It Ends with Us is a novel written by Colleen Hoover, an American writer who mainly writes stories in the young adult fiction and romance genres. The novel depicts the story of Lily Bloom and her complicated romantic life; namely, it connects her history of growing up in an abusive family and her current situation in an abusive relationship with her escape from abuse and eventual salvation. In this context, the book illustrates that preferring personal well-being is ultimately the right choice to make.
Despite an apparent romantic context, the general topic of the book is not romance but a never-ending cycle of domestic violence and abuse that can hide in its shadow. The novel’s intended audience is young adults, which derives from the protagonist’s age, the events and problems she has to face, and, most importantly, a lack of personal experience to deal with them at this particular point in time. Having this in mind, Hoover wrote this novel specifically to draw attention to the matter in the young adult genre. In particular, the book focuses on showcasing a woman’s emotional turmoil and indecisiveness in the face of having to choose between her well-being and feelings for the person she genuinely loves. As the events unfold, the author makes it clear that the former option is necessary in order to break the cycle of misery.
When interviewed regarding the book, Hoover confirmed the connection between the book’s events and her past experience. She commented that writing the novel proved to be a great challenge, as the fact that it is based on her father and mother’s relationships has undoubtedly left its toll. Hoover wanted to show how distorted, both morally and emotionally, domestic abuse can appear in the background of true romantic feelings and love. This way, the decision to put an end to violence becomes the only reasonable alternative.
The author supports her claims with the depth and richness of emotional distress the protagonist experiences throughout the book. It is important to note that Lily was able to find the answer to a dilemma by herself; however, she would have the resolve to stick with the decision only with the other character’s support. First of all, the main contributor to the protagonist’s decision-making is Atlas, Lily’s past romantic interest. It was he who highlighted the flaws and abusive patterns of her relationship with Ryle, the protagonist’s current romantic interest. Apart from that, Atlas treated Lily in a proper way, thus, serving as the source of relationship comparison for Lily to make. As stated in chapter 26, Lily realized the truth in his words and took them into account (Hoover, 2020). Therefore, he fostered Lily’s critical thinking and judgment, helping her to come to the conclusions she sought.
The conclusions drawn by the protagonist are eventually supported by other characters of the novel, namely Lily’s best friend, Alyssa, and Lily’s mother. The former’s perspective is strengthened by the fact of the familial bonds Alyssa has with Ryle. In this context, the fact that in chapter 29 Alyssa advises against staying in a relationship with Ryle despite him being her brother illustrates the weight behind her words (Hoover, 2020). In turn, the latter’s perspective is closely connected with the horror of the long-term endurance of the abuse. In chapter 32, Lily finally finds the resolve to consult with her mother regarding the abuse (Hoover, 2020). This makes the mother share how tolerant she had become toward it as time passed.
At the end of the story, Lily is shown to recover from the stress and the weight of her decision to choose herself over her love. The fact that the protagonist managed to cope with it and regain strength to move forward does not seem illogical or out of line, which speaks for the truth behind the author’s claims. Overall, the book proves to be convincing due to the ease with which the readers can associate themselves with its characters. Character development, motives, and reasoning – all fit into the big picture of the fight against the cursed abuse cycle and, thus, contribute to conveying the intended message. Apart from that, the evidence presented is logically reasonable, emotionally understandable, and relatable. The book’s potential flaws, such as the author’s personal interest and a strict female narration perspective, can be considered strictly subjective. The author’s bias, albeit present, does fit into the book’s framework and message. In turn, the female perspective might make the novel more challenging to read for the male audience; however, it does not make it harder to empathize with the characters and comprehend the novel’s idea.
It Ends with Us is a novel that manages to find the right way to translate a fictional experience into valuable thoughts and considerations. In other words, readers following Lily’s struggles and inability to decide between herself and her feelings can live through it as well, drawing their conclusions based on it. Home abuse is a topic of great importance that should not be regarded lightly. In this context, the author’s decision to aim it at the young audience to protect them from its horrors is correct and reasonably justified.
Reference
Hoover, C. (2020). It ends with us. Simon and Schuster.