As many readers may know, “BookTok” has become extremely popular in the past few months, making reading significantly popular among young adults and teens. With that in mind, here are five book recommendations of various genres for all readers’ personal preferences.

“Beach Read” by Emily Henry

“Beach Read” is a romance novel that follows the lead character, January Andrews, after the death of her beloved father. Through the course of the story, January learns something about her father that shatters her view of him. Not only does this devastate her, but it also prevents her from writing her upcoming book. As a result, January retreats to her late father’s beach house to escape and focus on her book. However, little does she know that her neighbor at the beach house is also a fiction writer named Gus Everett. He also happens to be her rival from college. January cannot think of anything worse than living next to him all summer while trying to work on her book. One evening, one thing leads to another, and they revisit an old rivalry and strike a deal. Augustus must write a happy romance book, and January must write a literary fiction book. They spend the summer teaching each other about the genres of their books and going on all sorts of trips. They both finish their books and no one falls in love. On Booktok, readers praise this book very highly while some believe it’s not worth their time.

“We Were Liars” by E.Lockhart

This book has very mixed reviews. Some readers love the characters and the plot, while others find the book a bit boring and lacking in drama. “We Were Liars” follows the lead character, Cadence Sinclair, with her family and friends. A rich and “perfect family” by most measures, the story takes place on Sinclair’s private island where the family and friends spend their summers. Centering around Cadence and her friends, “the liars,” the story focuses on an accident that had taken place two years prior. The book then follows Cadence as she tries to remember what happened. Cadence goes through a rollercoaster of events, secrets and lies about her family history, followed by a plot twist like no other. Overall, this book is very entertaining since Cadence is an unreliable narrator, making readers unsure if they are learning the truth or not. 

“They Both Die at the End” by Adam Silvers          

Many readers find this book both meaningful and heartbreaking. “They Both Die at the End” is a sad, but uplifting story about two teens whose lives change drastically over the span of only one day. Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio both get a call from “Death Cast” notifying them that they are going to die within the following 24 hours. After hearing this, Mateo and Rufus then both decide to try and make new friends on their last day. An app called “Last Friend” gets created for this purpose, and through the app, the pair connect and spend their last day together making the best of their time, where an unexpected romance blooms between the two. Booktok rates this book highly because of its emotional ending.

“The Program” by Suzanne Young                         

 While this book may not be as well known on BookTok, “The Program” is a dark, dystopian romance series. Following the main character, Sloane, readers learn of a society where the teen suicide rate is at an all-time high. Her parents, worried about her, send her to “The Program,”  thinking that it may hold the cure for the epidemic that erases all a patient’s painful memories to heal them. “The Program” leaves readers wanting more, while wondering what may happen next.

“One of Us is Lying” by Karen M. McManus                      

“One of Us is Lying” is a young adult mystery novel. This book utilizes multiple points of view to focus on each of the five characters who all go to detention, however only four come out. This book leaves readers on the edge of their seats with each unexpected twist. Undoubtedly, this novel sits in my top five mystery books.