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Be it a book, a coffee shop, or even a good doctor that you’re looking for, getting recommendations from people you trust can really make the search easier. Then there’s the online world, too, brimming with descriptions of first-hand experiences and reviews ranging from “the worst thing that has ever happened to me” to “highly recommend it”.

There’s no doubt that the internet can be a great place to look for certain recommendations, but that does not seem to ring true when it comes to books and TikTok trends. A content creator and an avid reader, going by the moniker ‘lonesomeliv’, has started a discussion about books people have read because they were hyped online but ended up being rather disappointing.

“I’ve read a lot of great books because of TikTok but as a general rule of thumb if it’s revered by a majority of people on here it’s going to be one of the worst books you’ll ever read,” lonesomeliv wrote in the description of her video that went viral and was viewed over 3 million times.

In the comments under said video, fellow readers shared what books that were revered by many on TikTok they found underwhelming at best. So if you want to see what might not be worth your while, scroll down to find them on the list below, where you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with a Professor of Cinema in the Division of Media Arts + Practice, Dr. Virginia Kuhn, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions.

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#1

People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Dare I say Icebreaker... no plot, no character development, nothing interesting at all 0/10 book

mrfatfarm , amazon.com Report

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Ranger Kanootsen
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've never read this, but from the cover alone I already know that it's pretty fkn boring.

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    #2

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It It Ends With Us. I want my money back.

    pel_gul , amazon.com Report

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    Gambit22
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    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I get the feeling that it won't be the last time I see Colleen Hoover's name on this list

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    #3

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It I'm a victim of Haunting Adeline. I couldn't help but cringe every time I tried to read it.

    ⋆˚࿔ syira 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ , amazon.com Report

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    #4

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Reminders of Him made me realize there can indeed be an unbearable book.

    itsdilaraaltay , amazon.com Report

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    Seeking to learn more about how people’s reading habits have changed over time and what role, if any, social media has played in it, Bored Panda got in touch with a Professor of Cinema in the Division of Media Arts + Practice, expert in writing composition and writing theory, Dr. Virginia Kuhn, who pointed out that people nowadays rarely opt for something lengthy.

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    “They've generally read fewer novels, though perhaps they are reading more short spurts,” she said, adding that this has a lot to do with social media scrolling and our reduced attention spans.
    #5

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It I’ll say it… I'LL SAY IT… A Court of Thorns and Roses.

    @lonesomeliv , amazon.com Report

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    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    YES. IT SUCKS! FINALLY SOMEONE AGREES!! All the romance is creepy and animalistic and non-consensual, it's awful. If you have the hots for any of the creepy d*ckheads in this book, go see a therapist pronto.

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    #6

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Twisted Love… I couldn’t even get halfway.

    elisnokro , amazon.com Report

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    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Read one chapter and cringed so hard I strained a muscle. Just say no.

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    #7

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Fourth Wing. There, I said it. Could not stand violet mentioning how short she was every 2 seconds

    Hannah Lynne , amazon.com Report

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    Upstaged75
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    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I liked the first book but stopped halfway through the second. The dragons are cool. The parts with Violet and the guy are basically bad porn.

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    #8

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It The Silent Patient. So predictable

    sllynxz , amazon.com Report

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    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Predictable?? It took me until the last page to figure out what happened lol

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    According to the expert, the books that tend to trend online the most seem to be the ones that celebrities tout, “whether Reese Witherspoon or Oprah”.

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    “I have seen spoofs of people—typically young blonde, white women—who recommend books they have never read so I imagine if an 'influencer' is attempting to be high brow, they likely do this frequently. And then it spreads in a similarly uninformed way,” Dr. Kuhn suggested.
    #9

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It For everyone on here who told me to read Girl in Pieces, we have a personal problem.

    melikajs , amazon.com Report

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    redmays avatar
    Frog On A Log
    Frog On A Log
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    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    it was far too 'boo boo poor me nothing good ever happens to me and everything is horrible all the time' I understand how it could be relatable for teenagers going through stuff, but it just rubbed me the wrong way

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    #10

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Shatter Me was not for me. I read better 'bad books' in Wattpad.

    nointerestatall , amazon.com Report

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    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This book is a complete shithouse circus. Shame, too, because the idea could have been done well.

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    #11

    VERITY

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    “For me, a good fictional book has a complicated plot structure and in-depth character development,” the expert said, discussing what makes a good book. “In a similar way, limited series and other televisual serials are akin to novels. While I used to stay up all night finishing a good novel, now I'll stay up to finish a good miniseries. Especially with shows such as Presumed Innocent, originally a book by Scott Turow that I devoured when it came out in the late 1980s; now I equally enjoy the David E. Kelly adapted series.”

