It Ends with Us is narrated by Lily, a small-town girl who moves to Boston and starts her own business, but whose life is derailed when she meets the charismatic and handsome Ryle, a brilliant neurosurgeon with dark side. Life is complicated further when Lily’s first love, Atlas, suddenly reappears, forcing her to re-evaluate everything about her past and present. As Lily struggles to navigate the complications of her relationships with both Ryle and Atlas, it becomes clear that this is not the fairy tale she had hoped for.
It's difficult to review this book without giving too many spoilers, but suffice to say that while it may seem at first to be
a simple romance novel, it quickly becomes something much darker and more complex. Hoover is brave in presenting difficult topics such as childhood trauma and domestic abuse with an almost unflinching approach. As someone who does not shy away from difficult reads, I was surprised to realise how rarely I have read novels which truly broach the issue of domestic violence so boldly. Hoover is to be commended for her unapologetic approach to such issues. The storyline is compelling and it is certainly a page turner.
In so many ways, I felt I should love this book. Unfortunately, while I sympathised with Lily’s story – both in the main narrative and childhood – I found it difficult to connect with her narrative voice on any emotional level. For me, the writing lacked subtlety. Every event and emotion was thrust in your face; we can never make our own inferences about characters or events, because Lily’s narration spells out every tiny detail. As a result, at times of great emotion, I sometimes found myself irritated and unable to feel the connection to the characters I so desperately wanted to.
It feels such a shame. There is so much about this book to like, but when it comes to my greatest test – would I recommend this book to others? - I’m not sure I would.
I bought It Ends With Us after being overwhelmed by how often I saw it on social media. The cover design certainly lends itself to the visual aesthetic of TikTok and Instagram, and I can see why the subject matter would lend itself to online discussion. After reading the book, I wondered if it deserved all the air time it was getting, and if it would have been so successful in the age before social media. I’m not sure if it would, but in the age of BookTok, it has certainly become on online sensation which has spilled into the ‘real world’ – last week I saw Waterstones had an entire display of Hoover’s back catalogue and I am reading more and more rumours of a film adaptation starring Blake Lively. Regardless of my own reservations, Hoover’s success with this novel is incredible, and I have to admit, I am still tempted to pick up the sequel…
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