Who Is Atlas in It Ends with Us?
The boy in the empty house who became the man with an open door
In a story about a frightening marriage, Atlas Corrigan is the quiet counterweight: a boy Lily once saved, who never forgot her. Readers of Colleen Hoover's novel often finish it talking more about him than about anyone else.
His story starts in an empty house in Maine and does not end until the sequel.
Atlas Corrigan is Lily Bloom's first love. When Lily was sixteen, she found him, a homeless teenager, living in an empty house near her family's home in Maine and secretly brought him food and clothes. Years later he reappears in Boston as a successful chef with his own restaurant.
He is played by Brandon Sklenar in the 2024 film, and by Alex Neustaedter as a teenager.
Atlas and Lily as teenagers
Atlas left home because of trouble with his mother and her partner, and he had nowhere to go. Lily noticed him going in and out of the abandoned house behind her parents' place and began helping him: food, a shower while her parents were out, a coat for the cold. They talked about everything, and he carved her a small heart out of wood. When her father caught them together, he attacked Atlas, and soon after Atlas left to stay with an uncle in Boston, promising to come back.
↑ Back to the topAtlas as an adult
Atlas joined the military, then built a career as a chef, and owns a restaurant in Boston when Lily walks in by chance. He recognizes her instantly. He is calm and kind, and he sees what Lily is trying to hide about her marriage. He tells her that if she ever needs him, his door is open, and when the worst happens, he is the one who helps her.
↑ Back to the topWhy Atlas matters
Atlas is a picture of what a safe, respectful love looks like, standing in contrast to Ryle. Hoover is careful, though: Lily does not leave Ryle for Atlas. She leaves for herself and her daughter. Atlas waits, which is part of why so many readers love him.
↑ Back to the topWhat happens to Atlas in It Starts with Us?
The sequel is told partly from Atlas's point of view. He and Lily slowly begin a relationship while she manages the difficult task of sharing her daughter with Ryle. Atlas also faces his own past when he learns he has a much younger brother who needs him. By the end, Lily and Atlas are together, and the series closes on the happy ending fans had hoped for.
↑ Back to the topAtlas at a glance
| Fact | Answer |
|---|---|
| Full name | Atlas Corrigan |
| Relation to Lily | Her first love |
| As a teenager | Homeless, sleeping in an empty house |
| As an adult | A chef with his own restaurant in Boston |
| Served in | The US military, after leaving Maine |
| Played by | Brandon Sklenar; young Atlas by Alex Neustaedter |
| Narrates | Half of It Starts with Us |
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