BookTok is a subcommunity on TikTok that makes short videos recommending books, making some blow up, gaining overnight fame. Here are some examples of books that either regained popularity after years or were just released and immediately gained popularity due to BookTok:

The Song Of Achilles by Madeline Miller, came out in 2011, winning the 2012 Women’s Prize for Fiction. The book, a love story about the ancient Greek hero Achilles and his best friend and lover Patroclus, is told from Patroclus’ point of view. The story starts when Patroclus is five years old. It talks about their life up until near the end of the Trojan War. In 2021, it blew up on BookTok, gaining attention once more after nine years.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart came out in 2014, winning the Goodreads Choice Award in 2014 for Best Young Adult Fiction. We Were Liars is about a girl who lost her memory trying to piece together what happened the summer before the start of the book. We Were Liars hit its peak in 2020, trending on BookTok after a decrease in popularity in the following years after its release.

Fourth Wing, by Rebecca Yarros, came out of the gate trending on BookTok, coming out in April 2023, and began gaining popularity on BookTok in May 2023. This novel focuses on a female named Violet, who is forced into the Riders Quadrant and is being trained to ride dragons. The series has grown into a popular trilogy, remaining well-loved even two years after the release of the first book.

Divine Rivals, by Rebecca Ross, is another book that immediately became famous due to BookTok. It came out in April 2023 and immediately started trending. While still famous, it is already believed to have reached peak popularity. Divine Rivals follows a young journalist named Iris Winnow, who has a mysterious pen pal to whom she writes letters. Mysteriously, they are delivered even when she goes to report on the frontlines of a war.

BookTok is popular because it is a good way to share book recommendations with people who have similar tastes, without having to know them personally. It combines emotional reviews and unknown books with likeable tropes. It is a good way to find book series that are lesser known but simply incredible. 

Overall, the BookTok effect is highlighting books that deserve more attention and creating communities by bringing people together.