Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us delivers raw, unforgettable lines about love, pain, resilience, and the courage it takes to break harmful cycles.
This novel, a phenomenon from TikTok to the 2024 film adaptation, resonates deeply through its exploration of difficult truths.
We’ve gathered 46 of the most impactful quotes from the book with verified page numbers from the 2016 Atria Books edition.
Organized by key themes like ‘Love and Pain,’ ‘Breaking Cycles,’ and ‘Atlas Corrigan’s Hope,’ these selections capture the emotional core of Lily Bloom’s journey.
Whether revisiting her story or discovering it for the first time, these quotes offer moments of heartbreak, inspiration, and profound hope.
Note: Page numbers reference the Atria Books 2016 paperback edition (ISBN-13: 978-1501110368).
Love and Pain
Love in It Ends With Us is complex—a source of profound connection and deep anguish. These quotes reveal the intricate, often painful lines between affection and abuse.
“You’re the most important part of my life, Lily. I want to be what brings you happiness. Not what causes you to hurt.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Ryle Kincaid), Chapter 14, Page 191
Ryle’s declaration highlights the tragic irony and internal conflict often present in abusive relationships—the desire to cherish colliding with the actions that inflict pain.
“Just because someone hurts you doesn’t mean you can simply stop loving them. It’s not a person’s actions that hurt the most. It’s the love. If there was no love attached to the action, the pain would be a little easier to bear.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 30, Page 321
This raw insight captures the novel’s core conflict: the difficulty of detaching love from pain when they become intertwined.
“love him. I still do and I always will. He was a huge wave that left a lot of imprints on my life, and I’ll feel the weight of that love until I die. I’ve accepted that.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 17, Page 218
“You are my wife. I’m supposed to be the one who protects you from the monsters. I’m not supposed to be one.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Ryle Kincaid), Chapter 20, Page 241
“You warned me. You said one time with you wouldn’t be enough. You said you were like a drug. But you failed to tell me you were the most addictive kind.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Ryle Kincaid), Chapter 9, Page 123
“Maybe love isn’t something that comes full circle. It just ebbs and flows, in and out, just like the people in our lives.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 17, Page 217
“I’m sure there’s more substance in the love between two adults than there is between two teenagers. There’s probably more maturity, more respect, more responsibility. But no matter how different the substance of a love might be at different ages in a person’s life, I know that love still has to weigh the same.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom from letter to Ellen), Chapter 17, Page 210
These words, written years before facing her own marital crisis, foreshadow the enduring weight of love Lily struggles with later.
Resilience and Strength
Symbolized by the recurring “just keep swimming” motif, Lily’s journey is one of immense resilience, finding strength even when feeling like she’s merely floating.
“When life gets you down do you wanna know what you’ve gotta do? . . . Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom quoting Finding Nemo in letter to Ellen), Chapter 11, Page 131
“I’ll keep pretending to swim, when really all I’m doing is floating. Barely keeping my head above water.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom from letter to Ellen), Chapter 17, Page 217
“Atlas kept swimming, and look at him now. He swam all the way to the f**** Caribbean.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 24, Page 274
“Lily, Atlas says just keep swimming. —Ellen DeGeneres”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Autograph from Ellen DeGeneres to Lily), Chapter 16, Page 208
This becomes a poignant symbol connecting Lily, Atlas, and the idea of persevering through difficult times.
“All humans make mistakes. What determines a person’s character aren’t the mistakes we make. It’s how we take those mistakes and turn them into lessons rather than excuses.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 14, Page 192
“But sometimes you can’t control where your mind goes. You just have to train it not to go there anymore.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom from letter to Ellen), Chapter 2, Page 37
“I am a brave and bold businesswoman with zero f***s to give for men in scrubs.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 5, Page 75
This moment of defiance, though perhaps fueled by temporary bravado, captures Lily’s underlying strength and ambition.
Breaking Cycles of Abuse
The novel confronts the devastating reality of domestic abuse and the immense courage required to break inherited cycles of violence.
“Cycles exist because they are excruciating to break. It takes an astronomical amount of pain and courage to disrupt a familiar pattern. Sometimes it seems easier to just keep running in the same familiar circles, rather than facing the fear of jumping and possibly not landing on your feet.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 35, Page 360
Hoover directly addresses the difficulty and pain involved in changing deeply ingrained patterns of behavior and relationships.
