Among TikTok trends, and in the Book Tok category, Dark Romance is disturbing. This very popular literary genre on the network attracts many young readers.
TikTok is a rich source for Internet users looking for tips, like the one shared by a stylist for sorting out her wardrobe or the very chic fashion of the “mob wife” which is a hit. But some don’t just inspire, they worry… The social network has notably brought Dark Feminine energy up to date, not as feminist as it claims to be.
And in the reading recommendations of the application, BookTok, a disturbing phenomenon: Dark Romance. This literary genre features an executioner and his victim gradually getting closer before falling in love. It can also be two victims, two criminals, two members of the same family… It therefore aims to be subversive, but is very successful with young readers. To the point of raising the question of a warning to appear on books or videos when talking about it.
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The problems raised by Dark Romance
The Parisian was present at an event dedicated to BookTok, organized by the Trainline application. Recognized TikTokers talk about dark romance and its disturbing stories: kidnapping of a woman by a mafioso, vampires with animal desires and other unspeakable fantasies. The most representative work? Captiveby Sarah Rivens, which tells the story of a young woman possessed by a network of criminals.
Oceadorable, a booktaker with 110,000 subscribers, considers dark romance her favorite genre and she explains the success of the genre by “the fantasy of the forbidden” and an “idea of pushing the limits and seeing hidden defects”. She mentions “the nuances, the subtleties” human behaviors embodied in these books, which do not necessarily condone. According to Morgannamber, the clichés that often come up, “it’s not ‘real’ literature, or that dark romance is just viothe, while it can make you reflect on a truly lived story. For Samantha Books, dark romance does not romanticize: “It is precisely the denunciation of toxic behavior”.
Enzo Reads considers that the average age of readers of this literary genre poses a problem. “We end up with raw things, sometimes violent sexual subjects”, he said. He explains that at 25, he has the necessary perspective but that this is not the case for younger people, whereas some books are presented in the children’s category in bookstores.
But a change has been made on TikTok: the principle of trigger warning. Already seen on streaming platforms like Netflix or as a preamble to podcasts, it warns the reader, viewer or listener that a subject that could offend their sensitivity is going to be discussed. Themes can be revealed so that people who are sensitive or have experienced trauma can refer to them and avoid the content if they wish. For the journalist and YouTuber Jeanne opens up, the genre of dark romance disturbs “because it is very feminine”. She still recommends paying particular attention to book covers, which must specify that the work is for an informed audience.
Editor for Aufeminin since 2022, Charlotte is passionate about cinema, French and international, and a fortune reader. Curious about everything, she talks as much about personalities as…