It Ends with Us was never a romance novel – thankfully the film understands this
- Written by Lucy Rouse, PhD Candidate and Casual Academic in English Literatures , University of Wollongong
This piece contains spoilers.
It Ends with Us, by Colleen Hoover, is a novel TikTok loves to hate, gaining a lot of criticism for the stark contrast between its marketing and its subject matter. Marketed – and shelved – as a romance novel, between its pink, floral covers, It Ends with Us is a novel about domestic violence.
On sites like Goodreads, readers call the novel “confronting”, “triggering”, and “NOT romance”, warning future readers the novel is “not what [they] expect”.
The film attempts to rectify the issues of its deceptive categorisation by making some major changes to its marketing. The abuse plot is revealed in the trailer, changing the way viewers will approach the narrative. It Ends with Us becomes a tale of resilience, rather than a romance.
What makes a romance?
Hoover’s 2016 novel follows 23-year-old Lily Bloom and her “too-good-to-be-true” relationship with Ryle Kinkaid, a charming neurosurgeon seven years her senior.
Simultaneously Lily reminisces on her first love, a homeless boy named Atlas, who she has not seen since he was violently bashed by Lily’s abusive father.
Ryle and Lily’s relationship becomes turbulent when Ryle begins getting aggressive in arguments. To further complicate matters, Lily bumps into Atlas.
Ryle’s insecurity simmers, and eventuates in him pushing Lily down a set of stairs and attempting to sexually assault her. After being hospitalised due to the abuse, Lily finds out she is pregnant.
Although only occurring in three chapters, the novel’s violence is shocking, yet strategically obscured. Readers do not know if Lily has been purposely hit, or if it was – as Ryle keeps telling her – “a mistake”.
Hoover showers readers with apologies and steamy scenes between Lily and Ryle following the abuse, reminding readers that the novel is, technically, a romance. Ryle is a stereotypical romantic hero, with his career being its own subgenre of romance fiction.
Readers want a happy ending, and (TikTok critics notwithstanding) are willing to forgive Ryle’s violence to get it.
The novel ends with Lily asking Ryle for a divorce, and, after a time-jump, Lily reunites with Atlas, telling him she is ready to fall in love again.
The largely accepted definition of romance fiction, outlined by the Romance Writers of America, is a narrative with a central love story, and an “emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending”. By this definition, It Ends with Us fulfils the genre.
However, as a novel largely about domestic violence, It Ends with us is far from “satisfying”.
Reworking the narrative
The film takes a more mature approach than the novel by casting 36-year-old Blake Lively as Lily and 40-year-old Justin Baldoni (who also directs) as Ryle.
In the novel, Hoover partly justifies the abuse by the young age of its protagonists. Lily forgives Ryle even after he has hurt her multiple times, which the novel positions as naivety.
The film changes this, instead stressing the difficulty of leaving an abusive relationship.
Baldoni’s aggressive and domineering tone hangs over the film, making Ryle an unnerving character from his first appearance. While Ryle is an intense character in the novel, being described as “an intimidating presence”, his violence is offset by the novel’s position in the romance genre.
Readers do not have to acknowledge his violent tendencies because they believe it will be fixed by the novel’s conclusion.
The film does not allow audiences to justify Ryle’s character. We see the lead up to the abuse unfolding.
Ryle speaks down to Lily, ordering her around. Visually, Ryle overpowers Lily in most scenes, standing over her – a manifestation of the looming violence audiences know is approaching.
These visual cues from Baldoni’s portrayal distance the watcher from the whirlwind relationship between Lily and Ryle.
The film delves more deeply into Ryle’s abuse than the novel.
Nicole Rivelli/Sony Pictures via AP
Ryle’s off-putting nature is starkly contrasted by how the film focuses on Atlas (Brandon Sklenar). When Lily reunites with Atlas, the screen blurs around him and music swells. The narrative was never about Ryle – it was always Atlas.
While the film contains romance, it is not a romance film. The marketing of It Ends With us worked to foreground its violent twist. While watching the film, audiences are not wondering “if” Ryle will hurt Lily, it is a matter of “when” it will happen.
Narratives about domestic violence are essential to understanding and empathising with victims, but authors must handle abuse with sensitivity. While there may be a place for domestic violence in romance stories, It Ends with Us is not an example to follow.
The changes made to the film indicate the novel’s shortcomings. By revealing the novel’s twist in the trailer, hopefully the film will catalyse a change in how we market It Ends with Us, and move the novel from the romance section, into its rightful place in adult fiction.
The National Sexual Assault, Family and Domestic Violence Counselling Line – 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
Authors: Lucy Rouse, PhD Candidate and Casual Academic in English Literatures , University of Wollongong
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