Books on BookTok: negative reviews, to post or not to post?
This week, BookTok creators reflected on whether negative reviews about books should be posted on the platform.
There is an "unspoken etiquette" on BookTok not to tag an author in a negative review of their book, said Brittany (@whatbritreads; 58,600 followers). However, Megan (@megschapters; 2,093 followers) believes there is a "concerning rise in readers tagging authors in negative reviews and calling them out in openly hostile ways… negative reviews belong in reader-focused environments, not in author mentions".
Asha (@ashaslife; 1,930 followers) has noticed a similar trend: "I see a lot of people tagging the author and being rude to people in the comments if others say they liked the book."
For most creators, expressing a negative opinion about a book is an important part of the platform. "I think it’s important that readers feel like they can share honest thoughts and opinions," said Suraka (@surakajanebooks; 17,400 followers). "BookTok is first and foremost a reader space. That being said, negative reviews… should focus more on the specific elements [of the narrative] like pacing and character development, rather than personal attacks."
It is "incredibly important to post negative reviews of books", agreed Lauren (@laurs_library; 407 followers). "Art is designed to provoke thought, emotion, controversy and critique." Evie (@evieschapters; 4,617 followers) added: "We wouldn’t expect critics not to publish reviews lower than a three-star rating, so why would we question creators sharing negative reviews?"
Brittany concurred: "Books are there to be reviewed and people follow creators for their reviews. It’s very helpful to know if someone you have similar tastes with enjoys a book before you go and spend money on it." India (@indiareadsalot; 3,854 followers) is also a "big supporter of being able to post negatively about books, as long as it is respectful and kept to the book itself".
However, she added, "I think BookTok struggles when anyone critiques books. I think a lot of BookTok can’t understand that critiquing a book isn’t an attack on the author or the readers… The minute you critique a big, popular book… certain readers will see the review as against them as readers."
Hannah (@hannah.s.books; 11,600 followers) "feels less guilty about giving a negative review if the author is really well known and commercially successful". Ironically, for a community founded upon book content, India does not think "BookTok is really great at having any conversations about books".
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Suraka voiced a similar concern, outlining how, although "BookTok has opened up the review space to a much wider audience, the side effect is that it means nuance can get lost in favour of reaction. There are spaces and creators who deliver thoughtful critiques, but you have to seek them out".
Nate (@nateblackbooks; 2,167 followers) echoed her point: "While BookTok has made reviewing more accessible, the algorithm has pushed creators to take stronger stances when reviewing books. Middle-of-the-road reviews simply don’t get the engagement, encouraging reviewers to take extreme stances to maintain their audience. You can’t like a book, you have to love it; you can’t dislike a book, you have to hate it. Strong stances stir up engagement, meaning reviews on BookTok may not be as genuine as they seem."
Megan agreed: "I don’t believe BookTok has had a largely positive effect on the critical review space; while it has increased visibility for books, brought reading back on the agenda and even helped me discover new books and authors, it has also encouraged a kind of ‘hate culture’ where criticism often focuses on trivial details rather than substantive elements such as structure, pacing or characterisation."
"People have lost the art of reviewing a book based on its substance and instead reviewing based solely on how it made them feel," added Lauren. "Just because you did not enjoy a book does not always mean a book is inherently ‘bad’… We are losing the ability to think deeper, critically, into the meaning of books and how to express our thoughts and feelings in an educated and comprehensive manner."
For Brittany, the relationship between traditional review spaces, such as newspapers and magazines, and BookTok is different. She believes that "critical review space has positively influenced BookTok in trying to get readers to engage more and think about the material they’re consuming in the wider context of the society we live in".
Similarly, Lyza (@blackloreuk; 23,700 followers) believes BookTok enhances traditional review spaces, allowing more books to receive public attention: "Booktok allows us to see ‘what the streets are saying’, what the community actually think of this book, because ultimately, the critical review space can be very snobby."
Nate chooses not to post critical reviews; if he does not like a book, it is not featured on his channel. "It is hard to post negative reviews when publishers and authors I admire follow and engage with my account meaning I sometimes fear backlash for posting such reviews," he explained. "My page is about sharing books I love, so I don’t feel the need to share books that didn’t work for me." If he "must" share his opinion, he is "careful" with his words: "I recognise that authors and publishers may see the content, and I don’t want to disrespect them or tarnish any relationships that I have built."
Lyza follows a similar practice. "I used to post negative reviews of books, [but] as my platform grew and writers and publishers started to follow me, I realised speaking honestly and negatively about books can cause harm to my financial and work opportunities. Now, [if I think] a book is not good, I don’t post it on socials… If I feel a negative review is very important to share because of problematic storylines, I share my thoughts, but any book I rate less than three out of five, I do not share." Lyza prefers to share negative feedback in her book club "where [she] can be honest" and publishers are not in proximity.
Similarly, Emily (@emilymiahreads; 91,700 followers) "never [posts] proper negative reviews as I feel like I always find something I like in a book". If she offers critique, it is focused on "the writing and the story rather than insulting the author or the people who like the books".
