Booktok Author Facing Backlash

Colleen Hoover is questioned over recent announcements.

Colleen Hoover posted this image on January 11th which was later deleted.

Are you pro or against CoHo? Colleen Hoover, a New York Times bestselling author and writer of books like It Ends With Us, November 9, and Verity is facing serious backlash over a color book. Why you might ask? Well on Wednesday, January 11th Hoover posted a new announcement to her Instagram page. She stated that she and her publishing team were soon to release an adult coloring book based on her most popular book It Ends With Us. This announcement has been met with a lot of opposition, confusion, and general upset.  

Colleen Hoover has been controversial for quite some time. Many believe her books romanticize very serious issues and illnesses. It Ends With Us is a story of domestic violence and abuse. Hoover wrote the book as an allusion to her mother, a story loosely based on her mother’s own story of domestic abuse. While this is true, many previous fans feel as if Hoover has steered away from the main topic of the book in order to profit. Many say the releasing of a coloring book is “tone deaf” and making light of this issue. And this is not the first time Colleen Hoover has faced such backlash. In February of 2022, the author received many comments on a tweet posted by a 16-year-old girl, claiming that Hoover’s son sexually harassed her. Since the tweet was posted many fans have brought it up to the author and asked for answers. Hoover has since blocked the girl who posted this and has ignored all comments on it. We have no way to know what is true but the author’s lack of action and address leads fans to think poorly. This new stunt with the coloring book has only angered readers more. 

On January 12th Colleen Hoover removed the announcement post for the coloring book and posted a story. Hoover stated, “The coloring book was developed with Lily’s strength in mind, but I can absolutely see how this was tone-deaf.” Obviously, her apology doesn’t excuse the lack of thought and disregard for how it might be viewed but it is definitely a step in the right direction. So what do you think? Can you separate the books from the author?