“It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 35, Page 361
“And as hard as this choice is, we break the pattern before the pattern breaks us.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 35, Page 360
“Every incident chips away at your limit. Every time you choose to stay, it makes the next time that much harder to leave. Eventually, you lose sight of your limit altogether, because you start to think, ‘I’ve lasted five years now. What’s five more?’”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Jenny Bloom), Chapter 32, Page 335
“We all have a limit. What we’re willing to put up with before we break…with every incident…my limit was pushed a little more…The first time your father hit me, he was immediately sorry…The second time he hit me, he was even more sorry. The third time…it was a beating…But the fourth time, it was only a slap. And when that happened, I felt relieved. I remember thinking, ‘At least he didn’t beat me this time. This wasn’t so bad.’”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Jenny Bloom), Chapter 32, Page 335
Jenny’s heartbreaking explanation reveals the insidious way abuse normalizes itself, eroding boundaries over time.
“Shouldn’t there be more distaste in our mouths for the abusers than for those who continue to love the abusers?”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom in her letter to Ellen), Chapter 25, Page 283
“People spend so much time wondering why the women don’t leave. Where are all the people who wonder why the men are even abusive? Isn’t that where the only blame should be placed?”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 24, Page 274
This challenges readers to shift focus from victim-blaming to questioning the root cause of the abuse itself.
Atlas Corrigan’s Hope and Perspective
Atlas represents steadfastness, understanding, and enduring hope for Lily, often providing the perspective she needs, even from afar.
“In the future… if by some miracle you ever find yourself in the position to fall in love again… fall in love with me.” He presses his lips against my forehead. “You’re still my favorite person, Lily. Always will be.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Atlas Corrigan), Chapter 28, Pages 309-310
This iconic line encapsulates Atlas’s unwavering love and hope for a future with Lily, delivered with vulnerability and respect for her current situation.
“You can stop swimming now, Lily. We finally reached the shore.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Atlas Corrigan), Epilogue, Page 367
Bringing the central metaphor full circle, Atlas offers Lily sanctuary and signifies the end of her struggle against the current of abuse.
Human Complexity and Imperfection
The novel rejects simple categorizations of good and evil, exploring the gray areas of human behavior and the capacity for both love and harm within individuals.
“There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Ryle Kincaid), Chapter 1, Page 17
This early statement from Ryle becomes deeply ironic as the story unfolds, forcing Lily (and the reader) to grapple with the coexistence of love and harmful actions.
“No one is exclusively bad, nor is anyone exclusively good. Some are just forced to work harder at suppressing the bad.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 1, Page 17
“I feel like everyone fakes who they really are, when deep down we’re all equal amounts of screwed up. Some of us are just better at hiding it than others.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Ryle Kincaid), Chapter 1, Page 16
“Naked truths aren’t always pretty.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom), Chapter 1, Page 16
“As his daughter, I loved him. But as a human, I hated him.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom about her father), Chapter 1, Page 15
Lily’s complex feelings about her abusive father capture the difficult duality often felt by those close to abusers.
Self-Discovery and Perspective
Amidst turmoil, Lily undergoes a significant journey of self-discovery, learning about her own limits, strength, and understanding of the world.
“I love it when the night sky makes me feel insignificant.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 1, Page 7
“My favorite conversations are the ones with no real answers.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 1, Page 16
“Fifteen seconds. That’s all it takes to completely change everything about a person.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 14, Page 186
“That’s what fifteen minutes can do to a person. It can destroy them. It can save them.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 35, Page 360
“Life is a funny thing. We only get so many years to live it, so we have to do everything we can to make sure those years are as full as they can be. We shouldn’t waste time on things that might happen someday, or maybe even never.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Atlas Corrigan in Lily’s memory/journal), Chapter 17, Page 213
“I think that’s one of the biggest signs a person has matured—knowing how to appreciate things that matter to others, even if they don’t matter very much to you.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom in her letter to Ellen), Chapter 25, Page 280
Lily reflects on empathy and growth, recognizing maturity in valuing others’ perspectives, a sharp contrast to the self-absorption often inherent in abuse.
Connection, Loss, and Memory
The novel explores the enduring impact of past connections, the pain of loss, and how memories shape present relationships and perceptions.
