BookTok Yay or Nays

Telling you which books are worth the read and which books aren’t.

Image c/o Tali Arbel/AP Photo

By Madison Sciba
Editor-in-Chief

​

Like most avid book readers now-a-days, I get the majority of my book recommendations from BookTok. For those of you who are unaware of what BookTok is, it's a subcommunity of TikTok creators who make content based on books they recommend their followers read. This list was constructed based off of some articles describing BookTok as well as books advertised as BookTok picks by booksellers. I have read my share of BookTok recommendations so here are my yay or nays on some of the most popular ones. I also give my ratings for each book. I do not rate books lightly, and I am not afraid to give a one star rating to a bad book. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything. 

1. If He Had Been with Me and If Only I Had Told Her by Laura Nowlin 
Yay, a thousand times yay. It is extremely rare that I drop whatever I am doing to go buy a sequel from Barnes and Nobles, but I just had to get my hands on If Only I Had Told Her. Both books were absolutely amazing and gripping, I could not put them down. I highly recommend them to anyone who needs a good cry or just wants a good read. I do have to warn you, however, both books will crush your heart, and you will be reading them with tears running down your face. I gave If He Had Been with Me a 4.8/5 and If Only I Had Told Her a 4.6/5.  

2. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 
Yay, such a yay that I am already counting down the days until the next book. I sped through this series and already have the 5th one pre ordered. I recommend The Inheritance Games to anyone who will listen to me. A great book filled with twists and turns that you will never see coming. I cannot emphasize enough how good of a book The Inheritance Games is and how you will be running to Barnes and Noble to buy The Hawthorne Legacy as soon as you finish reading the first book. I gave The Inheritance Games a rating of 4.9/5. 

3. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black 
Yay, a great intro to fantasy for those who are new to the genre. Fantasy can be difficult to read as the reader has to learn of a whole new world and magic rules. The Cruel Prince is a great book to ease non-fantasy readers into the genre. A classic enemies-to-lovers storyline helps to make this a fun read. If you are interested in trying out the fantasy genre or are a fantasy lover who just wants another magic-filled adventure, then I recommend giving this book a chance. I gave The Cruel Prince a rating of 4/5.

4. Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter 
Yay, as a fan of rom coms it is hard to dislike a book in which the entire premise is a giant mix of rom com references. While this isn’t a life changing I have a new opinion on love kind of book, it was cute and I very much enjoyed the read. It has a very low spice level but a lot of flirting which can sometimes be even better than spicy scenes. I recommend this book for fans of movies like Pride and Prejudice, 10 Things I Hate About You, Clueless, and The Princess Bride. I gave Better Than the Movies a rating of 4/5.

5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 
Yay, but no surprise there. I was hesitant to label The Hunger Games as a BookTok book, but it appeared on all the lists I found online so I included it on this one. I was a huge fan of the Hunger Games books when they were at the height of their popularity circa 2013/2014. After rereading the trilogy recently in preparation for the new film, I found that there was so much that I missed when I first read the books in middle school. There is so much depth and meaning in The Hunger Games that I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a modern American classic. I highly recommend that anyone who has not read the books or hasn’t read them since 2013 to read The Hunger Games. I can promise that it will really make you think and ponder the realities of our world. I gave The Hunger Games a rating of 4.9/5.

6. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover 
Nay, please don’t believe people when they say this is a great book. I cannot emphasize this enough, but It Ends with Us is not a romance novel. Although advertised as one, this is a story about domestic violence and abuse. I went into reading it thinking that it was a romance novel. Instead of a happily ever after, I was left emotionally traumatized and threw the book against the wall. If this was not advertised as a romance novel and more as contemporary fiction then I probably would have gone in with a different mindset and different expectations. I went in with the romance mindset of a love story, happily ever after. If I had known it was not a romance novel then I would have entered the book with a more critical mindset and would probably have enjoyed it more. As a result of its incorrect marketing as a romance I gave It Ends With Us a rating of 2/5. 

7. A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas
Ehhh, while the books in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series get better as they go on, they are not nearly as good as other fantasy books that are viral on BookTok. While I mildly enjoyed the books, I do not think that they live up to all the hype that people are giving them. I find the main character annoying, and it is difficult to read 5 several hundred page books on a heroine that I sometimes wish I could slap and shout at her “stop being so dramatic!” Sure I enjoyed the books but I have still yet to read the most recent book (A Court of Silver Flames) even though it has been sitting on my shelf for the past 8 months. I gave the A Court of Thorns and Roses series a rating of 3.8/5.  

8. Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros 
Yay, I have to admit, it really does live up to the hype. I went into Fourth Wing skeptical after my high hopes for A Court of Thorns and Roses was misplaced. The main character of Fourth Wing is actually quite relatable and this is a great example of a well executed enemies-to-lovers trope. The second novel, Iron Flame, was even better than the first. I stayed awake until 1 am trying to finish Iron Flame and ended up screaming when I read the final pages of the book. I simply cannot wait for the next book to come out, you will find me waiting in line at Barnes and Noble the day it is released. I gave Fourth Wing a rating of 4/5 and Iron Flame a rating of 4.6/5. 

9. Beach Read by Emily Henry 
Yay, so much a yay that I would classify Beach Read as one of my favorite books of all time. Very rarely has one book caused me to immediately buy any book released by a specific author, but now anytime I see a book by Emily Henry, I buy it. I am super picky and critical when it comes to romance novels, and I was not disappointed by Beach Read. If there is any book that can make a pessimist like me believe in love then it is this book. Instead of the stereotypical insta-love seen in a lot of the romance genre, Beach Read follows the slow evolution of two people from classmates to strangers to friends to lovers. You will put down this book knowing that the two main characters will truly live happily ever after. I gave Beach Read a rating of 4.5/5.  

10. Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
Nay, I honestly just don’t get the hype surrounding this book. This book felt as though it was written by someone who has no idea: a. what it is like to be a college athlete, b. what it is like to be a college student, and c. anything about hockey. As a college athlete who is a big fan of hockey, I spent the majority of the book cringing and rolling my eyes. If all you care about when reading a romance novel is the spice level then you will love this book. If you want a book with some substance and plot, then I would suggest looking elsewhere. I gave Icebreaker a rating of  2.6/5.