Popular BookTok Books Teens Are Reading and What Parents Should Know

From Colleen Hoover to ACOTAR, here's what parents need to know about popular books on BookTok.

Fact checked by Elizabeth Brownfield

I was a huge bookworm as a child, and that certainly didn’t change in my teen years. As I grew older, I was pretty much allowed free reign over anything and everything I wanted to read, given that I plowed through library holds like wildfire. When I look back now, some of my selections were perhaps a bit too mature for my age at the time, but I also appreciate that my parents trusted me enough to let me navigate these things for myself.

There was no BookTok when I was a teen, but the TikTok sub-community is a huge driver of reading inspiration for the current young generation. If a book goes viral on BookTok, it’s practically guaranteed to earn sales, snag a prime spot at Barnes and Noble, and maybe even transform an author’s career entirely. But a lot of what trends on BookTok isn’t necessarily written for teens, even though they’re consuming the content. For example, the enduringly popular It Ends With Us and It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover are adult titles that deal with domestic violence, and many other trending books are packed with “spice,” AKA BookTok slang for sex scenes—some of which are extremely graphic.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should forbid your teen from reading any of the popular books they’re seeing on their FYPs, nor does it mean teens are somehow incapable of reading more complex literature on the adult shelf at the bookstore.

And as for the “spicy” element of some BookTok faves, that content may be compelling and intriguing to teens, but they may also find more than just a steamy romantic scene within the pages. “In general, books are a great way for teenagers to safely explore some of the more complicated topics and feelings they might be starting to experience around sexuality and relationships,” says Erin O’Connor, professor at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, program leader for Early Childhood at NYU, and chief of education at Cooper. “Many titles explore difficult issues in interpersonal relationships, about which teens are already thinking, such as infidelity, deceit, and social behaviors around money.”

Here’s what to know about some of the most popular BookTok books of the past few years and how parents could approach them with their teens.

Related: 8 TV Shows Teens Are Streaming and What Parents Need to Know

It Ends With Us and It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover

Colleen Hoover’s books are so massively successful that you’ve absolutely seen them everywhere, and perhaps you've even read them yourself. But does that mean they’re OK for your teen too?

“Some of Colleen Hoover's books are young adult, but most are...adult,” says Julianne Buonocore, book expert and founder The Literary Lifestyle, noting that Hoover's books often feature graphic sexual content.

It Ends With Us and It Starts With Us both center on the love triangle of Lily, Ryle, and Atlas, and while they both include their fair share of steamy moments, there’s also a lot of domestic abuse between the Lily and Ryle characters.

“Part of what has made [Hoover] so popular is her ability to draw on extremely emotional life events to make her plots incredibly gripping for the reader. But, this often means drawing on what makes life hard and ugly: from domestic abuse to imprisonment, death of a child, and even very psychologically disturbing characters and events.” This may be too much for some teens' maturity levels, but Buonocore notes that Hoover has written a handful of YA books, including Regretting You and the Slammed series, which may be more appropriate.

A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas

Ah, ACOTAR. This fantasy series, about the huntress Feyre navigating the faerie land of Prythian, packs it all in its five volumes: romance, epic battles, magic and yes, a dash of spice. The fantasy themes of the series will definitely appeal to teen readers who loved fairy tales and adventure stories growing up, though ACOTAR is more adult than Hans Christian Andersen.

However, ACOTAR could be a good starting point for older teens. As a general rule when considering what’s appropriate for your child, read some reviews—or grab a copy for yourself and read along with your child. “I would suggest tandem reading with your teen to be able to have context for any questions that may come up,” says Amanda Nicholson, LMFT, M.Ed., clinical director at Embark Behavioral Health in Atlanta, Georgia.

And remember, banning a book is only going to make it more enticing for your teenager. “Teens will find a way to get access to the material,” says Dr. Nicholson. “The idea is not to ‘ban’ them from consuming this content but to create a safe space for them to learn about larger issues through fiction.” In ACOTAR’s case, that could be love and sex and power dynamics between couples.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

True to its title, Mexican Gothic is a gothic-inspired horror novel with elements of the supernatural and fantastical. It’s about Noemí, a young woman who travels to save her cousin from her husband, who she believes is trying to kill her. Noemí is then trapped inside the dark, foreboding house and must find a way to escape.

Mexican Gothic shares DNA with classic gothic novels like Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca, and if your teen is drawn to the dark side, they’ll love the thrills and chills of this popular novel.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Another popular fantasy novel is Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing, which centers on Violet, who has to train to become a powerful warrior. There are dragons. There are battle scenes. And there’s sex.

That said, the book is more focused on action, less so on romance, with only a few chapters in the book containing sexual content. "The setting is a fantasy war college," says Buonocore, "so all of the trappings of war are very prevalent in these books: combat, violence, death and the like.” She notes that these war scenes are graphic and may be too intense for some teens.

Related: These Sex Education Books for Kids Make the 'Birds and Bees' Conversations a Little Less Stressful

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Casey McQuiston’s hugely popular romance novel Red, White & Royal Blue isn’t just a BookTok fave; it’s also a movie! It’s the story of Alex, the president’s son, who falls for Henry, the “spare” British prince. It’s a sweet, funny rom-com story with queer representation—Alex is bisexual and Henry is gay—and yes, there's some sexual content. If your teen has already seen the film adaptation, they’ll find similar themes and scenes in the book.

Pretty much anything by Emily Henry

Romance writer Emily Henry got her start writing YA and transitioned into adult fiction in 2020 with Beach Read, arguably her most popular book. “Her bright and youthful covers paired with her fresh, quippy, and smart dialogue contribute to making her a hit with younger readers, but again, these are books written for adults,” says Buonocore, noting that while the sexual content of Henry’s adult books is tamer than many other BookTok faves, there are still a few steamy moments.

“The difference here is that her novels are a bit lighter than Hoover and Fourth Wing, and any traumatic content isn't shared in detail. For example, a Henry novel may just talk about coping with grief, whereas a Hoover novel will graphically unveil the traumatic circumstances of the death underlying it.”

Potentially triggering content will be less of a risk with Henry’s work than Hoover. “There's nothing wrong with either approach—simply noting that Hoover has more potentially triggering plus spicy content, while Henry offers more of your typical modern romance with a bit of spice mixed in,” says Buonocore. 

The Off-Campus Series by Elle Kennedy

This romance series features a college hockey team and their love interests. The characters navigate the many ups and downs typical in coming-of-age stories, like relationships, hookups, friendships, and experimenting with sex and sexuality.

Because the books are set at Briar University and feature college-age characters, teens will definitely be drawn to them; it’s a way to visualize what their own college future could look like. The Off-Campus books feature a decent amount of sex, but may be okay for older teens.

When discussing such books with your teen, it's important to avoid shaming language. “Sex, sexuality, gender, masturbation, reproductive health are not shameful topics,” says Jillian Amodio, LMSW. “Gaining knowledge on these subjects is healthy and should be encouraged. When it comes to reading material, it is important to decide as a parent what truly makes something inappropriate and to have an honest conversation with your teen as to why you feel this way.”

Related: 9 Magical Books With Disability Representation, Curated by Author Kelly Andrew

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