Theme of Abusive Relationship in "It Ends With Us" by Colleen Hoover (Essay Example)

The novel It Ends With Us, written by Colleen Hoover, is a story about how difficult it can be to leave an abusive relationship. Normally, reading can be difficult for me because I always seem to know what’s going to happen next, but with this one, I couldn't put it down since it had me guessing all the time. Reading this book was a great experience; a wide spectrum of feelings and confusion; it was then that I stopped judging or trying to figure out where the characters and story would end up. Instead, I just kept reading and hoped for the best for Lily. Every character has an emotional connection to you, and you easily start to feel their pain. This book tackles a serious problem, specifically, domestic violence, as well as the question of why some people continue to stay in their abusive relationships.

Lily, the protagonist, witnessed her mother being abused by her father her entire life. She always wondered why her mother would stay with him. Every “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again” seemed to erase everything he had done to her. Knowing this, she knew she’d never end up in such a relationship. The story starts off with Lily making a big move to Boston from her small town in Maine to live independently and open her own flower shop. While reminiscing after her fathers funeral on a rooftop, Lily meets Ryle. Ryle is a charming neurosurgeon and doesn't do relationships while it’s clear Lily isn't looking for a one-night fling. This is off-putting, but she doesn't think much of it. They talk for hours on the roof about their lives and what’s next. A year goes by with no contact; they meet again while she’s working on her new flower shop with his sister and reconnect. She falls for him and the relationship escalates quickly. They rush into dating and are seemingly inseparable. Sadly, Lily doesn’t yet know that this was the worst decision of her life.

Another part of this book is based on 15-year-old Lily when she wrote journals about her life. This serves as her backstory and includes a new character, 18-year-old, Atlas. Atlas was her neighbor, and growing up, Lily would provide him with food, water, and showers in her house, all while keeping it a secret from her parents. They grow incredibly close, but after reconnecting with his uncle, Atlas is sent to Boston. On Lily's 16th birthday, however, he visited Lily and promised her that he would do whatever it took to find her again. Sadly, in this scene, Lily's father finds him in her room and beats him with a bat. She knew then that she may never see him again. Until one night out at dinner with Ryle, nine years after the last night they saw each other. Atlas is the waiter and she is speechless. He notices a bruise by her eye, looks to Ryles bandaged hand, and makes the connection. While pulling her aside, Lily defends Ryle, saying “He said he was sorry, he isn't like that”. That wasn't the end of both Ryles abuse and Atlas appearances in her life.

From the outside, Lily and Ryle were a perfect match. She was best friends with his sister and mom and fit in to the family so well. They just had to get married. One night, Ryle sees Atlas as  a contact on her phone. Angry and jealous, Ryle pushes Lily down the stairs and confesses that he has dealt with rage issues since he was a little kid. Instead of her being mad, she is conflicted and empathetic towards him. As time went on, more and more abuse came from Ryle, and with that, more and more apologies did also. Soon after, a fight escalated to the point of Lily ending up in the hospital. While staying there, she learns that she’s pregnant but knows she couldn't go back to Ryle. This part of the book was the most emotional and thought-provoking for me. Its at this point where she understands why her mother couldn't leave her father growing up. After her hospital stay, Atlas takes her in and he confesses his feelings to her. With a happy ending for the both of them, Lily leaves Ryle and she and Atlas are happy after finally getting their dream ending.

Colleen Hoover, born on December 11, 1979, grew up in Texas. She has a degree in social work from Texas A&M and led her to publish her first book, Slammed, in 2012. Slammed started her career off very well and lead to recognition from other well-known authors. It Ends With Us was released in 2016 but only recently became popular. The book was New York Times #1 bestseller for January 2022 and is her most loved book by many devoted readers. I loved this book and the way that Colleen chose to write about sensitive topics such as domestic abuse in the book was perfect in every way. This book does not romanticize violence in any way;  instead, it shows how it can affect relationships so deeply. All of the characters had such great depth and backstory that at moments it was hard not to empathize with each one. At times you can feel bad for Ryle because of his past traumas, and at other times you may hate him for his abuse towards Lily. People can be so quick to judge what happens in these relationships, but what they may not realize is that it takes so much support and courage to escape it.