I Read These Popular Books From TikTok So You Don't Have To

I owe everything to TikTok at this point.

This is what I rated these four books the people of TikTok finally persuaded me to read

I rated them on a 5-star scale, 1 being not my thing and 5 being I wish I could read it over and over again like it was the first time. And don't worry, no spoilers here!

#1: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid - 5/5 stars

Amazon / Via amazon.com

After months of hearing people talking about this book, I caved and got it. What I expected to read was a boring novel about a woman who had seven husbands but I couldn't have been more wrong.

Evelyn Hugo's story is one that I will never forget. Her character is one that I will never forget. How she dealt with adversity and remained unapologetically herself through it all, despite what was expected of her, was beyond inspiring to read.

I admired that her love story was real. It wasn't the picture-perfect, instagram-worthy image often depicted. It was messy. It was realistic. It was human. I loved how two soulmate relationships were shown, one romantic and one platonic.

I'm not going to spoil it, but the plot twist at the end of the book was worth the hype. I don't ever remember being that shocked. I almost fell off my chair and that's exactly what a plot twist and huge reveal should do to the reader. It connected moments from the past with moments in the present and moments in the future.

Overall, it's a masterpiece. I am unsure of the best way to describe this, but "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" has a vintage feel to it when reading but at the same time, the characters and the story have a relevant place in the world today.

#2: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab - 5/5 stars

Chicago Review of Books / Via chireviewofbooks.com

This was the first book I read as a thanks to TikTok and it quickly became one of my favorites of all time. The book has a magical and whimsical feel to it but it incorporates history and art as well. I loved following Addie through the world, whether it be France, New York, Venice, you name it.

While I expected to enjoy Addie's character, I did not expect to fall in love with Henry too. It's easy to relate to someone like Henry and it's always refreshing to have book characters that you can relate to even when the plot of the book may not be the most realistic. This was the first book that I ever wrote tabs on because throughout the book, there were so many quotes that I wanted to remember.

I was a little scared for Addie and Henry's story and how it would end, but I had nothing to worry about. It exceeded all of my expectations and was perfectly done. So beautiful that I continued to think about it for some time after putting down the book. That's exactly what the ending should do for the reader. Be something that they don't want to forget about or let go of.

#3: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens - 3.5/5 stars

Amazon / Via amazon.com

If you are a lover of all things nature, this is definitely the right book for you. It's an impressive mixture of a romance and crime novel with many historical and scientific elements too it as well. As a reader, you can't help but root for both Kya and Tate, even when they might not make the best decisions.

I will admit, the style of writing is not particularly my kind of thing. Owens is extremely descriptive, especially when articulating the environment Kya lives in. It was difficult at times for me to keep up in a way and I found myself skipping to the parts with the dialogue.

With that being said, I still very much recommend this book because there are so many incredible life lessons that the readers are able to learn through Kya's life story from the effects of isolation, what can be learned from the legal system, and lessons about growing up in general. It truly is a coming of age story and I am glad I read it and got to know Kya and her story.

#4 Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - 4/5 stars

Washington Times / Via washingtontimes.com

One of the biggest reasons I enjoyed reading "Daisy Jones and The Six" is because it's not only a story about love but also a story about music. As a music lover, it was very cool to read about the band's musical process from album writing, to producing, to touring, and it was also cool to learn more about the music scene in the 70s.

I personally loved the style of writing and how it is set up basically as an interview. There was a mixture of short and concise sentences full of sarcastic humor from Karen to longer paragraphs that touched on deep topics from Billy and Graham. I never got bored with the writing, it always kept me excited and looking forward to more.

Although I loved reading this book, I didn't give it a 5 star rating only because of my connection to the characters. Anyone reading can agree that Daisy is a captivating character and the relationships between her and the rest of the band members was enjoyable to read. However, I didn't feel the same way about these characters as I did with other books I have read. I could relate to them, but it wasn't the sort of thing where I finished the book and still couldn't stop thinking about them and their stories.