As someone whose ForYou page has, at times, been flooded with BookTok videos, I have been convinced on more than one occasion to purchase BookTok recommendations. BookTok books are often criticized as overrated or romanticized, but I have found several of them to be well-written and entertaining. Below are my top picks taken from BookTok:
It Ends With Us
It Ends With Us is essentially the cover girl for BookTok, so, of course, I have to start with this Colleen Hoover bestseller. Personally, I feel that the negative feedback for this novel stems from its somewhat corny depiction of the passionate, yet toxic, love between the main characters, Lily and Ryle. At times it feels unreasonable or irrational how quickly and dangerously Lily and Ryle fall for each other, but I suppose these exaggerations serve Hoover’s greater intention of shedding light on abusive relationships. Ultimately, It Ends With Us deserves its hype for its raw depiction of the cyclical nature of abuse and—without spoiling—its tidy manner of incorporating the novel’s title into this depiction.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation
Heartbreaking. Funny. Honest. My Year of Rest and Relaxation is, perhaps, anything but relaxing. The nameless protagonist’s inhumane efforts to avoid the world are both draining and remarkable. As a reader, you may find yourself begging Ottessa Moshfegh to end the novel as the narrator unforgivingly puts all of her energy into sleeping. The narrator regularly dodges phone calls from her only friend and tricks her scatterbrained therapist into prescribing her medications that could prolong her rest. Nonetheless, My Year of Rest and Relaxation deserves acclaim for its ability to enlist generally unlikeable characters to accurately portray depression in a way that induces pain and laughter.
Normal People
Marianne and Connell’s relationship spanning several years is the class “will they, won’t they” trope that pulls on readers’ heartstrings in a way unlike other books of similar story lines. It does not take long for readers to recognize that Marianne and Connell feel for each other in a way that they feel towards no one else. So, why is there so much “will they, won’t they?” Because life and its realities of tragedy, changes, abuse, success, hardship and more pull two people, who are meant to be together, apart time and time again. There is a genuine melancholy to this novel that makes it unique. Particularly, Marianne’s headstrong, yet hurting, soul is relatable for the novel’s audience of college girls who are also navigating what it means to be a young woman building a life that is her own.