The Surprisingly Bookish Cast of 'It Ends With Us'

Plus 11 more heart-wrenching reads like the novel that inspired the film

After several delays, the much-anticipated adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling book It Ends with Us is finally coming to theaters on August 9. Blake Lively stars as Lily Bloom, a floral designer. Seeking a fresh start after surviving domestic violence in her childhood home, she moves to Boston and opens a flower shop. When she falls for neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (played by Justin Baldoni, who also directed the film), she looks past red flags that suggest he might have violent tendencies of his own. Adding pressure to the relationship, Lily's teenage love, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar), unexpectedly resurfaces in her life.

Lively's breakout role happens to be another book-to-screen adaptation, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. In fact, looking at her filmography, the actress has quite a book-centric career. And it turns out she's not alone! Several other cast members in the film have similar literary legacies. Here are some of the details about this particularly bookish cast. 

Blake Lively (Lily Bloom)

As mentioned Lively's career took off when she starred in the 2005 film, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, based on Ann Brashare's novel of the same name. Since then, her career is positively littered with book-to-screen adaptations.

• She appeared in The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, a 2009 comedy-drama directed by Rebecca Miller and based on her novel.
• Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan serves as the basis for Lively's 2010 film, The Town, a crime thriller directed by Ben Affleck.
• Lively met her husband, Ryan Reynolds, on the set of Green Lantern, a superhero film based on the DC Comics character.
• She stars in Savages, a 2012 thriller based on Don Winslow's novel of the same name.
• A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell is the basis of a 2018 crime comedy starring Lively and Anna Kendrick.
• Lively starred in 2020's The Rhythm Section, an action thriller based on a novel by Mark Burnell.

Justin Baldoni (Ryle Kincaid)

Director and leading man Justin Baldoni is probably best known for his role on Jane the Virgin. But it turns out he's an author in his own right, having published two books based on a talk show and podcast he developed. Man Enough: Undefining my Masculinity explores what it means to be a man today. Boys Will Be Human presents the same concepts for children.

Baldoni also directed and produced Clouds, a 2020 film based on a memoir by Laura Sobiech about the life of her son, Zach Sobiech, a promising singer-songwriter who died at age 18 from cancer.

Jenny Slate (Alyssa)

SNL alum Jenny Slate plays Alyssa, Lily's best friend and Ryle's sister. In addition to her credits as a comedy sketch writer, the whip-smart actress-comedian has authored several books, including:

• Marcel the Shell with Shoes On: Things about Me—This children's book is based on a short animated film that Slate cowrote and voiced.
• Marcel the Shell: The Most Surprised I've Ever Been—Book #2 in the series follows Marcel through a day of unexpected developments.
• Little Weirds—This quirky collection of essays explores love, heartbreak, and being alive.
• Lifeform—Her new book of essays, coming out this fall, delves into her experiences of becoming a mother.

Alex Neustaedter (young Atlas Corrigan)

Like Blake Lively, Alex Neustaedter has a tendency to choose book-inspired gigs. Here are some to check out:

• His 2016 drama, Ithaca, is based on The Human Comedy by William Saroyan.
• Walking Out (2017) is a survival drama based on a short story by David Quammen.
• The Tribes of Palo Verdes is a 2017 coming-of-age film based on a novel by Joy Nicholson
• Josie & Jack (2019) is an intense family drama based on a novel of the same name by Kelly Braffet
• Things Heard and Seen is a 2021 horror film based on the horror novel All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage.
• American Rust (2021) is a crime drama television series based on the 2009 novel by Philipp Meyer.

What to read next if you love 'It Ends With Us'

If you're looking for more heartrending novels like It Ends With Us, here are eleven more titles to consider.

It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover
This gloriously touching sequel picks up where It Ends With Us left off. Switching between the perspectives of Lily and Atlas, the story reveals more about Atlas's past and follows Lily as she embraces her new future. 

Wish You Were Here by Renée Carlino
Charlotte hasn't been lucky in love. This is reinforced when a magical night with artist Adam turns sour in the harsh light of day. Months later, as her new relationship with Seth grows more meaningful, she's still thinking of Adam.

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
Macy has settled into a safe routine: working as a pediatrics resident and planning her wedding to an older, financially secure man. But when she runs into her first—and only—love, the careful bubble she's constructed begins to dissolve.

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
Newly engaged lawyer Dannie feels like she's got it all figured out. But then she wakes up in a different apartment beside a different man. Dannie spends just one hour in this alternate life five years in the future, but it's an hour she can't shake.  

The People We Keep by Allison Larkin
It's Upstate New York in the mid-1990s and April feels stuck, fighting with her dad and flunking out of school. So when she "borrows" a neighbor's car to perform at an open mic night, it spurs her to leave town in search of a life that's all hers.

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
Described as Bridget Jones meets Americanah, this is the story of a 25-year-old Jamaican British woman living in London. Straddled between two cultures and finding herself at odds with both of them, she grapples with who she wants to be.

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
When her husband, Jesse, is presumed dead after his helicopter disappears, Emma is heartbroken. Years later, she has a second chance at happiness with fiancé Sam. But then Jesse is found alive and Emma has to decide who she truly loves.

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
When white supremacist parents demand that labor and delivery nurse Ruth not touch their baby because she's Black, the hospital complies. But the next day, Ruth is alone in the nursery when the baby goes into cardiac distress.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Fiery Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. Beautiful Celeste hides secret trauma. New to town, young single mom Jane has a shadowy past. These women stand at different crossroads, but they will all wind up in the same shocking place.

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
When Tate and Miles meet, it seems like the perfect set-up. He doesn't want love, she doesn't have time for love. The rules: Never ask about the past. Don't expect a future. They think they can handle it, but right away, they realize that's not true.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Louisa Clark's life was exceedingly ordinary until she took a job working for wheelchair-bound Will Traynor. Will is acerbic and moody, but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and something unexpected blooms between them.

Additional Resources:
The book It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover includes on-page scenes of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and sexual assault. If you are struggling, or you want to learn more about how you can help victims of domestic violence in your area, visit www.thehotline.org, www.ncadv.org, or www.nomore.org to learn more, or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for 24/7 crisis support.

Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon