As we all know by now, TikTok is so diversified in the videos it puts out that it has split into millions of subgenres catered to the viewers. One of the larger sections of TikTok is “BookTok,” in which young authors promote their new books and passionate readers gush over their favorite canon couples. From BookTok, all different books have skyrocketed off the charts and become all the rage with readers throughout the world that might not have done so well without this new form of promotion targeting teen readers. Although I have deleted TikTok due to being sucked into the void for hours on end, I was deep into BookTok while on the app and have read lots of the most popular books, as I am easily influenced for better or for worse. I’m here to give you a run down of which books are worth your time and which books everyone online lied about and hyped up for no reason.
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
After gaining lots of traction on TikTok, this book and its author, Colleen Hoover, became extremely controversial as readers were questioning if her books were romanticizing toxic masculinity and abusive codependent relationships. While fiction can cover any topic, these books are catered toward young adults and put problematic relationship standards into teenage minds. It Ends With Us centers around a young woman raised in an abusive home who ends up pregnant in an abusive relationship of her own until she is reunited with her childhood crush that she saved from homelessness. In my opinion, the plot was easy to predict and contained lots of cliches and stereotypes. On a more minor note, the book is written with severe millennial undertones. For example, the main character names her daughter Dory after her role model that she always wrote to, Ellen DeGeneres, which I could simply not get past as I was reading. So, while the book depicts an interesting dramatic relationship, for me, it was not well-written and I didn’t feel a strong attachment to any of the characters. BookTok definitely over-hyped this book, but if you are like me and curious about what all the fuss is about, it is a very quick read and still a decent book.
Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
If I were to have only picked up one book from BookTok ever, I would want it to be Daisy Jones and The Six. This book was my it-girl: jaw-dropping, show-stopping, and everything I ever could have dreamed of. Set up in an interview-style format, band members were questioned about all the events leading up to their final show, where everything went wrong. The book centers around Billy Dunne and Daisy Jones as they came together to form this band, as well as their struggles with addiction, relationships, songwriting, and keeping the band united. The cherry on top of this groovy 70s rock story is that it is loosely based upon Fleetwood Mac’s experiences while recording their album Rumours. In my opinion, this book was not given enough credit. Iit intricately wove the tale of each bandmate, giving them personality and making you sympathize with each character at different points. This is another quick read—or maybe just quick for me because I could not put this book down—and once you whip through the book you can go watch the TV series to see the aesthetic perfectly brought to life on screen. On a completely unrelated note, I wish I was the lead singer in a 70s rock band in a forbidden love with my bandmate discovering how to be alive, but I guess I can settle for reading and imagining.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
I may be biased with regards to this book as I went to an author talk and am now in possession of a signed copy, but in my opinion, We Were Liars deserved the hype it got from BookTok. The book follows Cadence as she summers on her family’s island with her cousins after suffering from a head injury. The lure or pull towards this book is the dramatic plot twist that occurs near the end of the book, and while I won’t spoil it, I will say that I never saw it coming (but I don’t usually see book endings coming). My mom of course can always predict an ending and drives me crazy since she always knows what’s coming; so, while she did guess the end of the book, it is otherwise very difficult to see coming because Lockhart writes with just enough foreshadowing to keep you guessing. The book is descriptive as it weaves together the characters’ relationships and is written so well that summering on your own island doesn’t seem like a prosperous idea once you dive into the book.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Where the Crawdads Sing quickly rose in popularity as it was fervently discussed on TikTok and added to Reese Witherspoon’s book club list. This coming of age murder mystery portrays the life of a “Marsh girl” who has to fend for herself and, in the process, learns how to read and falls in love. The elaborate description of the marsh made me feel engulfed by the setting, and Owens’ writing style allowed me to fully immerse myself in the story. I’m a sucker for a love story, so while at times the story is unrealistic and some of the characters are a little flat, I would recommend it as a fun, easy YA book to read. As I was doing a little research about the author and book to write this, I discovered that this author has a controversial tie to the book, as, like in the book, she is wanted for questioning for being complicit in a murder from her past. o, now knowing this, I would definitely recommend the book less and advise you to research more and use your own ethics about whether or not you should read this.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reed
I am a defender of this book until the day I die, so what if the “plot twist” is predictable? I love this book so much. It’s the story of an actress as she navigates rising to fame, and, like the title suggests, her relationships with her seven husbands. Another interview style book by Taylor Jenkins Reed blowing up on TikTok is no coincidence, as they are easy to read and full of twists and turns. Evelyn Hugo is a complex character with lots of dimension created from description, dialogue, and the way she tells her own story. I love the old Hollywood aesthetic of the book and would again recommend it to anyone who loves a dramatic love story. Read away to find out which husband sticks and why she left so many in the dust!
That’s All I Got!
I applaud BookTok for pushing people to pick up a book and get out of their comfort zone. While I think some of the super popular books are worth the hype, sometimes, even if the book is outstanding, it can’t live up to the glowing reviews people give on TikTok. I would recommend BookTok more for finding discourse on a book you are reading or for discovering small up-and-coming authors, as TikTok has become the new way to promote your book. I know this review didn’t cover some of the big BookTok books like Song of Achilles or A Court of Thorns and Roses, but sometimes a book is talked about so much that at some point you have to refuse to read it. If you’re going to read only one of these books, I’d urge you towards Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, as it really is a fantastic book!