That kind of stuff happens on platforms like TikTok, tumblr, and Twitter, where a group forms a silo and sic the group on people they don’t like, like angry chickens pecking an injured chicken to death. It happens over any topic with enough fans. Probably more with TV shows because the audiences are bigger.

This is a natural byproduct of our online society, and it's not just about books.

Almost the entire planet has access to the internet, and whatever you post on social media (including Reddit) exposes you to potentially millions of comments and responses. Not all of these comments are going to be nice, and they sting because we expect and prefer positive feedback.

A few weeks ago, I posted something on a romantic novels subreddit. My post got immediately locked, and most of the comments were accusing me of things I didn't say. At first, I was a bit offended because I didn't expect a negative response. But then I realized that the community there is just very sensitive to critique, and they were projecting their insecurities onto my post. Other subreddits revolve around criticizing the main topic to death, and any positive comments get downvoted because it's all about the snark.

In conclusion, people will have their opinions, and some of them will be aggressive. This is the nature of social media (and I hope it will evolve into something more friendly/ less toxic). In other words, don't let this get to you and keep doing what you think is right- even if other people disagree with you.

Yes! We track all of our item circulation or "circs," including ebooks and other digital media.

These circs are collected and used in many ways that usually with the goal of receiving more funding, either through our governing body or grant opportunities.

TikTok is like Youtube comments, but worse.

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This is great! Thanks!

They get that way. Similarly, communities around books that have been adapted can be pretty shitty too. r/brakebills became a total nightmare when The Magicians TV series became big, accepting the series blindly and almost wholly rejecting the trilogy of books it draws from. Those people claim to be fans, but some can be really shitty about the books. I was an OG fan from when the first book came out, was a member of the tiny little Facebook fan group from when it started - but when the series came out and the fangirls started squeeing over it, I was removed for "toxic behaviour" after saying I felt the adaptation missed the point the books were getting at. An admin even messaged me after removing me, claiming I was upsetting other fans.

BookTok is for teenagers who are just discovering progressive vocabulary and ideology, without yet having any of the nuance to be anything more than moral purity crusaders.

In other words, it's a toxic fucking cesspool, and the quicker you're away from it, the better.

Kim, there's people that are dying

I LOVE Stephen King and most of his fans are great but I’ve experienced some weird reactions in that subreddit. There’s definitely a large portion that get WAY too upset over book suggestion posts specifically to a point people are snide and rude to those who ask for them which I’ll never understand. It’s their topic in the fandom that causes the “I’m tired of these posts” posts

Edit: forgot why I brought all this up, but essentially every fandom has a toxic portion ESPECIALLY on the internet

Steinbeck????

all the comments were from like 13/14 year olds it was a bit alarming that they’re reading books like that!

I didn’t seek validation thanks! I knew exactly that my opinion probably wasn’t going to be popular as it’s a book with a somewhat cult following, and after the hate I got which was extremely personal I wondered if anyone else had experienced this! I don’t need sympathy, I’m a big girl. However it just struck me as abnormal as I’ve never experienced a tirade of negative opinions which were all extremely personal and not well reasoned or respectful.

Get off TikTok, that platform is detrimental for your mental health and attention span, also it’s entire dopamine cycle is addictive af…

This is why I deleted tiktok and left their "booktok" community. The people on there are, as you said, chronically online and are so quick to criticize.

You get to embrace this human experience! Feel the sadness and appreciate that a piece of literature, a story and an imagination, was so powerful it punched you in the gut!

I feel feelings from books and movies all the time. One show I was really loving just came to an end and I’ll probably feel those residual feelings for a bit too. The longing for the characters, the looking up fan art, the thinking of the what-ifs.

Then, in a week or two, I’ll have moved on. Live in the sadness and feel the longing now because in a few weeks real life will come back.

omg can we start a booktok boycotting club???

First mistake: using TikTok.

The easiest way for me has been to move on by reading or watching a new book or show that grips you so your focus moves on.

Just keep living idk. whats the alternative, crying over a book for the rest of your life?

Our library system uses Cloud Library and it’s so antiquated. Updates just make it worse. I wish we could use Kindle or Libby. Useage probably affects library funding.

Ding, ding, ding! confetti

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'Slated' means 'severely criticised or verbally attacked'. 'Slayed' in the UK would have a totally different meaning - it means something that makes you laugh until you nearly die.

Okay, so I have to ask, which book are you speaking of? Secondly, after a statement like that, you didn't think anyone would be curious to know? Time heals all.