Unless you’re living under a rock you have probably heard of the TikTok famous book ‘It Ends With Us' written by author Colleen Hover depicting the life of Lily Blossom Bloom with her journey of overcoming an abusive relationship. The book tackles some hard-hitting topics and attempts to address the psyche of a person experiencing abuse within a relationship.

 

The book was a major hit, with many people stating that they were in love with the way she addressed abuse in such a raw and vulnerable manner. In interviews, she stated that the book was one of the hardest ones she wrote as it was a reflection of her childhood and the relationship between her parents. 

 

The book debuted at number one on The New York Times best-seller list and won the 2016 Goodreads Choice Award for the best romance novel.

 

Although this book and many others she has written have been hits within the social media book community, there have also been concerns regarding the romanticisation of toxic relationships within her storylines and how they are damaging to a young, teenage audience. 

 

Even so, looking at the popularity of the book, it didn't come as a surprise that a film adaptation is currently on the way. However, there are some red flags that, much like some of the characters in her book, are not sitting well with the audience. 

 

The number one issue many fans are currently having is the casting, which makes it seem as though the casting directors didn't read the book at all. Currently, Gossip Girl star Blake Lively and Jane The Virgin actor Justin Baldoni are playing Lily and Ryle, respectively, with Shane West rumoured to be cast as Atlas. This news left the fans very disappointed, as although these actors are much loved, many believed that they did not meet the requirements for the characters in the book. All three actors are currently in their late 30s to early 40s, whereas the characters in the book are in their early 20s to early 30s, therefore, fans thought that casting young actors would stay true to the books. Many of them went on to create their perfect casting, with the most popular being Abigail Cowen as Lily, Theo James as Ryle, and Tony Ozan as Atlas. However, the author did not share the fan's disappointment, as she believed that the casting was perfect, which left many fans confused. 

 

Another reason that the film could lead to a box office disaster is the current controversy surrounding Colleen Hover. Leading the success of the book, she decided to publish a colouring book version of 'It Ends With Us' but fans were quick to call out the tone-death nature of the project, which was quickly cancelled due to immense backlash. While she responded quickly and corrected her error, the world of social media is not very forgiving, so some continue to use this as an excuse to "cancel her."

 

Although there seems to be a lot of drama surrounding this project, we are excited to see how it progresses and wish them all the best. 

 

Let us know in the comments what you think. Is the project going to be a success despite its hurdles, or is this a disaster in the making? 

 

Photo Credit: Blake-Lively-and-Justin-Baldoni-012723-b1f3fd09d94b461faab65dac71a09403.jpg