Colleen Hoover Books Have Taken Over Our Screens

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One thing about the social media app TikTok is that it has the power to drive anything into the spotlight. TikTok introduces the world to an assortment of new media, while simultaneously helping to sell out certain recommended products in a matter of minutes. This has been seen repeatedly with makeup products like the Dior lip oil and the Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara. It also sold out clothing items including the Aerie Crossover Leggings and UGG brand mini boots. It app has now gravitated to the book community, helping facilitate the rise of young adult novelist Colleen Hoover and her works.

So Who Is Colleen Hoover?

If you’re unfamiliar with the name Colleen Hoover, don’t fret. For those unaware, Hoover is a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of a whopping 22 novels and several short stories. Her most popular novels typically fall into the young adult romance genre. Some titles also land in the psychological thriller category, such as her popular indie book “Verity.” Aside from her published success, Hoover also has a charity called The Bookworm Box, which is a monthly subscription service that has made donations of over $1 million dollars to different causes.

From the Shelf to the Top

In November of 2020, Libby McGuire, the senior vice president and publisher of Simon & Schuster Atria Books, noticed an odd spike in sales of one of Hoover’s 2016 novels, “It Ends with Us.” It is a heartbreaking tale that details the effects of abuse and eventually finding inner strength. After the leaves had fallen and the summer sun returned in June of 2021, the book was averaging about 17,000 sales a week. Atria’s senior associate director of publicity referred to it as “the book of the summer” — even though it originally took its place on bookstore shelves many summers prior.

As the #BookTok hashtag continued to circulate on TikTok, even more of Hoover’s past unforgettable and gut-wrenching novels finally received the recognition they deserved. Some of these novels included the standalone contemporary romance “November 9th.” The novel was published back in Fall 2015 and details the trials and tribulations of long-distance love affairs.

Two more of Hoover’s works that have taken the #BookTok community by storm are “Ugly Love,” released in 2014, and “All Your Perfects,” released in 2018. Despite being two very different works, both of the novels meet on a common ground: the subjects they explore and their Goodreads score of 4.3. The stories both show the heartbreak, love and pain that accompany dealing with grief.

From the Pages to the Screen

In this day and age, many television series and movies released are based on novels and now Hoover’s most popular works are joining the adaption club. The popular book “Confess” was adapted back in 2017 into a seven-episode web series, available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video and iTunes. The series starred actors Katie Leclerc and Ryan Cooper and seemed to be well received by media critics and viewers.

Following in the footsteps of “Confess,” Hoover’s most critically acclaimed novel, “It Ends With Us,” has a chance to appear on the big screen. In July 2019, director and “Jane the Virgin” star Justin Baldoni announced via social media that he was optioning the film rights to the novel through his company, Wayfarer Studios. However, in September 2020 Baldoni stepped down as the director of the project because, in his words, “I realized this is a much more important project for a woman to direct.”

Despite stepping down to man the camera, Baldoni teased that he may be a part of the film as a cast member. The “It Ends With Us” fanatics are speculating whether or not Baldoni will stand in one of the main roles as Ryle Kincaid or Atlas Corrigan.

#BookTok has undeniably taken the literature community by storm. With its influence, it was able to bring older titles back to more prominent places on bookstore shelves. Other titles have again found success with the hashtag; nonetheless, Hoover’s projects stand out among the rest. Equipped with beautifully heart-shattering love stories and hard-hitting topics, it’s easy to say that Hoover’s alluring writing has something like no other.

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More Pages To Come

Just when we thought Hoover was done breaking readers’ hearts into millions of pieces, she does it once more! On Jan. 18 of this year, Hoover’s newest tear jerker titled “Reminders of Him” was made available online and on shelves all over. With a 4.7 Goodreads score and a 4.9 Barnes & Noble score, the novel seems to already be a hit with bookworms — which is no surprise considering Hoover’s track record.

Hoover describes the writing process for “Reminders of Him” as a little different than normal and reveals that the book was surprisingly meant to be a romantic comedy. However, when the comedic elements did not work out, she decided to just let her emotions genuinely flow onto the pages. She then relayed, “And I was like, you know what? I just need to embrace how I’m feeling. And then I feel like I wrote the saddest book I’ve ever written.”

With the self-proclaimed “saddest book she’s ever written,” it’s definitely wise to grab a box of tissues along with your copy of the book.

Ultimately Hoover’s impact on the #BookTok and literary community is unlike anything we’ve seen in the past few years. Her pure dedication and her interactions with fans reaffirm that, to Hoover, writing is more than just a nine to five — it’s her whole life. With the big screen “It Ends With Us” adaptation underway and “Reminders of Him” reviews flowing in, we anxiously await when Colleen Hoover will strike next!