Warning: This article contains mentions of domestic abuse and sexual assault/harassment.
Colleen Hoover’s name has been a mainstay on BookTok for what feels like years, which is unsurprising considering the author has published more than 20 books and counting.
But aside from the author’s recent success, the author has received a fair amount of backlash, not just for her writing.
Why do people hate author Colleen Hoover?
Hoover’s first book, Slammed, was released in 2012. Around 2019-2020, the author received notoriety on TikTok, especially for the 2016 novel, It Ends With Us (which is now being turned into a film adaptation). The book is a romance novel, but readers were confronted with domestic abuse within the story and how the protagonist managed to fight her way out of it.
This form of writing became somewhat of a double-edged sword for Hoover because fans praised how she wrote it, but also criticized her for adding abuse to her adult-fiction romance novels. At the same time, the author was accused of “romanticizing domestic abuse” in her writing.
It Ends With Us isn’t the only book that has faced criticism. Other novels, like November 9, have similar themes. Some characters use physical force and manipulation in order to get their partners to stay, or how certain characters easily forgive those with problematic traits. While It Ends With Us at least recognizes the severity of these types of situations, November 9 seems to romanticize toxicity in relationships which is completely unacceptable.
While some argue that it’s just fiction, others believe that some of these books just don’t portray healthy relationships.
Another issue is that since the author gained popularity thanks to TikTok, critics fear that Hoover’s writing might be harmful to a younger audience who might come across the author thanks to readers’ recommendations through the app.
Allegations against Hoover’s son, explained
In addition to the criticisms of her writing, it was revealed around last year that Hoover’s son, Levi, was accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl. Given the severity of the allegations, many took to social media to ask Hoover to address them.
According to a statement published to Hoover’s Facebook, she claimed that the two had never met. At the same time, she said that she made her son take accountability for his actions after the victim reached out to the author.
Her son’s allegations caused a divide amongst her fans. Some sided with her when the rumor started gaining traction, claiming that the victim never spoke anything about the allegations made after Hoover reached out to her. Meanwhile, others claimed that the author was only defending her son.
The It Ends With Us coloring book controversy
The controversy surrounding the author didn’t end there. It was announced late last year that a coloring book based on It Ends With Us would be released sometime in 2023. This announcement caused a fresh wave of backlash, calling the author “tone deaf” because of the book’s themes.
Having a coloring book based on a book that is centered around domestic violence is incredibly strange. It does not come as a surprise that so much criticism came to the surface after it was announced, and it is unclear how this idea was ever cleared in the first place.
Hoover was made aware of the criticism and took accountability for her actions via a statement on social media. She said that the book was going to focus on “Lily’s strength in mind” but didn’t realize how a coloring book based on a story containing violence isn’t appropriate. She apologized and said that she wouldn’t be moving forward with the book’s release.
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, nearly 3 in 10 women and 1 in 10 men have experienced “rape, physical violence, and/or stalking” and domestic violence affects more than 12 million people every year. Hoover’s writing is heavy and sometimes seen as problematic.
With the production of It Ends With Us, critics fear that the film would romanticize domestic abuse, rather than let the audience be aware of how dangerous this is.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or if you believe someone you know is being abused, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE or spoken with online via the hotline’s website, or text “START” to 88788.
