The Legitimacy of BookTok
For years, TikTok––and social media in general––has dominated our culture and inherently changed how we think about and consume media. I’ll be the first to admit that when I wake up in the morning, I sometimes have a habit of going onto Instagram or TikTok and scrolling for five or ten minutes…if I’m feeling particularly self-controlling that day. As we all know by now, the app uses algorithms to keep us engaged and scrolling by showing us our interests, things that will hold our shortening attention spans.
So, as an avid reader who likes looking up other people’s reviews after finishing a book, it’s no surprise that after one or two searches of “[insert book title] reaction,” I started getting recommended more book-related content. Enter BookTok, the sub-community that, for the past few years, has attracted billions of views and a ton of money for the publishing industry, as well as, of course, the content creators. It has turned non-readers into readers, making it feel more achievable, more accessible. Isn’t that a good thing?
Well that depends on who you ask.
First, let’s go over what a “typical” BookTok book is. They are generally considered Young Adult, Fantasy, or Romance, though to be honest, essentially all popular BookTok books center on romance (an important discussion for another time). The sub-community is predominantly female, as are most of the protagonists in these books and their respective authors. A lot of them tend to use tropes such as enemies-to-lovers (The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazewood), right-person-wrong-time (One Last Stop by Casey McQuinston), and really anything involving romance. Occasionally there will be themes such as found family, which is a welcome break from the world of making out, secret loves, and insufferably naive lovesick protagonists.
Of course, some books featured on BookTok differ from this general description, but from research and personal experience, it seems this is what sells. And it’s not just the books that are being sold, but the whole aesthetic of what being a reader means. So many BookTok videos have nothing to do with the actual substance of a book––people repaint the covers, color-code the paper annotation tabs they insert, show their followers the three million books they have on their bookshelf, which they admit to not even having read 95% of.
These videos can include showing off idealistic book-inspired outfits, makeup tutorials, scented candles, room tours, and an aura of romanticism. It’s not even about the reading itself, but the idea of it. Of course, there are plenty of creators who do focus on the work, on analyzing the stories and their messages and themes, but in my experience, they don’t tend to dominate the algorithm as much.
Some say that the emergence of BookTok is a great thing. It brings literature to the masses and allows authors to achieve a level of success that wouldn’t be possible without it; and let’s face it, it can be nearly impossible to successfully break into the publishing industry.
Others say the whole thing is an insult to the world of “real” literature. It uses tired tropes and character templates over and over again. There isn’t any substance, nothing genuinely original or memorable aside from the occasional mildly concerning quote one of the characters says (looking at you, Colleen Hoover).
In my opinion, there is no right opinion. Of course, there isn’t; that’s what an opinion is. This discussion on whether BookTok is good or bad or neither or both, while important to have, is nuanced, as almost all discussions are. But while me or you may not actively participate in the sub-community, we should be talking about it. BookTok is not dying down, but growing.
Even as a non-BookTok enthusiast, I myself have enjoyed and loved many books that are considered community staples, such as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, and yes, even The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. Contrary to the many chronically online gatekeepers, there is no wrong way to read. Read what you enjoy! Participate in fandoms! Recommend books! It’s not rocket science; it’s reading.
