Yes, if you need help making the right reading decision, should I read ‘It Ends with Us first’? Then, I am here to help you to choose the right one between two series to start a meaningful reading.
I read the pulse-pounding novel ‘It Ends with Us’ in 2021, which peddled me to read ‘It Starts with Us’ this year. The novel ‘It Stars with Us’ is actually a sequel of the ‘It Ends with US’, both written by Colleen Hoover, the #1 New York Times best-selling author.
I recommend you read the novel ‘It Ends with Us’ first and ‘It Starts with Us’ later. Here, I will explain to you the reasons behind this reading order. I will also offer you my heart-driven review of ‘It Ends with Us.’
So, let’s have a deep dive into the whole writing.
Why Should I Read It Ends with Us First? A Literary Explanation!
Colleen Hoover gifted a glorious piece of writing for novel lovers in 2016 named ‘It Ends with Us’ that peaked her fame to the hill height. It received a massive response overnight among young adult readers, with one million copies sold in 2019. But, that doesn’t mean that’s all she got in her entire life. There are more COHO romance books you shouldn’t miss. To make it easy to choose, you can read bookvibe.com reviews on each of his books.
With the booming emotion of readers, Colleen Hoover wrote its sequel titled ‘It Starts with Us’ published in 2022. Like me, most readers cannot refrain themselves from reading both novels to end their curiosity.
The author has inscribed the essence of love and harshness of abuse in ‘It Ends with Us’ from Lily’s perspective. On the other hand, ‘It Starts with Us’ tells us a tale of new love and relationship from Lily and Atlas’s point of view.
Though the first one differs from the latter in terms of literary narrative, they complement one another in literary essence and sequence. So, if you miss reading any of them, it would be an incomplete job.
Now, it is clear to you that the novel ‘It Ends with Us’ (2016) is the predecessor of the book ‘It Starts with Us’ (2022). So, you should read ‘It Ends with Us’ first to draw literary harmonization with its sequel ‘It Starts with Us’.
It Ends with Us: All About the Best-selling Novel by Colleen Hoover
“You are my wife. I am supposed to be the one who protects you from the monsters. I’m not supposed to be one-p241.” Colleen Hoover has elevated the essence of her novel ‘It Ends with Us’ with such narratives and made readers more curious about every line and page until reading the last line.
I want to give you some basic information about the book before going through the literary insights below.
| Novel Name | It Ends with Us |
| Author | Colleen Hoover |
| Genre | Romance |
| Key Characters | Lily, Ryle, Atlas, Allysa, and Marshall |
| Publisher | Atria Books |
| Year of Publication | 2016 |
| Copies Sold | Over one million as of 2019 |
| Translated into | 20 more languages |
| Available | Worldwide |
Plot of the Novel
Colleen Hoover stated that it was the most complex piece of writing for her that resonates with her parents’ abusive relationship. However, she has shown her writing talent again with the novel to tell the tale of millions worldwide.
The Characters Lily, Ryle, Atlas, Allysa, and Marshall may differ from family to family, society to society, and country to country over the era, but the plot of life seems slightly different. Here is the uniqueness of the novel that may tear up your eyes.
Lily is a fresh college graduate who hopes to launch her floral shop in her hometown. She has also recently observed eulogy at her father’s funeral, who was abusive to her mother. The secretly reviling relationship between her father and mother disturbed Lily a lot.
Ryle Kincaid, a neurosurgeon, comes into Lily’s life while she is reminiscing about her first love, Atlas, who left her to join the military and promised to back her life. In the meantime, Lily and Ryle are in mutual exchange, where Lily is seeking a commitment, but Ryle is comfortable in a casual setting.
However, Lily and Ryle eventually tied their not and maintained a stable relationship until he found Lily’s childhood diary, where he explored the words of love between Lily and Atlas. In consequence, Lily received the same abusive treatment from Ryle that regularly happened with her mother by her father.
Climax of the Novel
I found the novel ‘It Ends with Us’ to be a generic romantic novel until Atlas returns between Lily and Ryle’s lives. Once Ryle found Atlas’ number from Lily’s childhood diary and assaulted her. He also subconsciously confessed that he shot and murdered his brother Emerson, which made Lily afraid enough.
She managed to escape from Ryle and called Atlas, who admitted her to a hospital. And she discovered a new life with Ryle’s child and decided to keep it secret from him.
Lily left the hospital and went with Atlas and spent some days with him. Meanwhile, Ryle left the country for his fellowship. Atlas still feels weakness to Lily but refrains himself, considering Lily’s marital relationship with Ryle.
I felt excitement and waited for the next climax when Ryle got back home before the final few months of Lily’s pregnancy. Finally, she gave birth to her daughter, named after Ryle’s late brother.
Lily promises her mind not to let her child live in a quarreling and abusive familial ambiance like her mother and herself. She felt the necessity of legal separation and asked for a divorce from Ryle.
Though Ryle was abusive to Lily, he felt paternal affiliation with his daughter and prayed to Lily to reconsider her decision. However, he realizes Lily’s perspective and admits the separation.
Significance of Naming of the Novel
Colleen Hoover has titled the novel ‘It Ends with Us’ from a mutual conversation between Lily and Ryle, and he gets back home and urges her to reconsider her decision of marital separation.
Lily asked Ryle how he would react if their daughter expressed her misery to them of ill-treatment received by her partner. So, as a mother, Lily wants to stop the cycle of abuse in her family and say to her daughter, ‘It Ends with Us.’
Concluding Comment
Let’s get back to your question: should I read ‘It Ends with Us’ first? I hope that you can answer the question by yourself now. And, of course, the answer is to read the novel ‘It Ends with Us’ first to unveil the cover of the novel ‘It Starts with Us.’
Here, I want to support your answer with Lily’s wish, where she expressed her readiness to start a new life with Atlas after separation from Ryle. And the author has picked Atlas’s point of view to write the sequel ‘It Starts with Us.’
