12 Best BookTok Books for Teens That Are Actually Worth Reading
If you spend any amount of time on TikTok, you’ve probably stumbled onto BookTok.
One minute you’re watching a funny video and the next someone is crying over a fictional character while insisting that you absolutely HAVE to read a particular book.
And somehow, three videos later, it’s already in your cart.
BookTok has completely changed the way teens discover books. Older books have become bestsellers again, new releases can explode almost overnight, and teenagers are sharing favorite characters and plot twists with readers around the world.
But there’s one little problem.
Not every book that goes viral on BookTok is actually written for teenagers.
A lot of incredibly popular BookTok romances are adult books with mature themes and explicit content. So if you’re shopping specifically for a teen reader, it’s helpful to know which viral books actually belong in the YA section.
These BookTok favorites give teen readers plenty of romance, fantasy, heartbreak, adventure and addictive storytelling—without simply filling the list with adult romances that happen to be trending online.
Here are 12 BookTok books for teens that are actually worth adding to your TBR.
1. Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
If your favorite part of a romantic comedy is watching two people who are obviously perfect for each other take forever to figure it out, start here.
Liz Buxbaum loves romance movies.
So when her childhood crush Michael moves back to town, Liz is convinced this might finally be her own movie-worthy love story.
There’s just one problem.
To get Michael’s attention, she needs help from Wes—the annoying boy next door she’s known practically forever.
Liz and Wes make a deal.
He’ll help her get Michael.
But anyone who has ever watched a romantic comedy can probably guess that things aren’t going to go exactly according to Liz’s plan.
You’ll find:
Enemies-to-lovers vibes
Boy next door
Fake dating
Rom-com references
High school romance
Lots of banter
Perfect for: Teens who want a sweet, funny romance with serious rom-com energy.
2. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Before it became a hugely popular television series, Belly’s story started with a YA novel.
Every summer, Belly goes to Cousins Beach with her family.
And every summer means Conrad and Jeremiah.
But this summer is different.
Belly isn’t a little kid anymore, relationships are changing and suddenly the boys she’s known forever are looking at her differently too.
It’s filled with first love, complicated friendships, family relationships and all the emotions that come with growing up.
You’ll find:
Summer romance
Love triangle
Childhood friends
First love
Family relationships
Coming-of-age
Perfect for: Teens who watched the series and want to see where the story began.
3. The Selection by Kiera Cass
Imagine The Bachelor.
Now put it inside a castle.
Add princes, gorgeous gowns, a rigid social class system and a little political unrest.
That’s essentially the irresistible setup of The Selection.
America Singer is chosen as one of 35 girls competing for the heart of Prince Maxon.
The problem?
America doesn’t particularly want him.
She’s already in love with someone else.
At least she thinks she is.
Once she actually gets to know Maxon, everything becomes a lot more complicated.
You’ll find:
Royalty
Love triangle
Competition
Gorgeous dresses
Dystopian society
Romance
Perfect for: Teens who want romance with a royal twist.
4. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Juliette hasn’t touched another person in 264 days.
There’s a very good reason for that.
Her touch can kill.
The Reestablishment sees Juliette as something that could potentially be used as a weapon.
Juliette just wants to understand what is happening to her—and whether she can ever have a normal life.
This YA dystopian series has developed an enormous online fandom, particularly around its characters and romances.
And once you start, there are plenty more books waiting if you become obsessed.
You’ll find:
Dystopian world
Supernatural abilities
Romance
Enemies
Danger
Major character development
Perfect for: Teens who want a long series they can completely obsess over.
5. Powerless by Lauren Roberts
In the kingdom of Ilya, having powers means everything.
Paedyn Gray doesn’t have any.
She’s Ordinary.
And being Ordinary is dangerous.
So Paedyn has spent her life pretending she has abilities in order to survive.
Then she accidentally saves one of Ilya’s princes and ends up selected for the Purging Trials—a brutal competition designed to showcase the kingdom’s powerful Elites.
Now she has to keep herself alive while making sure no one discovers what she really is.
And getting close to Prince Kai certainly doesn’t make that any easier.
You’ll find:
Fantasy
Deadly competition
Enemies-to-lovers tension
Prince romance
Hidden identity
High stakes
Perfect for: Teens who want romance and fantasy in equal measure.
6. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Two rival journalists.
Two mysterious pen pals.
One war between gods.
Iris Winnow is trying to keep her family together while competing for a columnist position at a newspaper.
To cope with everything happening around her, she writes letters to her missing brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe.
Except the letters don’t reach her brother.
They mysteriously arrive in the hands of her professional rival, Roman Kitt.
Roman begins writing back without revealing who he is.
What follows is a beautiful fantasy romance about love, grief, family and finding hope during a war.
You’ll find:
Rivals-to-lovers
Secret letters
Fantasy
War between gods
Journalists
Emotional romance
Perfect for: Teens who love beautifully written fantasy with plenty of romance.
7. Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Scarlett has dreamed about attending Caraval for years.
The legendary game is filled with magic, performances, puzzles and mystery.
When Scarlett and her sister Tella finally get the chance to attend, however, the fantasy quickly becomes dangerous.
Tella disappears.
And finding her becomes part of the game.
