A 'tone-deaf' plotline and a film with Blake Lively: Why everyone is talking about Colleen Hoover.

Have you noticed a new section of your local bookstore? One piled high with novels with abstract covers, and bright glossy embossed titles? One with a sign hanging confidentially above it? A sign that reads #booktok. 

Well, let us introduce you to what the heck that means, and the controversy that has since followed.

#booktok is a corner of TikTok devoted to bookworms – a space where big readers can share the novels they loved, they hated and the ones they plan to read. It was initially classified as a 'niche' content stream for the social media giant – a little spot away from the dancing teenagers where book lovers could nerd out over their latest read – but the hashtag now amassed over 102.5 billion views and is now referred to as the 'biggest book club on the planet'.

If you take a scroll through #booktok there's one author you're bound to see pop up almost immediately: Colleen Hoover.

Watch: 'I read books for a living. Here are the most addictive thrillers.' Story continues after video.

Hoover is a 43-year-old American romance author from Texas. She had self-published a few novels, building up moderate success, but her 'big break' came from her novel It Ends With Us. The book, which Hoover herself describes as "the hardest book I've ever written", follows the fictional life of Lily Bloom, who witnesses domestic violence at a young age – with her father abusing her mother – before growing up and falling into a violent relationship herself. 

It Ends With Us became the book everyone wanted to talk about on TikTok. 

Fans were filming themselves reading the book, sharing footage of them crying in response to certain chapters and posting their gushing reviews of the novel – and the momentum has grown ever since. Readers wanted to post their own reviews and respond to others' thoughts on the novels and fantasies about why Hoover had chosen certain arcs and characters. 

Hoover, in response, did what every other author would do if given the chance: She joined the mayhem. 

The author began posting her own content to TikTok, feeding the frenzy by answering fan questions, giving insights into her writing and, to seriously up the ante, she started to tease a sequel. 

Hoover expanded her It Ends With Us universe with a second story: It Starts With Us – a novel that Simon & Schuster report as their "most pre-ordered title to date".

@colleenhoover Y’all asked for more Lily and Atlas, so you’re getting more Lily and Atlas! #ItStartsWithUs info in bio. I love y’all so much! #outtakes ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey

It Starts With Us, unsurprisingly, sold incredibly well. And now with two hit books and a devoted fan base on TikTok, Hoover's older novels were getting traction too – with fans hungry for as much Hoover content as they could get their eyes on.

The result? Colleen Hoover has now sold over 20 million books. She topped the Australian bestseller list (taking four of the 10 top bestseller spots in 2022) and is currently the bestselling novelist in the United States. Oh, and she has 1.1 million followers on TikTok, making for a rather glorious platform to plug future books on.

But with that overwhelming level of exposure comes a dark side: millions of people analysing your every career move.

And it seems that Hoover's latest release didn't go quite down as well as planned.

The author announced on Wednesday that she would be releasing a colouring book in April – a colouring book inspired by It Ends with Us, and assumingly featuring its most popular characters and moments from the story. The announcement triggered a rallying cry from Hoover's fans, highlighting their concern that Hoover was making light of heavy topics like domestic abuse and gaslighting by bringing out a colouring book. 

"How can you write a book about domestic abuse, about gaslighting, about general emotional manipulation, and then think to yourself, you know what I should make to commemorate this? A colouring book," one upset TikTok user said.

@charlsbookshelves Disappointed to say the least #colleenhoover #itendswithus #iewubook #coho #cohobooks #bookishthoughts #bookishtiktok #booktok #ukbooktoker ♬ original sound - Charl

@morgannbook thoughts?? #itendswithus #colleenhoover #itendswithuscoloringbook ♬ original sound - morgann

As with most things social media, the commentary was quick to gain traction and encouraged a speedy response from those at the centre of the drama: Hoover and the colouring book's publisher.

Atria, an off-shoot of publishing house Simon & Schuster, posted statements to Instagram on Thursday announcing they had pulled the colouring book – explaining to fans that no harm was intended with the release. Hoover also released her own statement on Instagram. 

"The colouring book was developed with Lily's strength in mind, but I can absolutely see how this was tone-deaf. I hear you guys and I agree with you. No excuses. No finger-pointing," she said. "I have contacted the publisher to let them know I would prefer we don’t move forward with it. Thank you for the respectful discourse and accountability. Nothing but love."

And now Blake Lively's been thrown into the drama too.

Deadline announced that Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have been cast in the lead roles for a new movie adaptation of It Ends With Us, with Baldoni also set to direct. 

Hoover said in an Instagram video to confirm the news: "Our Lily is going to be played by Blake Lively. Blake Lively, y'all. She's my dream Lily."

But fans don't exactly feel the same...

💐BREAKING NEWS

Blake Lively and @JustinBaldoni are set to star in the upcoming film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel #ItEndsWithUs." We CAN'T WAIT to see this powerful story come to life on the big screen! @deadline https://t.co/wVapWSNaGU

— It Ends With Us is coming to the big screen! (@WayfarerStudios) January 26, 2023

blake lively pls don't do it pic.twitter.com/bl7MLZceb2

— celestia ♡ (@CECESTJ4MES) January 27, 2023

i’m kinda disappointed in it ends with us cast because i think they picked Blake Lively because of her reputation and not keeping the character lily in mind??
like this would be perfect??#ItEndsWithUs #ItEndsWithUsMovie #books #colleenhoover pic.twitter.com/c0qfFXiXTo

— giuliana (@luvgiuu) January 27, 2023

Given the mass appeal of the book, millions and millions of readers had an idea of what the characters would look like in real life. And it appears they didn't see Lively as the right fit for the main role – all because of the fact she's a few years older than the book's character and she doesn't have the same hair as described in the book.

So all pretty minor details.

But the other reason some Lively fans are a little upset is that Lively chose to align herself with Hoover, despite the recent colouring book backlash. Although in movie world, no casting decision is made within a few mere weeks – meaning Lively was likely signed on before the backlash emerged.

What's for certain though is that #booktok is having a major moment for Hoover. But as for whether it will begin to skew only in a negative direction – time will tell.

This article was originally published on January 13 and has been updated with new information.

Image: Getty/Instagram @charlsbookshelves @kevintnorman @colleenhoover.