Over on my Youtube Channel, I discussed whether I thought Booktok books were worth the hype with examples of popular booktok books from authors such as Tessa Bailey and Ali Hazelwood. I have read a fair amount of booktok hyped book to gain an understanding of what are the common tropes and writing style of these books that seem to obtain a ‘celebrity’ status online. I look at the ‘fast-fashion’ of Booktok and the constant churning out of books that are not so great just to jump onto trends.
Disclaimer: this is just my opinion based on my reading experience and in no way hate towards any of the authors, books or publishers mentioned in this video. I do love Booktok and I think it is a great space to discover new books, authors and genres.
The good and the bad of literature…
I think readers should diversify the genres and types of books they read to gain a better understanding of writing style and how characters are developed. From my understanding booktok books, in reference to romance or fantasy, are usually written in first person and the characters are surface level. The plot is fairly simple and readers are expected to fill in the blanks as to why the main characters do or act in the way they do. I’ve noticed in romance books that are highly recommended on booktok, relies heavily on explicit sex scenes that don’t push the narrative forward. These elements are typical of the genre, but are becoming more common as a marketing tools. Many books have a spice rating of how intense these scenes or the romance is throughout the book for readers to understand if they want to read the book. However, I’ve noticed that more of these books are becoming unreadable because of smut scenes that take up the majority of the plot. I also think that booktok recommends novels that are easy to read and digestible, but are poor quality.
Many books that I read appear as they haven’t even been touched my the magic hands of an editor. What is more shocking when I read the acknowledgements at the back of the book, is that it clearly states that an editor has actually looked over and worked tirelessly to help this book get to print. So really, I must ask the question, if these books are the best they can be after an editor had worked on them – what was the manuscript like before?! I watched one book review online that said a book was more ‘vibes than a plot’ which is perfectly fine, if the writing quality draws the reader into this fictional world and the characters are relatable. I’ve read many books where I’ve given up caring about the plot, but continue reading because I adore the characters.
Furthermore, there are many booktok famous books that I am uninterested in reading such as Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros or Yellowface by R F Kuang. These books reach a status that is fuelled by online hype and there are so many opinions and voices praising books that it is difficult to cut through the noise and decide whether it is what the reviewer claim it to be. For that reason, I am unmotivated to read these types of books because I feel that I’ve read too many reviews that, either the book won’t live up to the hype or I don’t need to read the book to make my mind up – as I’ve heard enough.
This is a snippet of the types of topics I discuss in my latest video and my honest answer is – yes, booktok offers a break from heavy literature and reading that doesn’t require much focus or exterior knowledge. However, I believe that many authors are becoming successful because they are churning out books that will sell because they fit a stereotype. In the long term, I think this will damage the publishing industry and social media often romanticises publishing as idyllic and a reader’s dream. However, they are still a company that needs to make money at the end of the day, so of course commissioning editors and literary agents will gravitate towards books that are easy reads and fit tropes that are popular. This doesn’t mean we must sacrifice the quality of writing. I once had a lecturer at university that said – just because something is published, doesn’t mean it is actually good or of good quality.
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