BookTok Books That Don’t Live Up To The Hype

As a voracious reader who’s been around the literary block more times than I care to admit, let me tell you, dear friends, about some books that have left me feeling like a fish out of water. Now, don’t get me wrong, these stories aren’t all bad – just not as good as BookTok would have us believe!

Regardless if you’re regularly sharing content or simply observing, if you use TikTok, you’ve likely come across a popular section called “BookTok.” This area is dedicated to book discussions, where creators share recommendations for books that can help beat reading slumps, delve into the latest buzzworthy releases, and more. Occasionally, lesser-known books take off on BookTok, gaining immense popularity; an author like Colleen Hoover has seen significant growth in her fan base due to word of mouth on this platform.

It’s important to note that not every recommendation found on BookTok is trustworthy. To clarify, I read a great deal – my reading goal for 2024 is set at 150 books, and I achieved that in September. I spend a lot of time browsing BookTok, and I must admit that I’ve received some fantastic suggestions, particularly for dark, suspenseful thrillers. This means that BookTok can indeed be an excellent platform to discover your next book, but the truth is, some of the most popular BookTok selections are undeservingly hyped up. Here are what I consider to be the most overrated BookTok picks, despite potential controversy.

Verity by Colleen Hoover

I’m gonna ruffle a lot of feathers with this one, but I don’t care. Reading “Verity,” Colleen Hoover’s thriller about a writer who can no longer put pen to paper, was a deeply unpleasant experience. This won’t be the last time Hoover shows up on this list, so I should also say I genuinely don’t care for her as a writer, but objectively, “Verity” is a mess, and there are so many better thrillers out there in the world (and, frankly, on BookTok).

For those unfamiliar, the novel “Verity” showcases Hoover’s penchant for quirky character names, featuring protagonist Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer tasked with completing a bestselling book series for the injured author Verity Crawford. Verity, who was severely injured in an accident prior to the storyline, is unable to complete the work herself. Jeremy, Verity’s husband, makes the request, and it’s not hard to guess what happens next: Lowen and Jeremy develop a romantic relationship, leading Lowen to suspect that Verity’s condition may not be entirely genuine. “Verity” has been criticized as a sensational book, so read at your own risk. Be warned, one of the crucial scenes involves a character washing raw chicken, an image you might find difficult to erase from your memory. (It’s also important to note that raw poultry should never be washed.) If you’re seeking an alternative thriller, I’d recommend “None Of This Is True” by Lisa Jewell instead.

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

I truly yearned to appreciate “Hidden Pictures” by Jason Rekulak; it’s everywhere on BookTok and seems to top every must-read thriller list. Regrettably, it wasn’t meant for me. If your tolerance for laborious, excessively dramatic writing is greater than mine, you might manage to finish this book without becoming intensely irritated. However, I found myself exasperated by Rekulak’s writing style that primarily tells instead of shows. In a chilling, suspenseful horror-thriller, this approach is counterproductive and the inclusion of children’s drawings within the text doesn’t contribute to the ‘showing’. Instead, it should be the exact opposite in such a genre.

As a fan who has recently dipped into the world of “Hidden Pictures,” I found myself stepping into the shoes of Mallory Quinn, a woman fresh from rehab, embracing a nannying position for the affluent Maxwell family – Ted and Caroline, along with their creative son, Teddy. Residing in their opulent abode, caring for little Teddy who delights in his drawings, I soon stumbled upon an unnerving revelation: Teddy’s sketches appear to hint at a more significant mystery lurking just beyond the surface.

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

Riley Sager’s novels are often a mixed bag, to be frank. While they’re undeniably hard to put down, there are moments when one might find oneself questioning the outcome. This sentiment was certainly felt upon finishing “The House Across the Lake,” a story introducing Casey Fletcher, a troubled actress seeking solace at her family’s lake house in rural Vermont. The intriguing house situated across the lake belongs to Tom and Katherine Royce, an affluent couple who catch Casey’s attention after she saves Katherine from drowning. As their lives intertwine, it becomes even more surprising when Katherine suddenly vanishes under mysterious circumstances.

Instead of anticipating an enjoyable, cheesy suspenseful ride, “The House Across the Lake” unfortunately transforms into a puzzlingly structured, cumbersome supernatural tale, rendering it an unwise use of your valuable time. If you’re seeking a more compelling Sager novel with a more satisfying twist, “The Only One Left” is quite good, and even the somewhat ridiculous ending of “Lock Every Door” surpasses – without revealing too much – a lake inhabited by ghosts or something similar.

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

Since J.K. Rowling released “Harry Potter” towards the end of the 20th century, numerous authors have attempted to recapture that magical spark, but with varying success – leading us to Olivie Blake’s “The Atlas Six.” In essence, it revolves around six magicians vying for a place in the Alexandrian Society, an elusive and enigmatic secret magic organization. Each of the six potential members – Libby, Nico, Reina, Tristan, Callum, Parisa – must demonstrate their magical prowess to Atlas Blakely, who serves as judge for the Alexandrian. The story takes a twist as some of the six disclose secrets and even engage in romantic entanglements, yet ultimately? It’s a tedious tale that fails to lead us into any captivating or unique realms.

As a gamer putting down “The Atlas Six,” I must confess that while it borrows heavily from other great books, especially the adult magic school vibe similar to “Harry Potter” and “The Magicians” by Lev Grossman, it simply doesn’t reach their lofty heights. Despite its popularity, leading to an upcoming TV adaptation, I’d recommend giving this one a miss. Instead, you might want to dive into “The Magicians” for a more satisfying magical journey.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Are you someone who enjoys reading novels that deeply touch upon feelings of intense sorrow? If that’s the case, I highly recommend “A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara. This book focuses on four characters – Malcolm, JB, Jude, and Willem – from their college years through to their adulthood. It’s important to note that Yanagihara doesn’t just inflict pain on her characters; it’s more like an extreme test of endurance. This is particularly true for the character, Jude, who experiences unimaginable hardships – some I hope you never have to imagine – over a span of more than 800 pages. Yes, reading “A Little Life” is not just a prolonged experience of despair and suffering, but it’s also one of the longest novels you could pick up.

