| It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover |

TITLE: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

PAGES: 275 (Ebook)

SYNOPSIS: Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most. (Goodreads)

RATING: 5/5

NON-SPOILERY REVIEW: I had mixed feelings about this book before I read it. I have trouble reading Colleen Hoover's books because I have a love-hate relationship with them. I usually love the first half of her book then hate the second half however with this book, I loved all of it. This book was heartbreaking. The topic it discussed was really hard to read about. You'll know more about that topic and the point of view of those who experience it from this book. You'll see that it's not easy for those people who experience it. It's hard to read about because it'll make you cry. I think I cried about three or four times. There are still some good things about this book - the love story between the lead characters are cute and adorable. Their relationship with each other are fun and interesting to read. I couldn't stop thinking how things would go down because that usually happens in Colleen Hoover's books. Allysa - the main character's employee and bestfriend - is a very fun and supportive character to read about. She's very adorable and lovable and it's a good thing she's a major character. Her relationship with Marshall was another fun point of this book. I love reading about them. Lily is an amazing and strong character. Ryle had his issues but overall he was alright. Atlas is a wonderful character. Overall, it's a very amazing book. Knowing the reason behind the title will break your heart and probably make you cry (like I did). I have too many thoughts on this in the spoiler section.

• I liked the Naked-Truth thing between Ryle and Lily. It was sad though that it wasn't utilized properly during the time of their fights. It would've made it easier for them to work their relationship out - maybe it was because it was not the point of the book to make things work out.
• The backstory of the lead characters were really heartbreaking. Reading Lily's old diaries broke my heart. How much she cared for Atlas and how terrible her father was. I liked that she didn't say anything good about her father during his eulogy. I hate how much her father treated her mother. Especially the almost-rape scene. Ryle's backstory was another terrible one. Shooting your own brother even though it wasn't on purpose isn't something that you can remove from your mind. It ruined Ryle in a way and it ruined his relationship with Lily. Atlas, another character abandoned by his parents, grew up to be wonderful. He grew up to be a wonderful chef who was caring and loving. I love that things worked out in the end with all of them. 
• I liked Ryle and Lily together but I knew that it wouldn't last. They were too happy in the beginning and Colleen Hoover likes torturing her readers. It was just sad that she found out she was pregnant after he almost-raped her because he thought she was still seeing Atlas.
• I liked Atlas and Lily together. I liked them better. They knew each other's past and I am sure that he wouldn't hurt her - well not in the physical way maybe. I love seeing her together with his friends - they were really supportive towards her and it was fun to read about. It was quite sad to find out that Atlas really did came back for her but he didn't want to disturb her happiness so he never did showed himself up which was selfless of him. 
• Lily was at fault during some of  fights however it doesn't justify Ryle hurting her. Sure she was wrong but that doesn't allow Ryle to hurt her.
• Lily was a very wonderful character. She was strong. She didn't stay with Ryle even though there was a reason why he was hurting her - the aftermath of him shooting his brother. It was great that she forgave him the first two times but the third one was unforgivable. I really felt bad for her during the weeks she was pregnant and she couldn't tell anyone. I'm glad that she had her mom, Atlas, and Allysa to help her through. I was glad that they could work it out in the end - glad that they were able to raise their daughter even though they were divorced. 
• Allysa is a very wonderful sister to Ryle and a wonderful friend to Lily. Reading about her will make you happy especially since her relationship with Marshall is a very adorable one. Marshall is so loving towards her even though sometimes he acted aloof. 
• Even though I don't watch Ellen very much, I like it that they mentioned her. I love the gift Atlas gave her especially since it was autographed. I love that they kept using the "Just keep swimming" phrase from Finding Nemo and that Lily's daughter had a second name: 'Dory'.
• I find it weird that the child was named Emerson but I was glad they named her after Ryle's deceased older brother.
• I really love Atlas. He was very supportive and protective of Lily. After all that they went through, I was glad that he found happiness in the end. 
• It was a very tearjerking scene when she finally told her mom what happened with Ryle and she thanked for being the only person to fight for her. Her mother had a hard time and I wish her happiness with the guy she's currently with. She deserves it.
• The part where Lily asked Ryle what would he do if ever their daughter was the one who experienced abuse was another heartbreaking scene. He knows that he won't get Lily back and he understood why.
• Finding out why the titled is called, "In Ends With Us" will make you really cry. It refers to Lily divorcing Ryle so that the cycle of abuse won't be shown to their daughter. She wanted everything to end with them and not include their daughter in the fight that may have as she grows up.
• It's very heartbreaking to find out that some part of this was based from Colleen Hoover's own life. Her mother went through the same thing before she divorced her father. I cried when I found out about that.
• Knowing more about abuse in this book opened my mind that there's no clear black or white in the scenario of abuse. You can't blame the victim for staying because it's hard to leave especially if you don't have the means to survive (like Lily's mother). I was glad that Colleen Hoover's mother toughened up and left her father even though they had trouble surviving. It will make you think that the really one to blame is the abuser and not the victim. One line from the book will make you really think. The line where most people ask why doesn't the victim immediately leave the ones who abuse them when the right question to ask is why do abusers do what they do. 

FAVORITE QUOTES:

"So what's your middle name, Lily Bloom?"I groan, which makes him perk up."You mean it gets worse?"I drop my head in my hands and nod."Rose?"I shake my head. "Worse.""Violet?""I wish." I cringe and then mutter, "Blossom."There's a moment of silence. "Goddamn," he says softly."Yeah. Blossom is my mother's maiden name and my parents thought it was fate that their last names were synonyms. So of course when they had me, a flower was their first choice.""Your parents must be real assholes. 

"I feel like everyone fakes who they really are, when deep down we're all equal amounts of screwed up. Some of us are just better at hiding it than others." 

"There is no such thing as bad people. We're all just people who sometimes do bad things." 

All humans make mistakes. What determines a person's character aren't the mistakes we make. It's how we take those mistakes and turn them into lessons rather than excuses. 

Life is a funny thing. We only get so many years to live it, so we have to do everything we can to make sure those years are as full as they can be. We shouldn't waste time on things that might happen someday, or maybe even never. 

"Mother," Ryle says. "Meet Lily. My blasphemous whore."Oh dear God. 

For better, for worse? Fuck.That.Shit. 

"In the future... if by some miracle you ever find yourself in the position to fall in love again... fall in love with me." 

"Just because someone hurts you doesn't mean you can simply stop loving them. It's not a person's actions that hurt the most. It's the love. If there was no love attached to the action, the pain would be a little easier to bear."

"The day you gave your father's eulogy? I know you didn't freeze up, Lily. You stood at that podium and refused to say a single good thing about that man. It was the proudest I have ever been of you. You were the only one in my life who ever stood up for me. You were strong when I was scared." 

He brings his mouth to my ear, and in a whisper, he says, "You can stop swimming now, Lily. We finally reached the shore."