‘‘It Ends With Us’’ brings new perspective to relationships

If you’ve wandered through any bookstore or library within the last six months, chances are you have noticed colorful displays of novels with short, punctuated titles. Though romance novels have been around for ages, a recent uptick in readership can be attributed in part to TikTok, where eager book lovers unite to discuss the current trends.

The name at the forefront of readers’ minds? Colleen Hoover. Hoover is not a new author; however, thanks to BookTok, her novels are at the top of people’s reading lists. I have never considered myself someone to easily succumb to peer pressure, but after seeing Hoover’s “It Ends With Us” everywhere I went, I decided to give it a read.

As soon as it was delivered from Amazon of course, because it was sold out everywhere else I looked. I was initially skeptical to read “It Ends With Us,” simply because of the overwhelmingly positive response it received. Having read a few other of Hoover’s titles before, I understand how skilled of an author she is.

However, I was understandably leery of this novel in particular, as it received an uncharacteristically high amount of praise compared to her other titles. I was prepared to be disappointed. After reading the novel, I can admit that it is as impactful as everyone says it is. Similarly to Hoover’s other books, “It Ends With Us” is easy to read. It isn’t a novel that you’re going to struggle to pick up; instead, you’re going to have a hard time putting it down. Trust me, I finished it in a little under three hours.

What makes “It Ends With Us” unique is its approach to relationships. Lily, the main character and extremely lovable protagonist, struggles with various abusive relationships in her life. Hoover doesn’t sugarcoat the real-world issues her characters grapple with. In fact, she addresses them in an honest and straightforward fashion that leaves readers thinking about their own relationships, whether with family members, friends or romantic partners.

Though “It Ends With Us” is a page-turner, that is not to say that the content is easy to digest. I found it difficult to keep reading at times, as the struggles the main character faced quite literally shook me to my core. I’m not going to lie, the content is deep. On one hand, the novel exemplifies the qualities of a typical romance novel while simultaneously calling into question all you think you know about healthy relationships.

Despite the turmoil found throughout much of the book, the lighthearted moments and happy ending left me feeling happy for the characters. With tropes such as redemption, forgiveness and self-growth, I had an overwhelmingly positive experience reading this novel.

At the end of the day, I firmly believe “It Ends With Us” should be the novel on everyone’s bookshelves. Share it with your roommate or someone in your class.