With an overwhelming amount of free time over the pandemic, content creators turned to books, and thus the world of “BookTok” was born. These same creators have now helped to kickstart a television series produced by singer Bad Bunny as well as a film starring Blake Lively.

Trending content on BookTok, a subcommunity on TikTok, has been the subject of debate for readers across the app for the past two years. The community has become Gen Z’s very own Oprah’s Book Club providing them with a new list of books to read. 

The community provides a multitude of people with an opportunity to unify their love for reading on a platform many already regularly use. It turned the idea of literature on its head, with a new approach to reading no one has seen before. These recommendations are coming from everyday social media users, not celebrities. A couple viral posts can help a book quickly climb the charts, and the books featured are often from genres that typically do not receive as much praise, like romance.

“The way social media interacts with literature is so different from what we have experienced before,” said TikTok user Parin Sensenbrenner.  

There is no denying the role BookTok played in the revitalization of readership and sales for major publishing houses. With massive spikes in sales for larger bookstores like Barnes and Noble, many are itching to see what the next big read will be. 

Despite this, many people continue to argue against BookTok. From its lack of censorship to its popularization of Colleen Hoover novels, not every reader is happy about the social media presence surrounding books. 

BookTok user Hannah Casey brought to light a concern many users have raised about the community. 

“All the authors that are being promoted are straight, cis, white women,” said Casey. 

Many have urged creators of color to support a more diverse group of authors on the app because of its broad reach to a younger community. The lack of representation only breaks the surface of the irritation BookTok has created for avid readers. 

Dan Bashara, instructor of media and cultural studies at DePaul University, noted, “If this leads to a groupthink about what people read, I’d have concerns.” 

This exact sentiment has caused a number of readers to find some frustration in the community. Users like Sensenbrenner have contemplated deleting the app or attempting to leave the community due to the cyclical nature of the recommendations. 

At the height of these recommendations is Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us, a novel that has taken BookTok by storm. However, the popularization of the author caused a great divide in a seemingly indivisible community. Kiera Ross, a BookTok enthusiast, notes that Hoover’s books are riddled with abusive relationships and flawed writing. 

“A lot of these young girls are being exposed to things they shouldn’t be. When you start to get deeper into BookTok, it becomes a lot of smut,” she said.

Hoover and other authors have popularized books aimed at a younger audience containing more mature themes. The ongoing debate of censorship on the app has users worried. While some greet the idea with open arms, others feel it takes away from the core reason many people participate in the community. 

“Policing [this] content of things because it could upset somebody is scary. The purpose of art is to scare us,” Bashara said. 

Walk into any Barnes and Noble and see the cleared out BookTok display and groups of people browsing titles such as It Ends with Us and A Little Life. The community has given bookstores a much-needed revitalization and has skyrocketed book sales. 

Fans of popular books are thrilled to see new film adaptations of these books as well. Hoover’s It Ends With Us is slated to start production for its film starring Blake Lively after her fourth baby is born. Additionally, Adam Silvera’s popular novel, They Both Die at the End is becoming an original Netflix series produced by singer Bad Bunny. 

“I enjoy BookTok because half of the enjoyment of reading is finding the books as well as reading them. At the end of the day, it’s a wholesome community of people coming together to talk about their love of books,” said Ross. 

For Ross and other BookToker’s alike, the pros truly outweigh the cons. BookTok has acquired more than 43 billion views over its course and seems to only be growing in popularity. Continuously pumping out massive best-sellers, BookTok has become more than a sub-community; it is a well-oiled machine—and it’s not going anywhere. 

Header Illustration by MJ White