It Starts With Us

3.75/5

The sequel to Colleen Hoover’s viral story, It Ends With Us. This begins as if no time has passed and you must read the first book to understand this one.

I read It Starts With Us when a family member gifted it to me while I was on bed-rest for an injury. I finished it in two sittings and really enjoyed it. I wasn’t sure how I would enjoy it because I had mixed feelings with It Ends With Us. I was pleasantly surprised by it. I liked that it wasn’t exactly a fairytale. It shows how messy toxic relationships can be and is a more realistic representation – you can’t just cut out people cleanly. Sometimes, the people who cause us trauma have to stay in our lives.

The book moved quickly and I consider it mostly character-driven. Looking back, not too much happened other than Lily and Atlas’s relationship developing. This was fine for me because I didn’t really consider this its own book. I consider it an extended epilogue. People definitely should read with It Ends With Us first (I know, the titles can make it confusing) and keep in mind this is a nice, short extension of that story that provides some closure.

If I hadn’t been on bed-rest I’m not sure I would have liked it as much, but ultimately, this gave me everything I needed to be satisfied with their story. I consider it a must-read for all who read It Ends With Us.