If you spent any time on BookTok during the early 2020s, you know that Colleen Hoover wasn't just an author; she was a juggernaut. Her 2016 novel It Ends With Us became a cultural phenomenon years after its release, topping charts and turning Lily Bloom into a household name for millions of readers. So, when news broke that an It Ends With Us coloring book was in the works, the marketing team likely expected a celebratory reception. Instead, they walked right into a buzzsaw of public outrage.
It was a mess.
To understand why a simple activity book caused such a visceral reaction, you have to look at the source material. It Ends With Us isn't a lighthearted beach read. It’s a story about domestic violence. It’s about the cycle of abuse, the trauma of growing up in a violent household, and the agonizing difficulty of leaving someone you love. People felt that turning these themes into a "fun" afternoon activity was tone-deaf at best and exploitative at worst.
The Announcement That Went Viral for All the Wrong Reasons
In early 2023, Atria Books announced they were collaborating with Hoover on an adult coloring book inspired by the novel. The idea, presumably, was to capitalize on the aesthetic of Lily’s flower shop. Think delicate linework of peonies, intricate floral arrangements, and perhaps some of the more romantic quotes from the book. On paper, it sounded like standard merchandise for a mega-hit.
But fans didn't see it that way.
The backlash was almost instantaneous. TikTok and Twitter exploded with readers pointing out the jarring disconnect between the book’s heavy subject matter and the leisure-focused nature of a coloring book. How do you color in a scene that represents a character’s lowest point of physical and emotional trauma? Is there a "correct" colored pencil for a bruise? These were the uncomfortable questions being hurled at the publisher.
Domestic Violence Isn't an Aesthetic
The core of the criticism was about the "romanticization" of abuse. For many survivors who found solace in Lily Bloom's story, the It Ends With Us coloring book felt like a betrayal. It felt like the industry was taking a painful reality and stripping it of its weight to sell a $15 hobby item.
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Social media users like @the_novel_neighbor and other prominent book influencers voiced their concerns, noting that while merch is common for YA fantasy or rom-coms, the rules change when you're dealing with sensitive, real-world trauma. The conversation quickly shifted from "I love Colleen Hoover" to "Wait, did anyone think this through?"
It wasn't just about the flowers. It was about the message. By turning a story about domestic violence into a collectible item for entertainment, the lines between awareness and commercialization became dangerously blurred. Honestly, it felt a bit like the "aestheticizing" of pain that we see all too often on social platforms.
The Publisher's Response and the Cancellation
Atria Books didn't take long to read the room. Within less than 48 hours of the announcement, they pulled the plug. Colleen Hoover herself took to Instagram to address the situation, admitting that the project was a mistake. She acknowledged the feedback and stated that she heard the concerns loud and clear.
"The coloring book was developed with Lily's strength in mind, but I can see how it was brand-tone-deaf," Hoover essentially communicated to her followers. She thanked fans for holding her accountable. It was a rare moment where a major publishing house and a superstar author pivoted almost instantly due to grassroots internet pressure.
The Larger Problem With Book Merchandising
This incident wasn't an isolated event; it was a symptom of a larger trend in the publishing industry. When a book goes viral, publishers want to "brand" it. They want candles that smell like the protagonist, sweatshirts with quotes, and yes, coloring books.
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But not every story is a brand.
It Ends With Us occupies a strange space in pop culture. It is categorized as contemporary romance, yet its primary plot point is a domestic abuse tragedy. This "marketing identity crisis" is likely what led to the coloring book idea in the first place. If you treat it like a romance, you make a coloring book. If you treat it like a serious exploration of trauma, you don't.
Why Adult Coloring Books Exist in the First Place
We should acknowledge that adult coloring books are often marketed as "therapeutic." In a vacuum, the idea of coloring to relieve stress makes sense. Some defenders of the project argued that for fans who found the book's ending empowering, coloring could be a form of meditation on that strength.
However, the context matters more than the intent. You can't separate the "empowerment" from the "violence" in It Ends With Us. They are inextricably linked. Providing a "therapeutic" coloring book for a story that contains scenes of sexual assault and physical battery is, at the very least, a massive PR oversight.
What We Can Learn From the It Ends With Us Coloring Book Fiasco
Publishing is changing. Readers aren't just passive consumers anymore; they are an active part of the narrative lifecycle. They have a moral compass that they aren't afraid to use. This situation proved that "all press is good press" is a lie in the age of socially conscious reading.
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Here are the real-world takeaways from this mess:
- Sensitivity Readers Aren't Just for Manuscripts: Marketing departments need them too. If someone had asked a domestic violence advocate about this project before the announcement, they would have told them it was a bad idea in five seconds.
- The "BookTok" Effect is a Double-Edged Sword: The same community that can make you a billionaire can also de-platform a product overnight if it feels exploitative.
- Context is King: A coloring book for A Court of Thorns and Roses works because it's high fantasy. A coloring book for It Ends With Us fails because it’s grounded in real-world suffering.
Looking Forward: The Movie and Future Merch
With the It Ends With Us movie starring Blake Lively having dominated the box office recently, the conversation around the story’s presentation hasn't slowed down. The movie's marketing also faced some criticism for being "too bright" or "too floral," reminiscent of the coloring book controversy.
It seems there is a recurring struggle to market this story. Do you lean into the flowers and the romance to get people in the door, or do you lead with the heavy, difficult truth of the narrative?
The It Ends With Us coloring book will go down in publishing history as a textbook example of what happens when a brand forgets the soul of the story it's selling. It serves as a reminder that some things aren't meant to be colored in. They are meant to be read, felt, and respected for the gravity they hold.
Moving Toward More Ethical Book Marketing
If you’re a fan of the book or a creator yourself, there are better ways to engage with these themes without crossing the line into insensitivity.
- Support Real Organizations: Instead of buying questionable merchandise, consider donating to organizations like the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
- Engage in Nuanced Discussion: Read the book's sequel, It Starts With Us, which focuses more on the healing process, or explore non-fiction titles about the cycle of abuse to gain a deeper understanding.
- Demand Better from Publishers: Continue to use your voice on social media to tell brands what you want—and what you definitely don't want.
The cancellation of the coloring book was a victory for readers who value substance over "aesthetic." It showed that even in a profit-driven industry, there is still a line that cannot be crossed. As we move forward, the hope is that publishers will think twice before trying to turn every tragedy into a craft project. It’s okay for a book to just be a book. It doesn't need to be a candle, a coaster, or a page you fill with Crayola.