Perhaps you have seen a book title pop up on recommended reads, Instagram, TikTok or YouTube. These platforms not only provide book reviews and ratings but could also increase a book’s popularity with readers by making it more well-known and creating a fan base around the book. But what exactly is “BookTok,” how did it arise, and what kinds of books does it support?
With the release of TikTok, a new method of book promotion emerged: BookTok, a section of TikTok specifically used to promote and discuss literature. Unlike traditional review posts, these platforms contain not just book reviews but book quotes, fan art, fan fiction, commentaries examining book plots and characters, and much more. It is a platform where readers can bond over favorite works and find similar ones.
Books endorsed by BookTok tend to rise rapidly on selling charts, such as “The Song of Achilles,” which, after many recommendation videos were posted on BookTok, experienced a 240% increase in sales in one week. Due to its reach and popularity, BookTok can influence what readers will choose next and popularize previously published works. BookTok has become an effective method to increase awareness of the literature available.
A trip down to Barnes & Noble in Mishawaka is enough to convince one of the influence BookTok now has. Just take a look at the kinds of books promoted and displayed on tables and shelves in various bookstores. Some even have BookTok tables where popular books are highlighted, such as “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” and “Apprentice to the Villain.” Even used bookstores are not exempt, with a local retailer, Half-Priced Books, proudly displaying popular BookTok titles such as “If It Had Been With Me” and “Icebreaker.”
Which Books Rise to the Top on BookTok?
A brief inspection into the world of BookTok reveals that there tend to be some unspoken rules regarding which books will rise to the top. The majority of titles endowed with the stamp of approval come from the fiction pool. Of these, the main beneficiaries fall into the fantasy and romance genres. A Court of Thorns and Roses” and “Powerless” are examples of the combination of the fantasy and romance genres—billed “romantasy.”
Nonfiction books can be more difficult to find on BookTok; however, they are present, with titles such as “Atomic Habits” and “Everything I Know About Love” commonly circulating on BookTok. However, it is important to remember that BookTok is typically a platform where people exchange books they read for leisure; it would make sense that books with more entertainment purposes would be more popular.
An Exploration of BookTok Romantasy
A primary characteristic that seems to pop up in romantasy BookTok books is spice, meaning a level of sexual content and explicitness, ranging from minimal to graphic. Take, for instance, “Twisted Hate” by Ana Huang. The plot follows a modern enemies-to-lovers trope between Josh Chen, an arrogant playboy doctor, and Jules Ambrose, an ambitious, stubborn law student. Beginning with arguments and dislike, their intensity shifts towards something more like attraction and desire. This leads to an enemies-with-benefits situation, with each hiding dark secrets from the other that lead to them hurting each other. Of course, they reconcile in the end. However, there are multiple complications until then, sometimes only enhanced by their romantic intimacy.
Another example is “Hooked” by Emily McIntire, which takes the original “Peter Pan” and twists it into a story of intrigue, passion and revenge, calling into question what one would be willing to do for those they love and how deep one will go for revenge. The novel’s protagonist and antihero, James Barrie (also known as Hook), runs organized crime and is bent on revenge against Peter, the man who killed his parents in a plane crash. He initially gets involved with Wendy, Peter’s daughter, as a pawn for his revenge but ends up falling in love with her. Their romance is intense and passionate as Wendy longs for stability and is attracted to the dominance and danger that James brings. The novel stretches the limits of morality and blurs the boundaries between good and bad and what love is.
Concerns on Ambiguous Morality, Violence, and Unrealistic Romantic Expectations
The morality expressed in some BookTok romantasy novels is concerning, particularly in regards to the male romantic characters. A common joke is that “murder is acceptable, but I draw the line at cheating”—indicating that the morality of the character does not matter as much as how they treat the female love interest in the end. There are many examples of BookTok men who are manipulative and violent liars, but whose attitudes are completely different towards their female love interest, willing to do anything to make them happy and hurting anyone who dares lay their hand on them (e.g. Aaron Warner, Zade Meadows, Christian Harper and Dante Russo).
Even books with lighter themes tend to twist morality. Take the example of a romantasy novel called “Assistant to the Villain,” whose main male love interest is Trystan, also known as the Villain. He hangs heads in his castle and thinks nothing of torture, thievery, arson and using brute force. He is not all bad, though, as he cares for his people (somewhat). Evie, the main character, finds Trystan attractive not in spite of but because of his gray morals. Evie takes all the evil in stride, and although she curbs some of Trystan’s evil habits, she still does not seem put off by his actions as one would expect of a person with a strong moral compass. The entire plot of the book seems to twist what should be viewed as good and evil.
The shift towards morally gray characters or completely morally ambiguous characters, however, may not necessarily be a sign of slipping morals so much as a sign of the reality many experience in a world that, unlike all the fairytales, lacks the clear-cut morality one would hope for. Author Elisabeth Wheatley explores how morally gray characters may reflect our current disillusionment with society as well as our desire for raw justice, as certain evil people seem to be above the law, requiring those willing to extract justice outside the law, resulting in a twisted moral compass.
Wheatley argues that aggressive male characters are reflections of women’s own emotions: For women, being angry is often disallowed, so women authors create male characters who can be angry for them. While it is considered wrong to seek vengeance, many works, such as “Hooked,” center around the story of revenge and the desire to finally hold accountable the people responsible for bad things in one’s life. Protective and sometimes aggressive male characters, such as Dante Russo and other BookTok men, display that physical power and the desire to serve justice.
Furthermore, most of the characters in these romantasy books have had dysfunctional childhoods that impact their adult lives. This phenomenon indicates that the current generation is distinctly aware of the effects of a dysfunctional environment, with many readers being able to relate to their circumstances and their own confusion over morality. In many ways, it may be refreshing to have novels that reflect the real, broken and raw relationships many go through rather than perfect fairy tales.
Final Thoughts
The twisted morality and fragile relationships portrayed in these novels often may unwittingly endorse unrealistic romance and skewed moral ideals. This can have negative effects, especially for younger readers who are not ready to tackle these deeper questions of good and evil and do not have a strong stance on their morals. Although it does help readers get introduced to more books they are likely to enjoy, it should perhaps be viewed more as a source of bonding and exchange of entertainment literature rather than a tool of literacy.
While I have not read many of the books advertised by BookTok by personal choice, I have seen enough references to realize that the values they endorse may not be the best ones to support. I have nothing against literature as entertainment, but being aware of what you are consuming is important. Just because something is popular does not mean that it is good or should be read. As a result, I suggest that BookTok viewers be mindful of what the platform promotes and what they are spending their time on, on and off screen.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.