One of the most controversial authors of our generation—or at least of the part that discovered reading only after BookTok made it cool—is Colleen Hoover. The term “Hoover Hater” is pretty self-explanatory: a label crafted and worn by Hoover’s many critics. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, you’re lucky—not because I think her work is a disgrace to literature or anything dramatic like that, but because I am glad you have been spared the headache of seeing her fandom battle it out on nearly every corner of the internet.
Now, I am not the part of our generation who only picked up a novel after seeing cool, pretty girls wielding bows in their hair and an aesthetically staged bookshelf—not that there is any shame for those who are. I’ve been a reader since I was a child—when the most interesting thing about me was smuggling Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children into my third-grade gym class. I was the classmate in English class who obnoxiously raised her hand, eager to tell the teacher that I was ahead in our reading assignments, and yes, I even liked reading The Scarlet Letter and Shakespeare’s works. I excelled with the dry, required reading of High School English classes, almost always taught by the same archetype: middle-aged woman or man, divorced (or about to be), and very obviously going through their first or second mid-life crisis.
So, I’d like to think I’m qualified enough to speak up on this matter. And, in my educated opinion? The excessive hate that Colleen Hoover receives has nothing to do with her books but instead with groupthink—with the need to fit in, to avoid confrontation, even if it means killing creativity and losing the ability to think for yourself.
This take is not coming from a place of Hoover adoration, I am not trying to crown her the literary voice of our generation. I am merely tired—and honestly appalled—by the sheer hate that lives in the bookish community. If I had a dollar for every self-proclaimed “Hoover Hater” I’ve met that have never even read one of her books, I’d be well on my way to running the U.S. government (IYKYK).
A big point of contention is her novel It Ends With Us, often accused of romanticizing domestic abuse. However, the story’s message (or at least how I perceived it) is about ending that cycle of abuse while also showing how hard it is to do that in certain situations. Hoover even spoke out about how her father was physically abusive to her mother—showing that her portrayal of this terrible topic is coming from a place of genuine experience.
Besides, if we’re going to talk about problematic portrayals of relationships, I suggest searching “#darkromance” on TikTok. Or, better yet, read the highly praised Haunting Adeline—you’ll see my point.
Now, if you don’t like Hoover’s writing, I understand. Taste is individual to everyone. However, enough with the “If you read Collen Hoover, you’re not a real reader” comments. I’ve seen book club members feel ashamed for enjoying her novels, even friendships struggling over this topic. Why did this one author become a topic to use as a way to bully fellow readers?
The answer, I believe, lies in a need to feel superior. To gatekeep what it means to be a “true reader”. But reading is reading—whether it’s a Russian classic or fairy smut. So, if you’re a part of the book community, I urge you to be open-minded. And to the readers who quietly enjoy Colleen Hoover, or any other “controversial” or “embarrassing” author, keep reading what makes you happy. Ignore the Hoover Haters.