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    #12

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo.
    I got halfway through that one and returned it to the library.

    kelseya1233 , amazon.com Report

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    #13

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Throne of Glass. Don’t come for me! I know how you girls like to tussle. But it legitimately read like Wattpad. I barely got through it and can’t make myself read another one.

    cathslibrary_ , amazon.com Report

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    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unpopular opinion: All Sarah J. Maas books are terrible. Can anyone prove me wrong?

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    #14

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Powerless is one of the worst books I’ve read. I had to hate-finish it.

    jazzyfresh , amazon.com Report

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    Scar Scar
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    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I’m actually reading it right now as I procrastinate reading it and am on here. My friend said she didn’t like it but I will see

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    #15

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It The Fine Print! I was honestly so disappointed.

    faith_win , amazon.com Report

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    Expanding on the link between good books and TV series, Dr. Kuhn pointed out that some of the great nonfiction books have already been adapted for television and, in her opinion, this will continue. “Since television has moved to iPads and phones, people view [it] privately in the same way they used to read books.”

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    #16

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It The Inheritance Games was actually just a Wattpad book.

    .brwns , amazon.com Report

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    #17

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It They made me buy Birthday Girl and I'm mad I wasted $19 on that.

    fabiliciousss_ , amazon.com Report

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    #18

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Den Of Vipers. Absolutely terribly-written.

    ficthund , amazon.com Report

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    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    OH GOD NO... DON'T EVER READ THIS!! I won't give you all the details, but there's a chapter where some mafia dude shoves a knife up the lady's... you get the idea.

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    #19

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Manacled for me. A fanfic that is been super hyped up all over tiktok. I read it and it was very very hard to get through

    ameliabedilia20 , amazon.com Report

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    Ashly Winters
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    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I sobbed through the whole thing, I don't think I will ever look at the Harry Potter Series the same again

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    #20

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Atlas Six. There, I said it. Hated it.

    atlanticbanana , amazon.com Report

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    #21

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Spanish Love Deception. It was so bad!!! Like the enemies phase lasted 2 pages and so did I

    k__granger , amazon.com Report

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    #22

    Prince of song and sea. The plot was everywhere and the plot twist mermaid was the worst person

    just_blubei Report

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    #23

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Diary of an Oxygen Thief literally put me to sleep.

    gothgiirlll , amazon.com Report

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    #24

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Only a Monster

    master_margarethe , amazon.com Report

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    #25

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Dance of Thieves. I was so excited and then let so far down.

    cchavers , amazon.com Report

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    #26

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It the worst is Crave. I managed to read this book for 15 minutes.

    master_margarethe , amazon.com Report

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    #27

    Caraval!! (Or any of Stephanie Garber’s books)

    cascadeoceanwave Report

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    Upstaged75
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    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I kind of liked Caraval. I didn't think it was awful. Not great either.

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    #28

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Cruel prince. I didn’t enjoy the style of writing, the pacing or the plot, the description was the icing on the cake for why i didn’t like it

    aless_x02 , amazon.com Report

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    #29

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Love Hypothesis

    shipper_63 , amazon.com Report

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    #30

    DAISY JONES AND THE SIX TOO

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    Genna Lee
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    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Highly recommend the audiobook over reading format. Having a whole cast read just made it better. I would not have given af otherwise

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    #31

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It This is me with Cleopatra and Frankenstein.

    fefereads2503 , amazon.com Report

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    #32

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Archer’s Voice was a painful read.

    athvell , amazon.com Report

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    #33

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It From Blood and Ash. It wasn't so bad that I couldn't finish it, but it had me rolling my eyes and skimming though pages for sure

    master_margarethe , amazon.com Report

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    Rachknits
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    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I liked this (are you starting to get an idea of the type of books I read!)

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    #34

    Addie La Rue

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    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If they are meaning The invisiblelife of Addie La Rue by V. E. Schwab then I disagree. That book was really enjoyable for me.

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    #35

    CARAVAL!! i had never dnf’ed a book until starting this

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    #36

    Divine Rivals omfg

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    #37

    ARCHERS VOICE

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    #38

    Love on the brain

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    #39

    People Fell Into The Trap Of Reading These 30 Viral Books Just To Regret It Song of Achilles

    user2123930927420 , amazon.com Report

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    #40

    A little life

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