Something Strange Is Happening With Books. It Could Reshape Literary Culture.

"It's just off-putting to me. I feel like books are easier to understand when they're written in first person. Sometimes when I'm seeking out a new book, I want it to be as dumbed down as possible. These fantasy books often have all of this world-building. Sometimes I'm not in the mood to think. I just want to get lost in a story."

"Studded across what is known as 'BookTok'-the informal TikTok-based digital hub for the greater romance community-are innumerable riffs on the same conclusion. Dozens of book-focused content creators have posted videos of the smile dropping from their faces upon discovering that the novel they have just cracked open is written in the third person."

Jennifer Lee, a 24-year-old pastry chef and BookTok creator with 15,000 followers, strongly dislikes third-person point-of-view books, preferring first-person narratives in romance and fantasy novels. She finds first-person perspective easier to understand and more immersive, allowing her to escape into stories without excessive cognitive effort. Lee gravitates toward fantasy romance with tropes like magical colleges and dragons, enjoying authors such as Sarah J. Maas and Lauren Roberts. Her preference reflects a broader trend among BookTok content creators, who frequently post videos expressing disappointment upon discovering novels written in third person, indicating widespread audience preference for first-person narration within the digital romance community.

Read at Slate Magazine