Throughout her career, world-renowned author Colleen Hoover has earned a Goodreads Choice Award, multiple titles on a best-seller list, and has had print copies sold more than the Bible itself. Naturally, these traits would be associated with a well-liked author; however, for many, that’s not the case.
Hoover is a New York Times best-selling author, writing primarily on elements of romance and young-adult themes. With 26 books published, her literary success is undeniable; however, whether Hoover’s writing deserves its fame is debatable.
Her most popular book, It Ends With Us, has 10 million copies sold and a movie adaptation starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Hoover’s book, while focusing on romance, showcases the dark side of love, with many themes of sexual and child abuse, addiction, and abortion.
Naturally, it would make sense to shed light on these topics, especially when a writer’s audience is geared towards Generation Z. However, rather than spreading awareness, Hoover romanticizes the abuse.
She portrays the abusers as “jerks” and downplays their actions to the point where some readers root for the protagonist to stay with them. To demonstrate, in It Ends With Us, characters Lily and Ryle are in an abusive relationship, with Lily on the receiving side of the assault. But Hoover makes it so that Ryle’s actions are excusable or just the “heat of the moment.”
Additionally, Hoover’s books provide no content warning whatsoever. They are often pushed to the front of a bookstore, usually being showcased on their own table dedicated to her novels. Young girls who have never read any of her work before may pick up her books and be none the wiser about the content they truly hold.
And yes, it can be argued that Hoover could write her stories however she pleases, especially considering the purpose behind her journey in literature, which is that her books are based on her own mother’s abusive relationship.
Pembroke Pines Charter High School sophomore Marissa Fernandez seems to agree with this, stating, “I think you can write about your experiences, and it is based on her mom, so it’s okay.” She adds, “It is better to go about it in a way where you’re showing awareness.”
Even removing the aspect of Hoover’s distasteful and blatant romanticization of abuse, she’s not a good writer. Her writing style, for lack of words, is dull. It’s nearly impossible to feel any real and raw emotion while reading her books. It’s a wonder how anybody can get through them, as they don’t elicit anything good out of you. It’s not far-fetched to compare her writing to fan fiction gone wrong.
And despite all of that, Hoover’s books continue to gain fame, with some even being adapted into movies. Most recently, her book Regretting You was made into a movie, and though it’s not the worst film you’ll watch, Hoover’s bad writing still translates into it.
PPCHS student Brienna Dominique ended up enjoying the movie, saying, “I think the plot was a bit strange, but I still found myself enjoying it.”
With thousands of fans calling themselves ‘CoHos,’ Hoover’s books are just a true testament that you don’t have to necessarily write about ‘good’ things, or even be a good writer, to find yourself at the pinnacle of your career. But whether you enjoy or dislike her writing, her success is undeniable.
