In recent years, the book community has had a resurgence due to the increase in members of "BookTok." As more readers are created, praise for books all over the world has grown and in turn, led to conversations around book-to-screen adaptations more visible than ever before.
While book-to-screen adaptations are not a new development, the popularity of these forms of media has grown exponentially since 2020. As the social media platform "TikTok" began to gain traction, a subcommunity where readers would share their thoughts, reviews and ideas related to books they were reading emerged and became known as "BookTok."
"BookTok" started as a way for readers to come together and share their thoughts on the most trending books. With its growing popularity, media outlets such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu and many others have taken these trending stories and built them into something more. Due to the heavy influence of "BookTok," there are positive and negative aspects of the popularity of adaptations.
On one hand, readers are naturally more critical of adaptations due to the comparison of the idea of the book they have in their head to the show that is being created.
When it comes to book adaptations, media outlets are faced with the pressure of appeasing fans who already have a deep attachment to the book. If not done "correctly," all aspects of the show could face backlash from fans.
An example of this is Amazon Prime's upcoming TV show adaptation of the book series "Boys of Tommen." While some fans were extremely excited to see their beloved series hit the screens, others did not share the same sentiment.
Those opposed to the adaptation made petitions to cancel the show before filming had even begun, one of which is still ongoing and currently has 499 signatures. The petition is titled "Cancel the Boys of Tommen TV Series."
"The imminent television adaptation of 'Boys of Tommen' has become a point of concern for those who cherish the books for their intricate portrayal of sensitive themes. The source material handles delicate subjects with a level of care and introspection that only the written word, coupled with the reader's personal engagement, can achieve," the petition reads.
Book Content Creator and Podcaster Olivia Messier spoke on her experience with this discourse.
"When the [Boys of Tommen] adaptation began gaining attention, there were larger ["BookTok"] creators who were immediately very negative about it. There was a lot of “This is my series,” and “They’re not going to do it correctly,” Messier said.
In that same vein, casting for a book adaptation can face problems as well.
"Casting is probably one of the areas where I see the most negativity," Messier said.
With the recent book adaptation "Off Campus," the casting of the main characters didn't match the description of how the characters were originally written. This caused tension among fans.
"When that casting [of "Off Campus"] was initially announced, there was an enormous amount of negativity online. People were tearing the casting apart before they had even seen what these actors could do with the characters," Messier said.
On the other hand, "Booktok" has been known to have a positive effect on adaptations.
Many book content creators use their platform to share their excitement, build positive publicity and attract a wider audience for the adaptation. When asked about her thoughts on book adaptations, Messier shared how she uses her platform in a positive light.
"I love book adaptations. I am very pro-adaptation... If I love something, I want to introduce more people to it. I want to share that excitement and joy with other readers—and adaptations can introduce an entirely new audience to books they may never have discovered otherwise," Messier said.
Book adaptations gaining a large following from "BookTok" means that word of mouth works harder, and news of the adaptation spreads farther. Social media creates a chance for fans to gain access to content they would not otherwise have.
"Now, readers are following these projects from the moment the rights are acquired. They’re discussing dream casting, reacting to actual casting, analyzing behind-the-scenes photos, watching trailers, and debating changes before the adaptation even premieres," Messier said.
Wright State University Professor and Author Erin Flanagan shared how social media has influenced how she discovers adaptations.
"I’ve gotten shorts about ["The Love Hypothesis"]—interviews with the actors, a video about creating a wig or hairstyle or something," Flanagan said.
Despite the discourse "Booktok" has brought about book adaptations, they continue to be a popular phenomenon and are often a goal authors wish to achieve.
"To see how someone else might interpret what I’ve written in a new medium. I think that would be a great honor," Flanagan said.
While "BookTok" did not invent the love of adaptations, it has given readers a larger space to share thoughts and made the conversations around the topic more evident.
