Colleen Hoover’s books have taken social media by storm.
TikTok influencers have been recommending her books on their monthly lists of books to read, as part of a popular trend called #booktok.
Hoover’s It Ends With Us (2016) is one of her most recommended books.
The story follows Lily Bloom, who meets Ryle, a successful and charming neurosurgeon, with whom she begins a passionate relationship.
As she navigates the new relationship, she reminisces (through old diary entries) about her first love, Atlas, a boy she connected with through unusual circumstances.
The book illustrates Lily’s inner turmoil as she battles her feelings for her ex with her love for her new man.
Things get even more complicated when Lily finds herself fighting similar demons that her mother faced at the hands of her abusive father.
Hoover does not shy away from painting graphic images of the abuse Ryle puts Lily through. We are given first-hand accounts of the different stages of abuse that victims often face; from the shock, anger, and betrayal, to the loss of trust, fear, and denial, to the eventual forgiveness.
She also draws from her own experiences as Hoover’s mother also dealt with abuse from her father.
The story follows a different ending than what one might expect and gives a refreshing take on how to handle abuse.
The novel covers various topics throughout the storyline including jealousy, physical abuse, gaslighting, family negligence, generational curses, and trauma, all of which are issues that most people can relate to in their daily lives, which probably explains why this book is so popular.
All these issues are handled with care and fit well into the storyline, without feeling forced.
The writing is simple and laced with metaphors and descriptions that are easy to understand.
A sequel, It Starts With Us, (told from Atlas’s perspective) is expected to be released later this year.
