On a recent trip to the bookstore, I was greeted by the typical, “Hi there! Can I help you find anything?”
Before I could even decline, the employee said, “If you’re looking for Colleen Hoover’s books, we have a display on a table right past this section.”
If you haven’t heard of her, Colleen Hoover’s books are insanely popular on social media, especially among teenaged to early-20s women. She is essentially the author that sparked “BookTok” a.k.a. the realm of the TikTok app where readers go to find recommendations and reviews.
I’m sure I fit the exact demographic of shoppers who stop by looking for her books, but I was still a little offended.
I don’t have a TikTok account, and I had never read one of Colleen Hoover’s books.
I thought that was only because her books don’t interest me, but my reaction to the employee’s comments made me realize that I also felt like I was a little too sophisticated to be reading these books.
Admitting how snooty that was is a little embarrassing, since I love reading so much because I truly believe there is something for everyone.
It’s more than a little hypocritical for me, an adult who just spent months really enjoying reading the Harry Potter series for the first time, to judge groups of young women who gravitate toward books made popular by social media.
So, I decided I would get over my own ego and give Colleen Hoover a shot by reading one of her most popular books, “Verity.”
To be completely transparent, I went into this column thinking that I would love the book, have a total change of heart and be able to write a tidy column that speaks to the value of challenging my own opinions once in a while.
Unfortunately, it became a little more complicated because I was not a big fan of “Verity.”
I’m not a wimp when it comes to graphic content, but this book has quite a lot of violence and sexual content that is kind of unwarranted, in my opinion. I don’t like the way it paints women and I found it really hard to root for, or empathize with, any of the characters.
I could say a lot about the things I didn’t like but what I will say is this: Every night I wanted to read more of the book.
The way the book is structured is really interesting. Hoover flips back and forth between chapters of the characters’ lives and chapters of a manuscript the protagonist is reading.
When I finished the book, I immediately texted several of my friends who have read it.
Even though I felt like the plot twist was unsatisfying, it definitely made me want to talk about it.
I’ve thought about this a lot more, and I feel like maybe Colleen Hoover’s popularity isn’t necessarily because people love everything about her books – it’s because they’re so easy to talk about, whether you love or hate them.
When I was in grade school, it wasn’t necessarily cool to be into books, so I mostly read in private and didn’t have many friends who I could talk about books with.
Now, my friends from college and I meet up for book club. The ones who have moved away meet at their own in new cities and keep us updated on their current books.
I didn’t love Colleen Hoover’s novel, but I love that the hype around them has led tons of young women to get into reading and get excited about sharing their opinions with friends in person and online.
So, next time I’m at the bookstore, I’ll appreciate the Colleen Hoover displays a little more… even if I don’t plan on picking up another one of her books.
-Kayleen Petrovia is a reporter for the Journal-Tribune.