While sources for book recommendations have always existed, the emergence of ‘BookTok’ has enabled an engaging method for readers to endorse books. Readers now have access to quick videos of short reviews or synopses, allowing them to follow a recommendation without having another person’s extensive thoughts dominating their reading.
The TikTok algorithm provides recommendations for users based on their likes, and books which are popular across the platform. I have personally been influenced by several TikTok recommendations, but do these live up to the hype surrounding them?
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Despite this novel being published in 1992, a new generation has become enamoured by its ‘dark academia’ style and murder mystery plot. Tartt’s innovation lies in her exploration of the characters grasping the weight of a murder they are complicit in, rather than centring the plot around the actual act.
However, at times, the narrative felt arduous. It could have been less drawn out while remaining impactful, and I experienced little compassion for most of the main characters. I felt less impressed than I had anticipated.
- Circe by Madeline Miller
This book explores in greater depth a character from Homer’s The Odyssey, as Miller details Circe’s immortal lifetime. Miller provides motivations for Circe’s punishments of male visitors, through depictions of harrowing experiences. Thus, the portrayal (outside of The Odyssey) of Circe as a vindictive witch is shifted to that of a woman defending herself.
Miller’s narrative style is exquisite and reminiscent of her classical source in its extensive descriptions. Circe is constructed as a complex character, who is neither simply an alluring distraction, nor a villain. She has endured – and caused – extensive misery and suffering, yet I found it difficult not to favour her.
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The story within this book that I expected to be encased in glamour and excitement is instead one of a woman who endures a series of losses, and has to hide the true love of her life behind false or transactional marriages. While the story did not align with my expectations, it is both fascinating and stunning.
Ultimately, whether a book lives up to expectations generated by TikTok depends on the book, and on the reader; literature can be divisive, as books beloved by some are loathed by others. On the whole, I believe they are worth the hype, and that BookTok can be a useful platform to find recommendations.
