BookTok row erupts after influencer complains the novel she's reading has 'so many words on every page'

A row has erupted on BookTok after an influencer complained the novel she was reading had 'too many words'. 

Yana from California took to TikTok to review Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, expressing her irritation that 'every page' contained 'so many words'. 

BookTok is a subsection of TikTok that has been credited with 'making reading cool again' with younger people - but it has also been criticised for the quality of books it promotes. 

The video, posted by @yannareads, has now been deleted but has still racked up 36 million views when reposted on X, formerly Twitter. 

Many were quick to take aim at BookTok itself, with some saying it has 'lost the plot', while other claimed influencers only view reading as a 'status symbol'. 

Yana said she'd been recommended Young Adult fantasy Six Of Crows by some of her followers - but after reaching page 34, she was less than impressed. 

Speaking to her 284,000 followers, she said: 'Can we talk about something real quick though? Can I just like, talk s*** for a second?

'Why the f*** is this book? First of all, the writing is so tiny. And why are the pages so filled with so many words? What the f***?

'I like pages that aren't filled with this many words. Like literally every page! Like look at this, are you f***ing kidding me?'

Filming the video with her large book collection in the background, Yana said she would continue reading until page 100 before giving up. 

She continued: 'Convince me otherwise because this book is so f***ing difficult for my brain to follow. 

'Like I'm only two chapters in, I understand. But all these words? Like I have no idea what's going on.'

Yana read an excerpt from the book aloud with a baffled look on her face, referencing some of the names and locations in the book's fantasy setting - including Big Bolliger, Elzinger and Ketterdam, one of the series' main locations. 

'Am I drunk? Or is this book drunk? Because what the f*** yall, how are you all following this. I'm scared,' Yana said. 

After admitting she was 'completely lost', she showed her followers three maps at the start of the book to explain the fantasy world. 

'There are like maps that I have to learn that I can't read all the names,' she explained. 

Later on, in an update, she shared that she'd given up with the book, even after switching to reading it on her Kindle in an effort to make the font bigger.  

In her TikTok bio, Yana wrote: 'If it's not smut, I probably won't read it', referring to books with sexually explicit scenes in. 

Viewers rushed to social media to share their doubts about the quality of books TikTok actually promotes. 

One person wrote on X: 'I fear booktok has lost the plot because why are they shocked that book pages have… words? 

'Like making reading your whole personality but not being able to read a book that has no smut, has worldbuilding and is long is concerning. when did we as a society become this.'

Others said: 'This booktok girlie just cringed at her whole video. Smh I hate this for actual readers';

'Booktok probably existed at one point to share all books but its main pull now is DEFINITELY to spread smut books'; 

'Booktok girlies when they realize reading is not the yass aesthetic Pinterest gilmore girls hobby and you actually have to read';

'Maybe she can stick to romance'; 

'I’m sure they just see books as background decorations for their videos. A status symbol rather than something to actually enjoy';

'Six of crows is a young adult book, like it ain't difficult at all.'

Others came to Yana's defence, admitting they also struggled to read Six Of Crows, writing: 'In all fairness, I have a degree in English literature and creative writing and I couldn’t get past page 50 of this book.' 

BookTok has been largely credited in the resurgence of reading as a popular hobby among young people with more than 32 million posts and more than 167 billion views on the platform. 

A book's popularity on TikTok can now be make-or-break for how many sales it achieves. 

Popular BookTok books often feature the 'romantasy' genre - a combination of romance and fantasy - such as books by Sarah J. Maas.  

Other BookTokers couldn't believe that Yana had complained about her book having too many words. 

One, @hopechulka, said: 'It's a YA fantasy heist book. It's going to have fantasy elements that require reading comprehension.'

Another, @jordy.pearson, posted a reaction video saying: 'I want to give this girl the benefit of the doubt. She starts by talking about how little the words are and how many words are on the page. 

'Fantasy books and reading fantasy is not for everybody. There's so much that goes into jumping into a fantasy book because the author is spending so much time at the beginning creating the world that you've entered into - the characters, the lore, everything. 

'I am a really big fantasy reader but she probably is not and that's ok. She reads a sentence and the sentence is literally made-up names of towns in the world and she's like "what does that mean?"

'I do have so many questions, like why she'd go on BookTok no less and say with her whole heart and confidence and say that the words are too small and that there are too many words on the page. 

'What? I just wanted you to hear how insane that is - complaining about there being words on the page in a book!'

Previously, the owners of Notting Hill Bookshop in London said their sales were up '100 per cent' since the pandemic - which they attributed to social media. 

With over 167 billion views on TikTok, reviews and recommendations in the global BookTok community have inspired Gen Zs to ditch their screens in favour of a good old-fashioned book.

BookTok has gained such a momentum in recent times that TikTok launched its first  book awards in the UK and Ireland last year, with thousands voting for their favourite books, authors, and bookshops of 2023.

Popular creators include Ayman Chaudary and Jack Edwards - part of a crowd of creators seeking to make reading cool again.