Be it a book, a coffee shop, or even a good doctor that you’re looking for, getting recommendations from people you trust can really make the search easier. Then there’s the online world, too, brimming with descriptions of first-hand experiences and reviews ranging from “the worst thing that has ever happened to me” to “highly recommend it”.
There’s no doubt that the internet can be a great place to look for certain recommendations, but that does not seem to ring true when it comes to books and TikTok trends. A content creator and an avid reader, going by the moniker ‘lonesomeliv’, has started a discussion about books people have read because they were hyped online but ended up being rather disappointing.
“I’ve read a lot of great books because of TikTok but as a general rule of thumb if it’s revered by a majority of people on here it’s going to be one of the worst books you’ll ever read,” lonesomeliv wrote in the description of her video that went viral and was viewed over 3 million times.
In the comments under said video, fellow readers shared what books that were revered by many on TikTok they found underwhelming at best. So if you want to see what might not be worth your while, scroll down to find them on the list below, where you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with a Professor of Cinema in the Division of Media Arts + Practice, Dr. Virginia Kuhn, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions.
#1
Dare I say Icebreaker... no plot, no character development, nothing interesting at all 0/10 book
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#2
Reminders of Him made me realize there can indeed be an unbearable book.
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#3
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#4
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Seeking to learn more about how people’s reading habits have changed over time and what role, if any, social media has played in it, Bored Panda got in touch with a Professor of Cinema in the Division of Media Arts + Practice, expert in writing composition and writing theory, Dr. Virginia Kuhn, who pointed out that people nowadays rarely opt for something lengthy.
“They've generally read fewer novels, though perhaps they are reading more short spurts,” she said, adding that this has a lot to do with social media scrolling and our reduced attention spans.
#5
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#8
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According to the expert, the books that tend to trend online the most seem to be the ones that celebrities tout, “whether Reese Witherspoon or Oprah”.
“I have seen spoofs of people—typically young blonde, white women—who recommend books they have never read so I imagine if an 'influencer' is attempting to be high brow, they likely do this frequently. And then it spreads in a similarly uninformed way,” Dr. Kuhn suggested.
#9
The Silent Patient. So predictable
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#10
#11
Fourth Wing. There, I said it. Could not stand violet mentioning how short she was every 2 seconds
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“For me, a good fictional book has a complicated plot structure and in-depth character development,” the expert said, discussing what makes a good book. “In a similar way, limited series and other televisual serials are akin to novels. While I used to stay up all night finishing a good novel, now I'll stay up to finish a good miniseries. Especially with shows such as Presumed Innocent, originally a book by Scott Turow that I devoured when it came out in the late 1980s; now I equally enjoy the David E. Kelly adapted series.”
#12
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Expanding on the link between good books and TV series, Dr. Kuhn pointed out that some of the great nonfiction books have already been adapted for television and, in her opinion, this will continue. “Since television has moved to iPads and phones, people view [it] privately in the same way they used to read books.”
#16
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#18
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#19
Spanish Love Deception. It was so bad!!! Like the enemies phase lasted 2 pages and so did I
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#22
Manacled for me. A fanfic that is been super hyped up all over tiktok. I read it and it was very very hard to get through
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#23
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#24
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#25
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#26
Cruel prince. I didn’t enjoy the style of writing, the pacing or the plot, the description was the icing on the cake for why i didn’t like it
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#27
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#33
From Blood and Ash. It wasn't so bad that I couldn't finish it, but it had me rolling my eyes and skimming though pages for sure
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#34
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#35
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#36
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#38
#39
A little life
#40
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