“I avoid these books like the plague,” claims Reddit User EffieHarlow.  

“Domestic violence is nothing to joke about, especially disguised as a poorly written romance novel,” states another online critic.  These comments are about a book written by Colleen Hoover titled It Ends With Us.”  This book has been the topic of discussion, as people are debating whether it is good or a mockery disguised as a romance book.

It Ends With Us and It Starts With Us are books by Colleen Hoover based on accurate depictions of emotional and physical violence in a marriage. It Ends With Us was published in 2016, and after immense success and over ten million copies being sold, It Starts With Us, a sequel to the earlier book, was published six years later in October of 2022.

Both books focus on domestic issues: the first explores the violent aspects of the relationship, while the sequel examines the trauma our protagonist faced in her youth. It tells the story of a girl who grew up with a violent man in her home and, unfortunately, continued that pattern by marrying a violent man like her father as she got older. These books are very raw and honest. However, they’re not solely about physical violence; the events at the beginning of the first book don’t appear to be abuse at all, but rather minor accidents or mishaps when they aren’t. 

These books sparked a lot of controversy, especially during the earlier stages of their release.  Constantly criticized for being marketed as “romance books,” readers believe “It Ends With Us” and “It Starts With Us” are anything but.  It is understandable why readers wouldn’t want these books to be categorized as romance books because when you think romance, you think Disney princesses getting swooped off their feet, while these books deal with hardship and trauma.  It is worth mentioning that while these books are in no way aesthetically “romantic,” they are accurate.  In a recent study at dolanzimmerman.com, it was found that 60% of Americans have been or are currently dealing with domestically violent situations.  So, while the “romance” aspect of this book is not for everybody, the realism of these books is something that many people can relate to.

I enjoyed the first book immensely compared to the sequel, which was the weaker part of a convoluted storyline. In my opinion, the second book felt more like a money grab than an intellectually stimulating follow-up to the amazing first book. I believe Colleen Hoover recognized the success of the first book and thought writing a second would benefit her career, but it did the opposite. When the second book was released, readers pointed out that, compared to the first book, “It Starts With Us” comprised slow, meaningless scenes of violence that didn’t need to be prolonged. It Ends With Us creatively articulates small, almost nonexistent moments of abuse and transforms them into something larger. However, the second book seemed to contain only big, drawn-out, triggering scenes, which were unnecessary within the context of the story.

With all of that said, I still don’t think the sequel was a “bad” book per se. It had a lot to live up to, given the hype surrounding the first book, and it didn’t fully do the original justice. However, it is still an enlightening book that I believe everyone should read at least once in their lives. It is extremely educational and can help you identify characteristics to avoid in people.  

I do believe that the first book, It Ends With Us, was created to be educational for viewers/readers, but with the way the second book turned out, it all became a mockery of people who have suffered from domestic violence.  Hoover, as an author, has also faced backlash for saying things in her books that could be seen as controversial.  However, this is one of the books where I don’t necessarily love the author, but I enjoyed reading her novel.  In my opinion, Colleen Hoover is a good writer, just not a very good person.  I enjoyed reading some of her other books as well, however, these books stuck with me.