5/5
Read: Dec 31st, 2016
Well, Well, Well. Queen Hoover has done it again. Not that I ever doubted her.
Another masterpiece to add to the shelves.
It Ends With Us is quite a different story for Hoover, but still had the unmistakable essence of her beautifully poetic writing, and brilliantly written characters.
First of all, I applaud Colleen on her risk of branching out and tackling an issue that can be quite controversial. I feel extremely strongly about domestic violence, not that I have ever experienced it myself, but I have always, for whatever reason, felt the need to care a lot about it. I hope one day, that I can play my part in prevention of such horror, in some way.
Anyway, back to the novel…
Apart from the writing, the one thing I love the most about Colleens books are the incredibly vivid characters she creates. They all leave an imprint in some way, from Layken and Will, to Tate and Miles, Fallon and Ben, Auburn and Owen, Sydney and Ridge, you name it. Now, I have Lily, Ryle and Atlas to add to that ever growing list. Not to mention the amazing side characters, but lets leave that for another day.
I loved this book, so much. It was raw, unapologetic and heart wrenching.
The characters were some of the best yet, from the main characters, to Lily’s mum, Atlas’s friends, Allysa and Marshall, they were all brilliant, each bringing their own uniqueness to the story.
I felt like I was Lily at times, that’s how good this writing is. I put myself in her shoes, and was transported into her world. Beyond that, this book really made me understand the struggles that domestic violence victims have. I even felt the ‘oh, but what if…no he’s good, no he’s bad,’ feelings that Lily went through. I was just as conflicted as her, yet ultimately wanting her to come to the same decision as I did, which happened. Yes.
Ryle, oh Ryle. He has got to be one of Hoovers most confusing and emotion inducing character to date. Half the time I couldn’t figure out if I loved him or hated him, pitied him, or wanting to scream at him. However, I was extremely happy with the way in which the story ended in regards to his character.
Atlas! I love him! He added such substance and longing to the story. Ahh, it wouldn’t have been the same without him. I really wish we got to see more of him. Some sort of mini sequel, please Colleen?
Every Hoover book seems to have an extra sort of content, and in this novel, it was the letters to Ellen. I loved that aspect of the story, and as always, those extra bits are just what make Colleens books that much better.
I don’t really know what else to say, except I loved it. I loved it from the very first sentence, I loved Lily, I loved the career aspects of all the characters, friendships, the different paths in which the story went, deviating from the ‘normal’ Colleen stories.
However, may favourite part may just be the final sentence…
“You can stop swimming now, Lily. We finally reached the shore.”
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