It Ends with Us Colleen Hoover Simon & Schuster | 367 pages

Colleen Hoover brings her own personal experience of domestic violence to this moving story of love and courage. It’s a confronting topic, but Hoover handles it with sensitivity and genuine empathy.

The character of Lily is equal parts sweet and innocent, and wise old soul. While I struggled at first with the inclusion of her diary entries – and the references to Finding Nemo – in the end, it was a clever way to give Lily’s backstory, and added to the deep sense of loss she feels throughout.

The men in Lily’s life are just as complex, but so very likeable. It’s not often you read a book and feel such fondness for every character. I desperately wanted a happy ending for all of them!

Hoover very cleverly shows the reader that domestic violence is not always as black-and-white as we think it is. The fact that the characters are all young and successful was a bit distracting at first, but it was another powerful message that domestic violence cannot be stereotyped.

Her ability to capture the emotions of her characters is her greatest accomplishment in this book, and I laughed as much as I cried. While I read the entire book over a weekend, it stayed with me for a long time after I’d finished it. Beautifully written, heartfelt and inspiring.