If you're someone who's even vaguely a fan of reading, then you've heard of BookTok. For some, the term provokes pleasurable thoughts about much-loved books, while others think of it only with distrust.

If you're part of the latter group, your feelings are understandable. Books go viral all the time on BookTok—but not always for good reason. It's a feeling close to betrayal when you spend money on a book that seemingly everyone's talking about, only to discover that it doesn't live up to the hype.

Still, you shouldn't give up on BookTok yet. As someone who's tried and tested plenty of BookTok books, I can save you the time of wading through them yourself, and tell you in advance which ones I think are worth reading—and which aren't.

BookTok Reads I'd Recommend

1. Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

Genre: Fantasy

Image Credit: Areesha A

Once Upon A Broken Heart follows Evangeline Fox, a self-confessed enthusiast of fairytale endings and true love. However, Evangeline's rose-tinted view of the world is shattered when she discovers that the love of her life intends to marry someone else.

Lacking better options, Evangeline makes a deal with Jacks, the fiendish Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, she must give three kisses, the time and place of which will be decided by him. Thrown into a world of danger and deceit, Evangeline soon begins to wonder whether making a bargain with Jacks was the mistake of a lifetime.

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Thoughts

This book is the perfect choice for when you want a fantasy world that's both easy to understand and easy to get sucked into. Evangeline's whimsical and wholesome nature makes her a more unique protagonist than is often seen in YA books, and the dynamic between herself and the immoral Prince of Hearts is equally compelling.

If you enjoy this book, I'd strongly recommend reading the following two books in the trilogy. Although Once Upon A Broken Heart is my favorite of the series, all three of them are definitely worth reading.

2. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Genre: Mystery

Image Credit: Areesha A

Avery Kylie Grambs lives an ordinary life—that is, until she learns that Tobias Hawthorne, a billionaire, has left her his entire fortune.

Avery finds herself moving into his house, a labyrinthine mansion filled with endless rooms, riddles and mysteries. With the help of Tobias's four grandsons, Avery attempts to navigate the new world she's been plunged into, and discover why Tobias left a girl he never met his fortune.

Thoughts

The Inheritance Games snares you in from the second you discover that Avery has inherited Tobias's fortune. Often, high-stakes books lose momentum as the plot progresses, but that's not at all the case here.

This is the kind of book that's a one-sitting read. The author weaves a mystery that successfully keeps readers hooked from the first page to the last. Barnes has a PhD in psychology, which explain why she's so skilled at crafting such in-depth characters and a mystery that keeps readers utterly hooked.

3. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Genre: Fantasy

Image Credit: Areesha A

It's eighteenth-century France. Desperate not to be forced into marriage, Addie LaRue makes a deal with the devil. He will allow her to live forever, but under one condition: no one will remember her.

The book follows Addie over the course of her immortal existence. Readers accompany her as she meets numerous people who have a profound impact on her—but none of whom remember her the second she turns away.

Just when it seems as though Addie's succumbed to her fate, everything changes. Addie steps into a bookshop and discovers the impossible: someone remembers her.

Thoughts

While some dislike this book because of its slow pace, I'd argue the book's languid tempo is part of its charm. The pace enables you to savour the story, and get a more intimate understanding of the protagonist than is typically allowed for.

It also doesn't hurt that the book's sprinkled with lovely prose, featuring lines like "but then she wakes, and sees the pink and orange dawn across the clouds, or hears the lament of a lone fiddle, the music and the melody, and remembers there is such beauty in the world."

BookTok Reads I'd Not Recommend

1. From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Genre: Fantasy

Image Credit: Elin Melaas from Unsplash

As the Maiden, Poppy lives a life secluded from almost everyone else. But when a guard called Hawke begins working at the castle where Poppy lives, things begin to change—both in Poppy's personal life and in the kingdom at large.

For the first time, Poppy begins to re-assess long-held beliefs and loyalties and finds herself daring to dream of a life filled with more than simply her role as the Maiden.

Thoughts

For the most part, this book's plot felt predictable and cheesy. It didn't offer anything different from romantasy books already on the shelves, and at times felt like a deflated attempt to re-create popular books like Twilight.

The relationship between key characters also seemed quite contrived. At times, it felt as though the author was basing relationships off tropes she knows people like instead of giving the characters genuine chemistry.

2. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Genre: Fantasy

Image Credit: Elin Melaas from Unsplash

Violet Sorrengail finds herself forced to join a deadly academy where she has one central goal: to bond with a dragon and become a dragon rider. However, this is easier said than done. Violet is nowhere near as strong as the other candidates. To succeed, she must battle against all the odds that are stacked against her—including the dangerous and powerful wingleader Xaden Riorson.

Thoughts

Confession: this is the one book on this list that I didn't finish all the way through. I tried twice, but nothing about the first chapter drew me in enough to convince to me finish the book through. Violet struck me as the classic, cliché fantasy female protagonist, who is simultaneously fiery and stubborn, yet in need of protection.

I don't recommend this book on the grounds that there are simply better fantasy options out there. Although some argue that it's a good option for those first stepping into the fantasy genre, I think there are plenty of better starter books available, such as Six of Crows (another BookTok favorite).

3. Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

Genre: Contemporary

Image Credit: Areesha A

The death of their sister Nicky leaves a hole in the lives of Avery, Bonnie and Lucky—and also in their relationship with each other. Even so, this doesn't stop the sisters from joining forces in New York to stop their parents from selling the apartment they were raised in.

Alone, the Blue sisters are struggling to deal with their grief and heartbreak over losing Nicky. Will reuniting be enough to help them heal, or will it only widen the chasm between them?

Thoughts

Although reviews of this book have been generally positive, for me, it failed to hit. The depiction of siblings felt cliché and, similarly to my criticism of From Blood and Ash, I think Blue Sisters doesn't do anything fresh or interesting for its genre. While the plot wasn't exactly bad, nothing about it felt surprising or new.

If you want a good book about sibling relationships, I'd suggest reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott or Darling by India Knight.

Image Credit: Pj Accetturo from Unsplash

That concludes my reviews! Of course, it's important to remember that everyone's tastes differ, so if you think one of the books I don't recommend might be for you, by all means, don't let my opinion stop you.

All the same, with luck, at least some of you have found my reviews helpful, and I've provided you with some books to add to your TBR—as well as knowledge of which might be worth giving a miss.