Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Temple chapter.

If TikTok hasn’t convinced you to read this book yet, you’re missing out.

As many of us know, TikTok is one of the most popular apps over the course of the pandemic. With the wide variety of videos that pop up on my For You Page that are either eerily relatable or weirdly funny, it’s hard to put the phone down.

Four months ago, a video with the #BookTok tag popped up on my feed, and one book, in particular, caught my attention: Punk 57.

I haven’t picked up a book in years. For some reason, though, this one stuck out to me. So intrigued, I clicked on the hashtag and found tons of videos praising this book. I knew then that I had to check it out. 

Punk 57 is written by the New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas. It’s categorized as new adult fiction and tells the story of two pen pals: a boy named Mishia and a girl named Ryen. 

Misha and Ryen have been writing to each other since they were 11. The two were obsessed with one another, at least until Misha suddenly stopped writing. With Misha suddenly gone and a new, mysterious boy named Masen showing up at Reyn’s high school, things start to get complicated.  I think of Masen as the bad guy in this story, but Ryen is also at fault for trying to be someone she’s not. Their relationship is a rollercoaster, but it’s become a bit intense when it comes to the sex scenes. Once you get sucked in, you won’t be able to stop flipping through the pages.  The book is complete with a twist that will leave you utterly speechless. 

Punk 57 is interesting because it’s told from the two main character’s points of view.  Some people might find it a bit cheesy, but it’s not just another feel-good romance book; Punk 57 is dark and intense. Since stumbling across this book on TikTok, I’ve recommended it to so many people– and, of course, not one person has been let down. 

5/5 stars for sure!

I’m Taylor Carmichael and I’m an Senior Journalism Major at Temple University. I’m all about happiness and living life to the absolute fullest. I enjoy dressing out of my comfort zone and taking tons of cute photos. If I’m not sticking my head in the books I’m enjoying time with my friends and going on memorable adventures. I’m outgoing, love to make people laugh and just having a good time.