The Colleen Hooverfication of Literature
In 2022, author Colleen Hoover dominated charts, with six books reaching the best-sellers list. Her novels sold 13.4 million print copies, outselling the Bible by 3 million. Her success can be attributed to the subsection of TikTok, BookTok, that got millions of young women to read after not picking up a book for years. And although she has amassed such a substantial following, some people found fault in her stories and her glamorization of toxic relationships and abuse.
“It Ends with Us’ was the best-selling book last year, initially released in 2016. However, with its content, it’s a cause of concern as Hoover’s novels lean more toward the younger demographic of TikTok.
Hoover does have age levels/ratings for each of her books on her website. However, she also added the disclaimer: “When it comes to which book(s) are appropriate for what age, we do understand each child is different. However, this is Colleen’s recommendation, and ultimately, the decision is yours as a parent/guardian.” But with that should come trigger warnings for each book detailing what specific content to be aware of.
After reading some of her books due to the hype train on TikTok, readers were left uncomfortable with the scenes she wrote in her stories; many met with no trigger warnings. In an archived page on her site, she answered her thoughts on trigger warnings by saying, “I understand that there are issues some people do not want to read about. But as a writer, there are many things I don’t want revealed in the blurbs of my books.” Several of her male love interests/leads are toxic, controlling, and abusive. In many cases, these traits are used in connection to the character being sexy and charismatic. In an attempt to make these traits justifiable, her stories often center around abusive relationships.
“I’ve never wanted to use physical force on a girl before, but I want to push her to the ground and hold her there until the cab drives away” - November 9, pg. 34
In the same book, she writes a conversation between the two characters that contributes absolutely nothing to the plot but, instead, creates harmful stereotypes against Asian people.
“What’s your favorite food?”
“Pad Thai,” he says. “Yours?”
“Sushi. They’re almost the same thing.”
“Not even close,” he says.
“They’re both Asian food.” - November 9, pg. 94
This conversation discredits Asian Individualism by claiming that the two meals are the same when they are entirely different, as the dish Pad Thai originates from Thailand and Sushi is from Japan.
In the novel "Reminders of Him" (2022), a noteworthy scene occurs in which the main character, Kenna, is on a date with a new romantic interest. During this date, her ex-partner discovers their interaction and begins to question her about the new relationship. At first, Kenna is visibly uncomfortable due to this interrogation. However, the scene quickly shifts in tone and becomes more sensual or "sexy."
Her stories are harmful, and some things are just weird and alarming. If you’ve read “It Ends with Us,” you’d know that the main character wrote in a diary specifically to Ellen, And although that is no problem with that, some of the entries were questionable.
”Ellen, I am confident that the next sentence I am about to write has never been written or spoken before. When he was wiping the cow shit on me, it was quite possibly the most turned-on I have ever been.” It Ends With Us, pg. 84
And probably one of her worst written scenes details weird and predatory dialogue between a mother and father about their son.
“Thank You for this baby,” she says from the backseat.
“He’s beautiful.”
I laugh. “You’re responsible for the beautiful part, Rachel. The only thing he got from me was his balls.”
She laughs. She laughs hard. “Oh, my God, I know, she says. “They’re so big.”
We both laugh at our son’s big balls. - Ugly Love, 238
Not only is there concern about the content of Hoover's work, but also the quality of her writing. Many of Hoover's books lack essential elements like the concept of consent, well-developed characters, and the inclusion of POC characters. Her writing is often criticized for its lack of depth. Hoover has published 26 books over her career, with nine released in the last five years. This high volume of production prompts questions about whether her content truly deserves the praise it receives. Some argue that her work reads more like it belongs on Wattpad, an online platform for readers and writers to share their stories. The concern isn't limited to Hoover alone; it extends to the broader trend of Contemporary Romance novels. In this genre, stories are frequently rated based on the explicitness of sexual content, rather than the overall quality of the writing and storytelling.
Almost all of Hoover's books deal with immature relationships and sexual abuse. While this should not deter you from reading or not liking her stories, it's important to understand that her novels should not be put under the category of romance. There is nothing romantic about abuse and many of the topics she touches on in her work, and if this is the content you enjoy consuming, there is no problem, but the issue is when people read these problematic things and choose to ignore them.
Strike Out,
Boca Raton
Morgann Rhule
Morgann (yes with 2 n’s) is a content writer for Strike Magazine. Her best friends describe her as a shopaholic bookworm who gives the best advice. Born in Jamaica, she wears it proudly with a beaded red, green, and gold necklace she never takes off. You can reach her on insta @morgannrhule or email morgannrhule@gmail.com
