Is BookTok Reviving Literature...or Ruining It?

As its compelling literary content has bled through the cracks of our cultural discourse, BookTok has transformed from merely an internet subculture to a powerful market force that has upended the publishing world as we know it, debatably revived the brick-and-mortar bookstore, and fueled the production of some of the most popular movies and TV shows of the last few years - including the hit new series "Heated Rivalry." What started as a benign TikTok subculture composed of (mostly) women who make and consume content about books has since become a cultural watershed: Is the TikTokification of literature a harbinger of intellectual decline, or a glimmer of hope for a dying medium? Before taking on the intellectual merits of smut, Courtenay & Cecile take a trip into the belly of the beast, starting with some delicious prose depicting a taboo dive bar hookup. We define some terms—"tropes," "spiciness," and "MCs" among them—and try our best to get acquainted with the source material. Next, we start in on the critiques: Is BookTok glorifying consumerism? Can you judge a writer by their number of Instagram followers? Is the publishing industry failing its readers by serving them unedited slop? We take a look at a few major scandals, including the discourse around "Lightlark," the viral video-turned-YA novel that divided the BookTok community. Finally, we look at what the experts have to say: Is there any inherent value in reading, or is it no better for your brain than bingeing the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives? (The answer—according to journalists and psychologists—might surprise you!)