The movie adaption of the BookTok-viral Colleen Hoover novel "It Ends with Us" exceeded expectations with a $50 million opening weekend. Much like the "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" concert film, its premiere was fashion-forward, glittering with florals evocative of the main character, florist Lily Bloom. Hoover’s readers, known as CoHorts, have taken a page from the Swiftie playbook alongside the film’s star Blake Lively, the human embodiment of “we all got crowns.” With enough purchasing power to upend the publishing industry, outsell the Bible and necessitate a dedicated BookTok table at Barnes & Noble, Hoover’s readership is a force. Whether you’re Team CoHo or no-go, there’s reason to pay attention: Hoover has hit a cultural nerve.
The story of a woman’s reckoning with domestic violence, "It Ends with Us" has been called “trauma porn” and criticized for romanticizing abusive relationships, at least in part because readers are asked to empathize with the abuser; which is tricky, because good writing (and good living) invites empathy for every character. The onscreen version of Lily’s love interest, neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid, is portrayed by the film’s director and producer Justin Baldoni, best known for winning the final rose on "Jane the Virgin." The florist shop Lily Bloom’s is an enchanted wonderland, gleaming nearly as much as Ryle’s teeth. Who’s to say this is not realistic? Abusers do not arrive scowling like The Prick on "Bad Sisters." The road to domestic violence is paved with Cartier bracelets and Hallmark cards.
