The Bad

If you were to examine the majority of books that have garnered immense popularity on #BookTok, it becomes apparent that not all of them are deserving of the hype. As someone who has read most of the recommended books, I have found that many of these books are poorly written and fall into familiar tropes and formulas; often prioritising instant gratification over depth and originality. The result? A diluted reading experience that sacrifices literary quality in favour of mass appeal.

On top of that, the speed at which books achieve viral status on #BookTok often means that they are not given the time and reflection they deserve. Reading should be a personal and subjective experience—the instant popularity of a book does not guarantee its lasting impact. It takes time for a novel’s true value to emerge, and in the rush to embrace the latest viral sensation, we risk overlooking quieter, more nuanced works that may offer deeper and more meaningful experiences.

After all, a balance between popular and lesser-known works is essential, especially to ensure a diverse and well-rounded reading experience.

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The Ugly

If that wasn’t bad enough, #BookTok is constantly seen promoting toxic and problematic books—and authors. Case in point: Colleen Hoover. Whether you love her or hate her, you’ve probably heard of her. Her plethora of books are some of the most read and talked about books in the community. They’re also among the most-read books on Goodreads, with her famed book It Ends With Us on route to being adapted into a movie.

However, #BookTok failed to mention that most of her books feature problematic and abusive relationships. For example, her most popular book It Ends With Us follows the story of an 18-year-old abuser and his love interest, a 15-year-old protagonist that he grooms with no consequences throughout the book.

While highlighting messages of toxic relationships and abuse is not a bad thing—as every novel has a particular message to deliver—the messages portrayed have been poorly executed, distracting readers from other potentially valuable aspects of the book. What’s more, when authors continuously write about toxic relationships with no proper conversation on why they are toxic—it can become dangerously easy to be deemed as ‘acceptable’.

Hoover isn’t the only problem—just look at authors such as A Court of Thorns and Roses’s Sarah J Maas and The House in the Cerulean Sea’s TJ Klune. Maas has been called out multiple times for her lack of inclusivity in her books, as well as for misrepresenting characters of colour; while Klune turned cultural genocide into a fantasy book. 

While there are #BookTok-recommended novels that are definitely worth the hype—like Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles—others should just remain on the shelves. (Sorry, not sorry.) At the end of the day, we mustn’t let the #BookTok hype overshadow the rich literary landscape that exists beyond viral sensations. Instead of letting others influence what you read, why not do it the old-fashioned way of walking into a bookstore, flipping through the multiple stacks of books until you find the one.

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