It Ends with Us – a romance novel?

TW: Domestic violence, abuse

It Ends with Us, published in 2016, became a bestselling novel and has been praised online for its realistic portrayal of topics such as domestic violence. It was one of Colleen Hoover’s many successful books and helped to solidify her authorial status. Branded as Co-Ho online by her reader base, Hoover self-proclaims her media shyness and has attributed her popularity online as being the readers, bloggers and BookTokers. [1] Thus, it is no surprise that there have been many comments and critiques online surrounding It Ends with Us.

It Ends with Us follows the story of Lily Bloom who falls in love with Ryle Kincaid, a neurosurgeon and a seemingly perfect guy at first. Readers are also exposed to Lily’s relationship with Atlas Corrigan when they were teenagers and how her abusive father caused complications in her personal life and relationships. We, as readers, are witness to how Lily’s past relationship intersects with her current life. Hoover, in her interviews after the release of the book, has opened up about the biographical elements of the plot saying that she grew up in an abusive household and that “there were no resources for women to leave situations like that.” [2]

Readers bear witness to the barriers that prevent other women like Lily to leave abusive relationships

Readers bear witness to the barriers that prevent other women like Lily to leave abusive relationships. I think this is excellently portrayed through Lily’s questioning of whether the first few moments of abuse are accidental which subsequently causes us to believe the same. Consequently, people have shared their experiences online of how the book has helped them to gain knowledge on such sensitive topics and others have even thanked the book for allowing themselves to leave abusive situations.

However, the book has also been met with criticism online. In opposition to the praise surrounding the presentation of domestic violence portrayed in Lily’s story, critics have also considered the damage caused by it. Some have even go so far as to brand the book anti-feminist and say that it glorifies male violence.

it “feeds into the very structures of toxic masculinity that it purports to combat”

Critic Jennie Young says that the book was almost inspiring but says that it “feeds into the very structures of toxic masculinity that it purports to combat” [3]. Many others online feel the same as Young due to the initial presentation of Ryle as a deeply troubled man traumatised by his past and the cliché that Lily could change him, which people believe romanticises abusive relationships.

The criticism does not just end at the writing of the book. There has also been outrage at the way the book has been marketed. Branded as a romance novel with a love triangle between Lily, Ryle, and Atlas, it is no surprise that this has been critiqued. It is far from a romance novel and should certainly not be presented as one. Chels Upton debates the backlash against Colleen Hoover and particularly in relation to It Ends with Us. She examines Hoover’s announcement that she was going to release a colouring book for It Ends with Us, which only one day after the announcement was cancelled due to the pushback and negative response, which is unsurprising. [4] A colouring book would have aligned the novel with the romance genre again, and it would have seemed like a fun, easy-to-read novel – completely taking away from the problems raised in the plot.

This summer, the novel was adapted into a film, but this has been met with scepticism about the presentation of domestic violence throughout the film and in its marketing. Since the announcement of the film and its cast, there has been a wave of criticism surrounding it which is unsurprising considering Hoover’s wide fanbase online and the popularity and indeed criticism of the novel itself.

As avid readers, when any book is adapted into a film there is always bound to be some scepticism. To begin with, the criticism started at the casting with many online being outraged by Blake Lively cast as Lily due to her hair colour, age, and even the outfits she was seen to be wearing on set. Then, after suspicions online of drama between the cast, specifically between Lively and Justin Baldoni (who plays Ryle), many have tried to pick apart what could have happened on set. The drama surrounding the actors of the film has taken away what lies at the heart of the book and what people should really be talking about instead: the struggles of domestic violence.

Moreover, much like the novel, the film’s marketing has also been critiqued. Baldoni has been commended for his genuine communication about helplines and the true meaning behind the plot, whilst Lively has been slammed online for promoting both her alcohol business and her haircare business, while disregarding the main message of victimhood in interviews.

A lot of the branding surrounding the film also seems to focus on florals and romance which again, like the novel, lulls unassuming watchers into a false sense of security

A lot of the branding surrounding the film also seems to focus on florals and romance which again, like the novel, lulls unassuming watchers into a false sense of security. But maybe that is the point? And could the florals be a nod to the success of Lily’s flower shop and a sense of reclaiming her sense of self? This is up for debate, but I do think the film could have done a lot more to promote abuse helplines and other resources for women like Lily.

Ultimately, I feel that the novel certainly is not a romance novel and should not be branded as such. For me, the main controversy surrounding the branding is valid and with other controversial literary works the marketing needs to be specialised. However, I also feel that critiques about the plot and about the victim, specifically the outrage about Lily’s co-parenting with Ryle at the end, are harsh as it is damaging to try to create a perfect plot and a ‘perfect victim’ since stories like these need to be raw and authentic, and of course, this will not create a perfect novel.

[1] Colleen Hoover Sits Down With Jenna Bush Hager for Rare Interview (today.com)

[2] https://www.today.com/popculture/books/colleen-hoover-interview-jenna-bush-hager-2023-rcna91682

[3] Stop Praising Colleen Hoover’s ‘It Ends With Us.’ Here’s What You’re Missing – Ms. Magazine (msmagazine.com)

[4] Colleen Hoover backlash: Why critiques of It Ends With Us are aiming in the wrong direction. (slate.com)