Scarlett has to figure out which clues are real, which people she can trust and how far she’s willing to go to find her sister.
Just remember:
It’s only a game.
Or is it?
You’ll find:
Magical competition
Sisters
Mystery
Romance
Twists
Gorgeous fantasy world
Perfect for: Teens who want to disappear into an elaborate fantasy world.
8. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Six dangerous outcasts.
One impossible heist.
Kaz Brekker is offered the opportunity of a lifetime.
Pull off an incredibly dangerous job and receive a massive reward.
But he can’t do it alone.
He assembles a crew of six people, each with very different abilities and very complicated pasts.
Their chances aren’t exactly great.
But this crew might be the only thing standing between the world and disaster.
You’ll find:
Found family
Heists
Criminal masterminds
Fantasy
Multiple points of view
Slow-burn romance
Perfect for: Teens who care just as much about incredible characters as they do about the plot.
9. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
After her mother’s death, 16-year-old Bree Matthews wants to get away from everything.
She enrolls in a residential program for gifted high school students at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Then she witnesses a magical attack.
Suddenly Bree discovers a secret society of students connected to the legend of King Arthur—and realizes their magical world may somehow be connected to her mother’s death.
Now Bree needs answers.
Even if getting them means infiltrating the society herself.
You’ll find:
Secret societies
Arthurian legends
Magic
Mystery
Romance
Powerful heroine
Perfect for: Teens who want fantasy with deeper themes and a strong mystery.
10. Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
Evangeline Fox believes in true love.
So when she discovers the person she loves is going to marry someone else, she becomes desperate enough to make a deal with the mysterious Prince of Hearts.
Jacks agrees to help.
In exchange, he wants three kisses.
That sounds simple enough.
It’s not.
Evangeline quickly discovers that bargains with immortals come with consequences—and Jacks may have plans she doesn’t understand.
You’ll find:
Fairy-tale atmosphere
Curses
Magic
Slow-burn romance
Morally gray love interest
Gorgeous fantasy setting
Perfect for: Teens who want their romance to feel like a dark fairy tale.
11. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her sisters were taken to live in the High Court of Faerie.
Ten years later, Jude desperately wants to belong there.
But many of the fae despise humans.
Especially Prince Cardan.
Jude refuses to let that stop her.
Instead, she becomes increasingly involved in the politics, deception and danger of the faerie court.
And Cardan becomes increasingly difficult to ignore.
You’ll find:
Faeries
Enemies
Court politics
Betrayal
Danger
Morally gray characters
Perfect for: Teens who prefer their fantasy worlds dangerous rather than sweet.
12. The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Seventeen-year-old Cassie has an unusual ability.
She’s incredibly good at reading people.
The FBI notices.
Cassie is recruited into a secret program that uses teenagers with extraordinary natural abilities to help solve cold cases.
She’s joined by other teens who specialize in profiling, detecting lies, reading emotions and analyzing statistics.
They’re supposed to work on old cases.
Then a new killer appears.
And suddenly the investigation becomes very personal.
You’ll find:
FBI investigations
Serial killer mystery
Teen profilers
Cold cases
Romantic tension
Found family
Perfect for: Teens who love crime shows, FBI stories and murder mysteries.
Which BookTok Book Should You Read First?
With so many viral books constantly appearing online, choosing one can feel impossible.
Here’s an easier way to decide.
Want a cute romance?
Read Better Than the Movies.
Love The Summer I Turned Pretty?
Go back and read the original book.
Want royalty and romance?
Try The Selection.
Want a series you can binge?
Start Shatter Me.
Want fantasy romance?
Pick up Powerless or Divine Rivals.
Want a magical world?
Try Caraval.
Want an incredible group of characters?
Read Six of Crows.
Love fairy tales?
Choose Once Upon a Broken Heart.
Want darker fantasy?
Try The Cruel Prince.
Love crime shows?
Start The Naturals.
A Quick Note for Parents About BookTok Books
One important thing for parents to understand is that BookTok isn’t the same thing as YA BookTok.
Books don’t trend according to age category.
That means a 15-year-old watching BookTok videos can easily see recommendations for YA fantasy followed immediately by an adult romance containing significantly more mature sexual content.
And the covers don’t always make that obvious.
If you’re purchasing books for a younger teen or have particular boundaries around mature content, it’s worth checking the publisher’s age recommendation and content information rather than assuming that a viral TikTok book is automatically intended for teenagers.
That’s also why lists specifically created around BookTok books for teens can be helpful.
There are plenty of incredible books for teens without having to automatically hand them every adult romance currently going viral online.
BookTok Can Actually Get Teens Excited About Reading
For all the jokes about buying more books than anyone could possibly read, BookTok has done something pretty amazing.
It has made reading feel social.
Teens aren’t simply being handed a required novel and told they’ll have a test on Friday.
They’re making character edits.
They’re arguing over fictional relationships.
They’re filming bookstore trips.
They’re decorating bookshelves.
They’re creating reading journals.
They’re convincing their friends to read a book simply so they’ll finally have someone to discuss the ending with.
And sometimes that excitement is exactly what turns someone who doesn’t like reading into someone carrying a book everywhere she goes.
So if TikTok is responsible for yet another trip to the bookstore?
There are definitely worse things a teenager could be influenced to buy.
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