Have you picked up a book recently? Well, have you? If you’ve even wandered into a bookshop recently, maybe in the search of Jellycat perhaps, you definitely have seen the shelves of books that lowkey resemble each other. The rise of BookTok during the early Covid era started with so many benefits. Before, bookstores were barren, lacking people, and so many had to shut down. After the 2020 BookTok, suddenly people were reading again and falling in love with all kinds of literature. Some of the books that became a staple on BookTok weren’t recent at all, such as Song of Achilles by Madeleine Miller or We are Liars by E. Lockhart. On the other hand, some books were much newer, such as Beach Read by Emily Henry. While the early rise of BookTok resurfaced old books deserving of attention and found newly published books, the rise of original ideas diminished after a few years.
It’s understandable that the art we are constantly surrounded by impacts the art we create or like, but there has to be limits. In recent years, it feels like every book is becoming a dupe of another, so much so that it surpasses homage and feels closer to copypasta. If I told you to think of a fantasy book where a 5’2” main character with an almost regular name and unnatural hair color falls in love with her enemy who’s 6’4” (who is actually only her enemy for like 5 pages and there may be some dragons), you could give 50 different books that follow almost the exact storyline.
The truth is, there are still authors out there coming up with original ideas. But if it’s not adhering to what’s popular, it’s hard for the book to find an audience. This is especially true if they’re writing YA, which holds so much more originality but lacks an audience due to not having ‘spice’ or not leaning into the recent marketing technique of listing tropes rather than the plot. The repetition of the book world is not only limited to the writing community. Due to BookTok’s popularity, there has been a rise of book adaptations. At first, this was exciting but, given that most of the ideas out there are almost exactly the same, it creates the same feeling for movies too. You’re probably thinking, so is all hope lost now? No! Luckily for us all, 12-year-old me only knew how to find her next read by one of two methods: asking the school librarian or judging a book by its cover, the back cover that is. So here are a few book suggestions from 12-year-old me (as well as a few hidden gems from a more recent me):
- Paper Quake by Kathryn Reiss (1998)
The day I discovered Kathryn Reiss, thanks to a sweet librarian who let me bother her for suggestions, my life was changed. Though the original book she suggested to me was a different one from Reiss, it didn’t stop me from reading every book of hers I could find. While time travel books aren’t new, centralizing the main characters’ independence instead of romance is a part of literature lost in recent books and makes me appreciate this one. Though I will say, given it was published in 1998, parts of the book feel dated.
- Any Mary Downing Hahn book
Though not technically one book, little me was obsessed with Mary Downing Hahn’s books. I didn’t realize how into gothic horror I was until I read her books. Though most of her main characters might be a bit young for an older audience, it does not take away from the horror element.
- Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (2010)
Does anyone else remember the movie or was I the only one watching it one random night and weeping? I remember stumbling upon this book so randomly while grocery shopping, and it suddenly became my favorite book. I’m not usually into time loops, but something about this book gets me every time.
- The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (2008)
OK I have a confession: reading this as a 12-year-old ESL student was lowkey confusing. But, I feel like if I read it as a college student, I’d have a better understanding. This was one of those hidden gems that I have to thank my school librarian for. Jenna Fox is 17-years-old, living in a remote area, and watching home videos of herself with no recollection of who she is. My favorite part of this book (which is true for most of these books) is its lack of centralizing romance which allows the plot to flourish without being backseated by romance.
- Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (2010)
I was obsessed with witches when I was younger, so imagine my delight when I found this series. Technically, I accidentally read the fourth book first but, if you read it the normal way, you’ll enjoy it more (especially because the fourth book is a spin off). Hex Hall is very quintessentially 2010, particularly with the characterization of its main character. I don’t know if it’s nostalgia or what, but this book is so very endearing to me.
- Every Day by David Levithan (2012)
This is not exactly a hidden gem or that old, but I wanted to mention it. Every Day may have been popular in its heyday, especially after its adaptation, but its originality in terms of plot is still amazing. If there ever was a book perfect for the ‘everything is romantic’ trend on TikTok, it’s this one.
- Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li (2022)
Now here’s a few suggestions from a little more recent me, starting off strong with Portrait of a Thief, a book I actually found through TikTok, thanks to the author’s sister. Believe me when I say I bought it that same week on my weekly trip to Barnes & Noble. The concept of an art heist that also discusses colonialism in literature is not as popular as I’d like.
- Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales (2021)
As someone who ran a confession account at 14 and gave advice that I definitely wasn’t qualified to, this book spoke to me. But on a real level, the lack of romance in coming of age books is something so personally devastating to me. This book had such a 2018 feel to it that made me miss the simple days of a main character trying to help some guy win something and then falling in love. Though I will say, the book’s charm lies not just in the romance but also in the emphasis on the coming of age aspect of it.
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (2020)
Everyone and anyone who knows me knows my slight obsession with this book. I mean I don’t think it’s that crazy to take a language so you could read your favorite book in French, right? Addie is not a perfect character, but she does what she needs to do to survive. The world weaving and character building presented in this book helps cement it as one of the last few popular books before the dupe era.
- Cruel Prince by Holly Black (2018)
This is also not technically a hidden gem, but it’s still an important mention. Cruel Prince was the original fantasy series in BookTok that got me back into the genre, even if for a short time. The reason it differs from many of the other fantasy books in BookTok is due to it not being a Romantasy. Yes, Jude and Cardan are iconic, but the books are not really about that. While their love story is important, it is not the focus. The story is more about a mortal human girl trying to survive and rise in a world not meant for her. Many times in fantasy books, and especially Romantasy, authors promise a main character who’s super competent, yet fail to deliver to give way for them to be saved by the morally gray male main character. Cruel Prince and the rest of the Folk of Air trilogy don’t do that. They deliver on the promise of a strong and morally grey main character who doesn’t need to be saved.