The CoHo Controversy

A collection of Colleen Hoover books from student Alex Doerr's '25 library. Evelyn Milburn '24

If you frequent Poughkeepsie’s local Barnes & Noble on South Road, you have probably seen an entire table dedicated to Colleen Hoover’s romance novels, stacked in piles of five or six, some almost toppling over the edge.

Hoover’s rise in popularity over the past three years has been astronomical. TikTok’s literary community, colloquially known as “Book Tok,” has exploded with recommendations and praise. Her fans promoted her so well that, according to NPD Bookscan, eight of her books landed in the top 25 overall print bestsellers of 2022. Her 2016 novel “It Ends with Us” topped the charts with nearly three million copies sold. A film adaptation starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni is set for a 2024 release.

Affectionately nicknamed CoHo by her fans, Hoover’s name has become synonymous with contemporary romance. Hoover’s cult following is not unfounded. Readers praise her for writing swoon-worthy “book boyfriends,” heart-stopping plot twists, and knee-buckling smut scenes.

After interviewing some Marist students, both fans and opponents, a clearer picture of Hoover’s duality began to form.

Sasha Tuddenham ’24 shared that she read Hoover’s book “Hopeless” after her eighth-grade teacher recommended it. “I finished it in a day,” said Tuddenham.

When Daniella Fedosyk ’25 read “It Ends with Us,” she didn’t expect the effect it would have on her. “Every aspect of the book gravitated towards me,” she said. “I ended up finding myself in the book, which eventually gave me so much peace and strength in my own life.”

Alex Doerr ’25 would not describe herself as a fan of Hoover’s writing style, but she thoroughly enjoyed the “rollercoaster of emotions” she experienced while reading several of Hoover’s bestsellers.

Each interviewee who had read one or more of Hoover’s works expressed their appreciation for Hoover’s exploration of the depth of human emotion, especially regarding love.

But with such high praise and popularity comes equally intense criticism. Many readers have criticized Hoover for glamorizing abusive relationships and putting toxic male characters on a proverbial pedestal. “It Ends with Us” is particularly controversial, as it follows florist Lily Blossom Bloom and her tumultuous relationships with her first love, Atlas Corrigan, and a new flame, Ryle Kincaid. Ryle is emotionally and physically abusive, sexually coercing Lily throughout the story. Atlas is similarly flawed, as he first approached Lily romantically while she was a minor.

Hoover’s exploration of realistic themes inspires some readers, while others feel like the abuse is glamorized under the guise of romance.

“While Colleen Hoover is a great writer and knows how to capture emotion in her books, there are some questionable themes,” said Tuddenham. “Her ‘Hopeless’ books tackle abuse and arguably glorify child abduction, which makes you question why her books have become so popular.”

Maggie Roach ’22, an evening assistant at the James A. Cannavino Library, believes the issue lies in the marketing. “I don’t think of “It Ends with Us” as a romance novel,” Roach said. “But it’s marketed as a romance novel, which is an issue.”

Lorah Murphy ’24 agreed, arguing that by marketing these stories as romantic literature, readers tend to develop strange parasocial relationships with these abusive and mentally unstable fictional men. “An author is absolutely within their right to explore dark themes, but you can have conversations about these ideas without framing them as desirable,” said Murphy.

Among the criticism, some students found reason and truth in Hoover’s storytelling. “[Hoover’s stories] bring out the dangers of abusive and toxic relationships,” Fedosyk said. “[They] show how hard it is to leave them when you are so emotionally attached to someone and/or physically can’t due to other obligations.”

Roach said that her reading of “It Ends with Us” was greatly influenced by Hoover’s afterword. There, Hoover explains how her inspiration for this story was derived from her mother and father’s toxic relationship, reflecting the sentiment that the dark stories Hoover tells are unfortunately inspired by reality.

As avid Marist CoHo fans and critics shared their opinions, one axiom rang true. “No one is better than anyone else because of what they read,” said Roach. “Reading is meant to be fun, and fun has different meanings to lots of different people. The Earth is on fire, and we should be able to read without judgment.”