I’d rather not delve deeply into Jude’s harrowing tale in “A Little Life,” as the gruesome details are incredibly distressing and upsetting, a burden I wouldn’t wish upon anyone reading this. Instead, if you seek a poignant exploration of friendships over time, I strongly recommend “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin – it offers a touching portrayal without the graphic content that “A Little Life” presents.

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Starting off, let me propose a rephrased version of your text:

It’s clear that there is a demand for narratives addressing abusive relationships, where the initial appearance is deceptively harmonious until the mask slips and the hidden abuse emerges. A remarkable illustration of this, marketed primarily towards young adults but possessing the depth of contemporary literature, is “Dreamland” by Sarah Dessen. Unfortunately, “It Ends With Us” attempts to convey a great deal, but ultimately falls short in delivering any meaningful insight… and Hoover’s writing remains as poor as ever in this work. (For scholarly purposes, one line from this book is: “When he was smearing that cow manure on me, it was quite possibly the most aroused I have ever been.” The context of this sentence does not enhance its impact, but it is nonetheless present in one of those DeGeneres fan letters.)

It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover

The cool and fun thing about hating “It Ends With Us” is that I’m apparently in the minority, because it got a sequel. “It Starts With Us” doesn’t exactly improve on its source material, though. In this one, the good news is that Lily and Ryle are not together anymore — which is a huge relief considering that they have a daughter together — and Lily is pursuing a real relationship with her childhood love, Atlas. Naturally, Ryle isn’t happy about this and spends the entire book stomping all over Lily’s (sensible and much-needed) boundaries and trying to flex in front of Lily’s new boyfriend, all while Atlas — who gets point-of-view chapters alongside Lily — tries to corral his younger brother and protect him from their abusive mother.

The title “It Starts With Us” shares a common issue with any other book penned by Colleen Hoover: it’s written by none other than Colleen Hoover. Unfortunately, this particular novel falls short by being uninteresting and dull. A book can be poor in quality but still captivating enough to make you curious about how it concludes. However, when a book is both poorly done and tedious, it’s time for it to face the consequences – in this case, a sentence to ‘book jail’. If you’re looking for something else to read, I’d recommend “Everything I Never Told You” by Celeste Ng. It offers an engaging story centered around intricate family dynamics.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

I have reservations about adding “The Housemaid” by Freida McFadden to the list, primarily because my reading experience was merely satisfactory. While McFadden is skilled at creating engrossing narratives, her faults in prose and dialogue are glaringly obvious – a point I’ll elaborate on shortly. To provide some context, “The Housemaid” follows Millie Calloway who, despite her troubled past, eagerly accepts a position as housekeeper and babysitter for the Winchester family. However, when Nina Winchester becomes excessively demanding, Millie questions her ability to handle the job. Things take an unexpected turn when Millie uncovers a secret about Nina and Andrew’s relationship that alters everything.

While ‘The Housemaid’ offers some thrilling moments, I feel that there are numerous other thrillers that surpass its quality. Instead of investing your time in this one, consider reading ‘Behind Closed Doors’ by B.A. Paris, ‘Local Woman Missing’ by Mary Kubica, ‘The Girl Before You’ by Nicola Rayner, or even the classic ‘Gone Girl’ by Gillian Flynn, if you haven’t already. In my opinion, ‘The Housemaid’ falls short of the immense hype surrounding it.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

I’m not going to make any friends with this take, but here goes: “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah is overrated! It’s not bad, per se; Hannah is a capable enough writer, but her writing is just clunky enough to be a distraction. Set in France during World War II, “The Nightingale” tells the story of sisters Vianne and Isabel, who reside in the French capital while it’s under Nazi rule; Vianne ends up subjected to horrible mistreatment after she’s forced to house Nazi soldiers, and Isabelle joins the resistance and earns the nickname “the Nightingale” as she’s hunted by the S.S. in Paris for working to destroy the regime.

I want to clarify that I’m not implying this book is poor, but it offers a compelling glimpse into life under Nazi occupation during World War II, much like Anthony Doerr’s “All the Light We Cannot See”. However, if you’re seeking another captivating read by Hannah, I’d highly recommend “The Women”, which I believe surpasses this one in quality.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

As a fan of captivating fantasy tales, I must confess that “Fourth Wing” has caught my attention before. The intriguing blend of dragons and a dystopian society reminds me of the gripping world of “The Hunger Games.” Moreover, the central theme of a chosen one echoes stories from “Divergent” to “Harry Potter.” Rebecca Yarros’ acclaimed novel centers around Violet Sorrengail, a 20-year-old girl with a passion for books, dreaming of joining the scribe quadrant. In an unexpected turn of events, her mother insists that she becomes a dragon rider instead, thrusting Violet into an exhilarating life she’s hardly ready for. (Admit it, I wouldn’t mind living that bookish lifestyle too!)

If the concept of character classification into “brave” and “studious” categories seems familiar to you, it might be due to a connection with the “Divergent” book series, which is known for borrowing this idea from the Sorting Hat in “Harry Potter.” The book titled “Fourth Wing” appears to be a mashup of other stories that were more captivating, but I recommend crossing it off your To-Be-Read list. Instead, consider Sarah J. Maas’ unique and original fantasy series, “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” as an alternative read.

2024-12-09 00:30