“Do you have any idea how many doors I’ve knocked on to find you?”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Ryle Kincaid), Chapter 5, Page 68
“I hope you defy the odds of most dreams and actually accomplish yours.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Ryle Kincaid), Chapter 1, Page 26
“Just because we didn’t end up on the same wave, doesn’t mean we aren’t still a part of the same ocean.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 17, Page 218
Lily finds peace in acknowledging her and Atlas’s separate paths while still recognizing their shared history and connection.
“Imagine all the people you meet in your life…They come in like waves…Some waves are much bigger and make more of an impact than others…That was what Atlas was telling me when he said ‘I love you.’ He was letting me know that I was the biggest wave he’d ever come across. And I brought so much with me that my impressions would always be there, even when the tide rolled out.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom from letter to Ellen), Chapter 17, Page 214
“Mom: A doctor, Lily? AND your own business? I want to be you when I grow up.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Jenny Bloom (Lily’s mother)), Chapter 11, Page 159
A moment of levity and pride from Lily’s mother, highlighting their supportive relationship amidst the underlying difficulties.
Forgiveness and Healing
Healing from trauma involves complex choices about forgiveness—both for others and for oneself. These quotes explore Lily’s internal struggle with anger, love, and the path toward recovery.
“Everyone deserves another chance. Especially the people who mean the most to you.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 21, Page 248
“Preventing your heart from forgiving someone you love is actually a hell of a lot harder than simply forgiving them.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom in her letter to Ellen), Chapter 25, Page 283
“I’m sorry about that. I’m sure you didn’t miss me like I missed you, but sometimes the things that matter to you most are also the things that hurt you the most. And in order to get over that hurt, you have to sever all the extensions that keep you tethered to that pain. You were an extension of my pain, so I guess that’s what I was doing. I was just trying to save myself a little bit of agony.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom in her letter to Ellen), Chapter 25, Page 281
“You’re only human. And as humans, we can’t expect to shoulder all of our pain. Sometimes we have to share it with the people who love us so we don’t come crashing down from the weight of it all.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom to Ryle Kincaid), Chapter 20, Pages 243-244
“Sometimes even grown women need their mother’s comfort so we can just take a break from having to be strong all the time.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 32, Page 331
This acknowledges the vulnerability often hidden behind strength and the universal need for support during difficult times.
Truth and Confrontation
The climax often involves confronting difficult truths, demanding accountability, and speaking honestly, even when it’s painful.
“Yes. I kept the magnet Atlas gave me when we were kids…Yes, I still love him…But none of that gave you the right to do what you did to me. Even if you would have walked into my bedroom and caught us in bed together, you still would not have the right to lay a hand on me, you goddamn son of a bitch!”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom to Ryle Kincaid), Chapter 30, Page 323
Lily’s powerful confrontation blends vulnerability with fierce boundary-setting, asserting her truth and denying Ryle any justification for his actions.
“Our eyes, locked together, speak more naked truths than our mouths ever have.”
~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 30, Page 325
Choosing a Different Shore: The Legacy of It Ends With Us
These 47 quotes trace Lily Bloom’s harrowing and ultimately courageous journey through the complexities of love, pain, and inherited trauma. From the intoxicating highs of romance with Ryle to the devastating lows of confronting abuse, and the enduring, quiet hope offered by Atlas, the novel lays bare the difficult realities faced by many.
Colleen Hoover masterfully uses Lily’s voice, Ryle’s conflicting nature, and Atlas’s steadfastness to explore the agonizing difficulty of breaking familiar, harmful cycles. It reminds us that love and hurt can coexist, but choosing safety for oneself and the next generation requires immense strength and bravery.
Lily’s story is a testament to the power of choice, even when every decision feels impossible.
To see how she navigates life after making the hardest choice, continue exploring Lily and Atlas’s journey with these 50 quotes from It Starts With Us.
A Note on Page Numbers & Edition:
Like ripples spreading from a dropped stone, page numbers can vary across different editions. These quotes were meticulously sourced from the Atria Books 2016 paperback edition (ISBN-13: 978-1501110368). Always verify with your copy to ensure you’ve found the exact passage.
Jeremy Mortis, founder of Ageless Investing, applies a rigorous analytical approach (the AAM framework) to distill timeless wisdom and contextualized quotes from classic literature, saving you time while deepening understanding. Learn more about Jeremy’s unique background and methodology on his author bio page.