If you use TikTok and consider yourself a reader, then chances are you’ve succumbed to the infatuations of BookTok — a cheeky internet community where authors and creators share and dissect various contemporary novels. Sounds intriguing, right? I thought so, too.
As an English major and a bookworm, I relished in this newfound digital space where ordinary people talked about all things books. Over the summer, absent of the ceaseless reading for courses, brief reviews of the latest Emily Henry romance escapade hooked me (“Book Lovers” is by far her best work).
That was until I accumulated an insane amount of modern novels, stacks of which lay beside my nightstand after the consumer high subsided, yet to be opened.
While BookTok started as an innocent community for marginalized writers, it quickly transformed into a consumerism monster — prioritizing a reading aesthetic over the literature itself.
Even mainstream bookstores like Barnes & Noble or popular reading platforms like Goodreads have devoted shelves and categories to everchanging BookTok obsessions. As a capitalist ploy, the majority of these novels fetishize toxic relationships, perpetuate harmful stereotypes and consist of cliche tropes, depriving readers of a carefully crafted plot for easily bingeable iteratives of one another.
Many on the internet are condemning BookTok for promoting a harmful message to young readers and encouraging extreme consumerism.
While I don’t necessarily disagree with these literary snobs who harp on BookTok for diluting the literature pool, I often finish these articles feeling dissatisfied and stuck — like when your irate grandparent goes on a rant at Thanksgiving dinner, and you just want to blurt out, “Then what do you suggest we do about it?”
Despite the increasing public recoil, it appears BookTok is here to stay. So, I propose alternatives to jump around the consumerism hoop and expand your literary journey, not to mention your wallet, as most of these recommendations can be found secondhand in lieu of spending a pretty penny on an overused friends-to-lovers trope.
First on my de-influencing list is the matriarch of the BookTok fads, “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover. This novel, which describes an abusive relationship, was recently adapted into a film of the same name. Though it’s been widely accepted by readers and social media, it’s recently received a storm of backlash for glamorizing domestic violence. When I first read this book, I admittedly yielded to its fast-paced plot, but Hoover’s indifferent blend of violence and romance feels too disconcerting to be palatable.
A better alternative is “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin. I first read this novel in high school, and its feminine quest felt uncharted to me. It challenged the gender norms on the cusp of the 19th century by foregrounding a woman’s radical decision to replace a colorless marriage with personal autonomy. It doesn’t cover the content of “It Ends With Us” verbatim, but Chopin’s prose and captivating character development far precede that of Hoover.
Beyond stylish prose, why else would we devote our time to the novel if not for the character arc? “Red, White, and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston is, unfortunately, one of those books where the protagonist's character feels flat, dull and predictable. I know many McQuiston apologists, but the rushed ending left a bad taste in my mouth.
If you’re itching for a novel with complex characters try James Baldwin’s magnum opus, “Giovanni’s Room.” It chronicles a young American man’s love affair during his vacation abroad. Baldwin’s suspense, beautiful storytelling and well-crafted dialogue makes us fall in love with the flawed, yet deeply nuanced characters.
Finally, it wouldn’t be a critique of BookTok if we didn’t address the copious thrillers. So as I close out this piece, I’ll leave us with the over-hyped recent thriller trilogy, “The Housemaid” by Freida McFadden.
McFadden permeates the subgenre, especially with this novel that narrates ex-criminal Millie’s new job as a housemaid for a wickedly wealthy couple with secrets of their own. And while I didn’t mind “The Housemaid” for all its twists and turns, I can’t help but feel like “the madwoman in the attic” is one of the most overused paradigms.
If you’re seeking that supernatural eeriness, you’ll find it in the origin of the trope, “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë. Mysterious voices in the attic, disturbing ghostly movements, female hysteria. Other classics like “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier or “Wide Sargasso Sea” by Jean Rhys, and even contemporary tales like “The Wife Upstairs” by Rachel Hawkins found inspiration from Brontë’s brilliant gothic story.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are countless other books that deserve far more attention, but sadly remain overshadowed by BookTok’s spotlight.
Kaylee Monahan is a news/sports reporter at The Beacon. She can be reached at monahan26@up.edu.
