“It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover is a powerful and emotional novel that explores love, pain, and the difficult choices people have to make in life. The book follows the story of Lily Bloom, a young woman who grows up in a troubled home and later finds herself facing similar challenges in her own relationships. Through Lily’s journey, the author shows how complicated love can be and how important it is to break harmful cycles.
Lily’s childhood plays a big role in shaping who she becomes. She grows up watching her father abuse her mother, which leaves her confused about love and relationships. Even though Lily loves her parents, she struggles to understand why her mother stayed in an unhealthy marriage. These experiences stay with Lily as she grows older, influencing the choices she makes, even when she doesn’t realize it at first.
As an adult, Lily meets Ryle Kincaid, a successful and confident neurosurgeon. At first, Ryle seems perfect—he is charming, caring, and ambitious. Lily quickly falls for him, believing she has finally found the love she has been searching for. However, as their relationship develops, Ryle begins to show a darker side. Lily is forced to face the reality that love does not excuse harmful behavior. This part of the novel is especially important because it shows how abuse does not always start right away and can be difficult to recognize.
The book also introduces Atlas Corrigan, Lily’s first love. Through flashbacks and journal entries, readers learn about Lily and Atlas’s connection during her teenage years. Atlas represents kindness, safety, and understanding—everything Lily wishes she had growing up. His presence in the story helps Lily see the difference between healthy and unhealthy love, which becomes crucial when she must make life-changing decisions.
Calissa Carter a Senior that attends Colonia High School states that making the book and then years later with a movie was amazing although I like the book way more then the movie I think the book brings out more emotions you call feel the writer.”
Jayla Gardnett, junior from Colonia High school states “ I think it’s a good book and might even be a sensitive topic for certain people that’s experienced abusive relationship but overall the outcome, the movie is just as good as the book
One of the strongest messages in It Ends With Us is about breaking cycles. Lily realizes that she does not want her future children to grow up the way she did. Even though leaving Ryle is incredibly painful, she understands that choosing herself and her child is the bravest decision she can make. The title of the book reflects this message, showing that the cycle of abuse can end with one person choosing differently.
One of my favorite quotes was “All humans make mistakes. What determine a person’s character aren’t the mistakes we make. It is how we take those mistakes and turn them into lessons rather than excuses.”
