Are you interested in young adult fiction and romance novels? The Colleen Hoover Book Club might be for you.
The Colleen Hoover Book Club is a new club at Sacred Heart University, created in 2024. The club aims to create student engagement through Hoover novels. Colleen Hoover is an American author who is famously known for her romance and young adult novels.
“I’ve read a lot of Colleen Hoover books, and they’re very popular right now. I feel like a lot of her books are set in that college, late high school, or early adulthood setting,” said junior and head of the club, Madison Croonquist-Rosario.
Hoover became popular after self-publishing her first novel titled, “Slammed.” This novel made the New York Times best-seller list within seven months.
“We’re going to go through a PowerPoint asking people in the club for different book recommendations and books that we should all read together,” said Croonquist-Rosario. “I thought it would be nice for people to come together, talk about the books, the readings and how they are different. Also, how it’s something that you love to take time to do within your day.”
Croonquist-Rosario touches upon how the club is very new but has impactful plans in mind.
“We are going to do some volunteer work; we are going to run a book drive whether it’s Colleen Hoover books or any books. We are also looking into donating to any community libraries, the Sacred Heart library, or maybe local schools,” said Croonquist-Rosario.
Students will soon receive weekly emails with information regarding the club and how students can join.
Croonquist-Rosario said, “I’m going to create a GroupMe, also an email chain with weekly reminders. I’m also going to send weekly flyers over to Student Engagement, so, it’ll be sent in a mass email to the entire university.”
Students in and out of the club share their thoughts on Colleen Hoover and share their favorite Hoover novel amongst the students.
“Her books are less inspirational and are more about escaping the real world. Her books typically have a nice romance story that helps you escape reality for a little bit,” said senior Kayla Ryan. “My favorite Colleen Hoover novel is ‘Verity.’ ‘Verity’ is a thriller novel that includes a good twist.”
Colleen Hoover’s writing targets individuals within the high school and college setting but her novels are enjoyed by many age groups.
“Most of her novels are targeted at individuals over the age of 16, I do believe that beyond that age they are for everyone,” said junior Jessica Greenberg. “I would say from personal experience, not only have I read and loved her novel, ‘Verity,’ but so has my mom, my aunt and even my two grandmothers.”
Greenberg has read nine Colleen Hoovers novels and thinks differently in terms of what it means to be a reader and author. When Greenberg is reading Hoover’s novels, she sees various themes throughout her writing.
“Novels by the same author usually all share a similar underlying theme. However, her novels are each unique in their own perspective ways,” said Greenberg.
Students share how Hoover’s writing might be different from other authors.
“I would say Colleen Hoover is unique in her writing because she explores many different types of relationships and romantic stories,” said Ryan.
Hoover allows readers to express their imagination and have different takeaways from her novels.
“She really gives her readers the option to interpret her work in their own way, which is really intriguing as it allows her books to mean different things to each individual who reads them,” said Greenberg.
