Save or Splurge? BookTok Edition

Save or Splurge? BookTok Edition

Andrea Salazar, Staff Writer

Many bookworms want a reliable source for good book recommendations without having to do much sifting. One of our trusty sources is BookTok, a corner of the internet solely dedicated to interesting, fun, sad, and adventurous books that people might want to read for fun. Having read a couple of BookTok recommendations, the Royal Reporter reviewing team are going to give you the scoop on some of these books.

They Both Die At the End – Silva Monroe

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

This title is about a world where you are alerted of your death date and can spend your last hours however you like. Two friends meet and spend their last hours getting to know one another, trying to escape their fate.

Having heard many good reviews about this book, I was very excited. But to be honest, it just didn’t quite grab my attention as I’d hoped. I would always have to redirect myself into attempting to focus and to me, it just wasn’t as interesting as people made it out to be. Maybe it was a good book but it didn’t live up to the expectations many held for it.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Taylor Jenkins Reid

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance

Senior Cadiz Salazar ‘23 gave the scoop on this title: “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is the epitome of all things glamour, Old Hollywood, romance, sacrifice, and secrecy and boy is it riveting.”

She continues about her reading experience saying: “Upon reading it for the first time, there was hardly a time when my eyes weren’t glued to the book. And if you’re a sucker for a good plot twist, you’re in for a real treat with this one. If you’re a living human being, then you have no choice but to read this book — it’s too good to miss out on.”

Comment if you have read any of these books! (Photo provided by Google Via Creative Commons)

The Cruel Prince – Holly Black

Genre: Young Adult

Royal Mia Paquette ‘26 described this title as a “juicy young adult fantasy with just the right amount of drama, action, surprises, and hints of romantic possibility.”

Further on the series she says: “The books just keep on getting better as the trilogy goes on; its one of the most popular enemies to lovers, fantasy books.” Needless to say, this book is highly rated and definitely worth a read.

 

All the Bright Places– Jennifer Niven

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

This book follows two teenagers struggling with life, through their struggles they meet and bond. The story is about their time together and how they helped one another through their faults.

Having sparked a bit of traction online, especially by having a movie made on Netflix, I think this is one of the best books to get you started in young adult fiction. This book makes you laugh, cry, and feel every emotion possible; for myself, it was a book that made me forget I was reading. I have a deep love for this book, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to get out of a reading slump. However, I do highly suggest that you look up what sensitive topics are involved—some subjects included can be pretty touchy. Other than that, it’s a ten out of ten.

We Were Liars – E. Lockhart

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Mia Gallegos ’23 gives us her input on this book explaining: “There was a HUGE plot twist– so, if you enjoy plot twists, you will, without a doubt, love this book! As someone who is constantly reading, it’s one of my favorite books hands down”.

Mia’s clear passion for this book shines: ”Overall I give this book a 10/10— it was definitely a compelling and intriguing read. From the moment I started the book, I was hooked. Warning, it may take a few chapters to truly understand the first page of the book and why the writer specifically said this. However, I could not put this down due to the phenomenal characters”

I hope this BookTok review has helped you decide what to check out for your next run to the book store!