BookTok has had quite an influence on the reading world, as it has inspired many people who do not frequently read to finally try something new.
Many authors have gained traction due to their TikTok platforms and the reviews of others. This has set off many careers, and allowed books by seemingly unknown authors to gain attention and ultimately blow up. Here are some of my opinions on these famous books.
Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren:
Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren was for the most part an excellent read for me. The book flowed incredibly well and made me excited to read what was on the next page.
The different flips between now (adulthood) to then (childhood), helps us to understand various aspects of Macy Sorensen and Elliot Petropoulos’ relationship. We are able to see how the character’s relationship grew and changed overall, and ultimately how one character’s thoughtless decisions changed everything.
Originally as I was reading this book I felt as though it was so amazing and earth-shatteringly good, but as I progressed to the end I simply could not get over the whole cause for all the strain put on the characters in this relationship. I understood that there was a need for that conflict to arise but it felt so out of nowhere and disappointing to me, as though everything the characters had had was all gone.
Overall this book was incredible and a definite must-read. The characters and plot were just developed so well, it was also just such a fast, emotional, and beautiful read to absorb.
Lightlark by Alex Aster:
Having been an avid Harry Potter reader, I was never really able to get into fantasy after the series came to an end, as nothing could compare to Harry Potter. But upon seeing and reading about this book on BookTok I grew interested, I mean who wouldn’t be interested in a book about six cursed realms and their rulers fighting to save themselves and their people?
It sounded truly captivating so I went for it. Like I mentioned before it’d been quite a while since the last time I picked up a fantasy read so upon starting it understanding the world building was hard for me to grasp. But Lightlark proved to be great as I continued forward and began to grasp the difficulty of reading such an interesting book.
Throughout the story, the little details and developments kept me on the edge of my seat and ready to keep reading. The story progressed beautifully and ended on the most perfect note to allow for a great sequel which according to Aster will come out later in 2023.
Verity by Colleen Hoover:
Of all the Hoover books I have read (meaning just this one), this would most certainly have to be my favorite. I have never really taken an interest in picking up another Hoover book before, but upon finding a good quality copy of Verity at a local book sale for only a dollar, I thought I’d give her a try.
So eventually I found myself picking up the book at around midnight one day during winter break and to say that I was immersed was an understatement. I believe I finished the book in just a few hours—a few that night and a few the very next morning.
This book, though not my usual style, started off quite interesting; even the first sentence started with a bang! From the very beginning, it was quite confusing what was happening in the plot, it was as though the plot was drawing along ever so slowly. And then the spine-crawling and shocking truth slowly started to climb its way out from the depths of the very spine of my book forcing me to keep reading.
Truth be told, this book was a page-turner with so many plot twists it will make your head spin. So if you love thrillers with a dash of romance check this book out!
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood:
Published a few months back in 2022, Love on the Brain has taken the BookTok scene by storm. It’s a bubbly sweet romance, and an interesting STEM-based plot was fascinating.
We get to see female scientist Bee Königswasser thrown into a new atmosphere with the man she knew hated her. Throughout the book we watch their relationship evolve as she explores her new role with NASA, where everything seems to be going absolutely wrong for her.
Throughout the story Hazelwood introduces us not just to Königswasser but to the different struggles that she faces as a woman in STEM, helping to shed light on the universal experience of women in the industry.
Although the story seems almost entirely identical to The Love Hypothesis, another popular Hazelwood book, it is quite different despite also being a STEM-related novel. So if you liked The Love Hypothesis, definitely check out this similar yet unique story. As it too features the incredibly loved enemies to lovers trope, with a dash of a slow burn.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid:
Though this book may be one of the most popular reads on this list I had trouble grasping the plot. It was unique, to say the least, with its exceptionally stunning main character Evelyn Hugo. Throughout the story, we learn more about her life and how she made it to where she is today.
Monique Grant and Evelyn Hugo are the main characters, and though their lives seem entirely unrelated, as the story unfolds we get to see how their lives do in fact intertwine.
The story itself was not that great, to be honest. I felt as though Hugo’s story was great but her connection to Grant was hardly built up and was literally revealed in the last few seconds of the story. Why not build it up more? It was so highly anticipated and yet we got nothing until the end.
From the opinions of many Booktokers, the book itself was great, and I do agree that the plot was refreshing and exciting, but I feel as though Hugo’s character development was rather slow considering the length of the book. Overall this book wasn’t bad and was a nice read, I just wish there had been more development throughout the story.
One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus:
Unfortunately, it has been quite a while since I last read this book. However, that does not mean its story does not constantly live in my mind. The story was so stunning and electric that even today I can’t get it out of my head.
I loved the relationship between the four main characters and how we find out exactly why they were singled out. I loved how we discover the whole reason behind Simon’s death, and that it was so much more intricate than it seemed.
I especially loved the growth of all four main characters, the author was able to give them all a newfound sense of purpose, and a change of heart which of course can be very complicated when there are so many characters to be concentrating on in a plot this crowded, but McManus handled it well and made the whole story worthwhile.
In the end, I felt as though by reading these books I began to get a better sense of why BookTok opinions are held in such high regard. All of these books were incredibly enjoyable and helped me to try out the favorite books of people from all across the globe.
BookTok is an incredible way to learn about other reads, and genres, to help expand one’s tastes and personal reading interests.
