Popular TikTok creator Kris Collins, more affectionately known as Kallmekris, released a 36-minute-long video “bashing” some of the staples that have created BookTok. Let’s break it down.
Collins is on the comedy side of TikTok, most well-known for her funny characters, which she portrays in small skits. In her YouTube video, she chose five books to read and left a review. She picked 50 Shades of Grey by E. L. James, Icebreaker by Hannah Grace, Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglass, Credence by Penelope Douglass, and 24690 by A. A. Dark.
To anyone who has seen BookTok, you may have already reacted to at least one of the titles listed above. These books are by no means cutesy nor demure. Instead, they promise the audience a wild ride filled with some plot and lots of spice.
After finding a re-uploaded video of this review, I was able to understand what the Canadian TikToker was trying to do with her video. Kris was simply trying to do a book review and understand why people flock to this subgenre of fiction, even going on to put a disclaimer before the reviews saying:
“This is not meant to shame or offend anybody that enjoys these books. It is your life not mine.”
I would like to note that this creator was receiving so much backlash that she took down her video and has already apologized for her actions on her TikTok page.
This is not the first time an influencer has decided to try and make a video against BookTok, where they also received backlash against their opinions. However, I have noticed that every time one of these videos gets made, these creators always come after the same type of books…
Spicy romance books.
In recent years, this subgenre has taken over social media and created a loyal fan base. As an avid member of BookTok, I see what books have become trendy and have partaken in reading some myself. But as a writing major who has analyzed the greats like Shakespeare, Fitzgerald, and Austen, it makes me question the quality that some hyped books get in our current era of literature.
Does popular literature you see on BookTok influence the quality that modern authors are bringing to their books?
When it comes to spicy BookTok, I always feel like the books can be hit or miss. Either the books have a good balance of plot and spice, or I can tell when the author paid more attention to writing those types of scenes versus the rest of the book.
This is entirely my opinion, but I believe not all books are created equal. With our current era of social media, book influencers on TikTok feel more like a salesman trying to convince me to buy an overly priced used car than a friend telling me to check out this cool book they found.
Sometimes, I do get lucky. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross, Lightlark by Alex Aster, and Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros are a few that I would absolutely sell my soul to read for the first time again. And others, which I won’t name, fell flat for me. I always describe them as follows: the intention behind the story sounds great, but the execution needs more work.
With new authors emerging left and right, as a reader, I am noticing that some of these advertised books follow the exact romance blueprint. They all had to come from somewhere, but I miss books with a genuinely good plot and tension between characters that is so noticeable your roommate could feel it from their room.
With all of this in mind, I think that as fans of a powerful group on TikTok, we should be aware that everyone will form an opinion about the books that we read. They will always look past the “cutesy” covers and wonder if what you are reading is spicy or not.
All to say, keep reading whatever you want to read. If you love YA, girl, me too. If you want some spice, go for it (at your own pace). Just keep in mind, if you’re scared of trying out a different genre you normally don’t read, look at the trigger warnings (if applicable), and it’s totally okay to stop reading if you are feeling uncomfy.
Now have fun book nerds, I’m gonna go finish Onyx Storm now.