It is nearly impossible to go to bookstores today and not have sexually explicit books shoved down your throat.
From Barnes & Noble to Target and even some local bookstores, the displays are lined with nothing but sex.
This can be attributed to the rise of BookTok.
In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many women flocked to TikTok to share their book interests in hopes of finding community during the isolating times. This community soon became known as BookTok.
The community started with women of all ages sharing a wide range of books from fantasy to non-fiction, but it quickly took a dark turn. BookTok became a space for people to share their darkest sexual desires and find books that fit those fantasies.
“Credence” by Penelope Douglas is highly recommended by many on TikTok, so I had to check it out for myself. The book was nothing less than diabolical.
From the poor writing to the incestuous relationships between the main female character, her two male cousins and her uncle all at the same time, to the rape tropes being promoted, it was extremely hard to read. In truth, I couldn’t even finish it.
I wish I could say these themes were only presented in this one book, but nearly every dark fantasy novel recommended on BookTok is filled with misogynistic and harmful images of women and how they should be petite and submissive.
The issue is not the fact that grown women are being open about their kinks but rather that the books supporting this wave of literary porn are easily accessible to the public, more specifically young girls.
To buy pornography, one must be at least 18 years old, so why isn’t that standard applied to books with the same material?
Right now, anyone can walk into a store and buy whatever book they wish. A 14-year-old could simply walk into Target, pick up a book from the “as seen on BookTok” section, purchase it and walk out. All without being questioned about what content resides on the pages.
The worst part is that these explicit books are often marketed toward younger audiences.
The popular book “Icebreaker” has been raved about over the last couple of years and is a perfect example of publishers not considering young readers. The cover of the book can be described as a “cutesy little cartoon” with an ice skater and hockey player standing side by side. The colors of the cover are pastel, giving the impression that the novel is a lighthearted and gentle read, but the book is nothing but toxic relationships and detailed sex.
Teachers on BookTok are constantly begging parents to pay attention to the books their kids are reading and to not be deceived by the “cute” covers.
My own sister, who is 14, came home from school one day asking about “Icebreaker” and if she could read it. I obviously said no and gave her some recommendations that fit her age range. She then proceeded to get upset with me because girls at school were already reading it. So why couldn’t she?
Porn is a huge issue among adolescents, and at this point we are handing it to them on a silver platter.
According to Culture Reframed, a nonprofit that seeks to stop mainstream porn exposure to children, adolescents who watch porn have an increased likelihood of emotional, social and sexual problems in adult life.
Just as there are age restrictions for buying pornographic movies, Playboy magazines, mature-rated video games and explicit albums, there should also be limitations preventing minors from purchasing erotic books.
