It’s funny how you can hear so much about a book, but not fully understand it until you finally read it.
THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS SO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
The most popular quote that comes out of people reading this book is
“It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us.”
Going into this book as blind as I could, I definitely thought that Atlas was the one who said this quote to Lily. I read it as an end to a cycle of abuse; that this was his plea to get her to trust him and that if she gave this relationship a shot, she could start fresh with him.
Obviously I have no idea the complications of the book and that Lily was actually the one who spoke this to her child after deciding to get a divorce from her abusive husband. While she was saying it to end the cycle of abuse, it held so much more meaning and it made it even more powerful to me.
Before I read it, I also didn’t understand everyone’s obsession with Ryle. I went into it with a very black and white way of thinking. He hits her, he’s bad. But in classic Colleen Hoover fashion, she gave us such a complex character to dissect. While Ryle said and did things no one ever should, you understand Lily’s initial hesitancy when deciding whether or not to stay with him. Growing up after a traumatic experience like Ryle went through can’t be easy, but it also can’t be an excuse. This book really opened my eyes and helped me see why so many people may continue with abusive relationships and why they are so hard to leave.
This was my 3rd CoHo book and while I enjoyed it and thought it was a great read, it definitely isn’t my favorite by her. I obviously wanted more Atlas time (and my thoughts were answered as It Starts With Us is coming out soon!!), but I wanted to get more inside Ryle’s head. I wanted to understand how he experienced something unimaginable at such a young age and instead of being extra cautious about things around him, he actually grew to become more violent in nature.
Overall, I am so happy to be in the conversation about this book and relieved I can stop hiding from spoilers. This was a heartbreaking book (you should know CoHo by now) and if you like complicated characters making complicated decisions, this book is for you.
Book Rating: 4 / 5
Spice Rating: 2 / 5
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