Recent Scandals Shake Up BookTok Community

A scandal involving allegations of plagiarism is shaking the BookTok community, which was previously seen as a haven from online toxicity. Indie author Laura J. Robert’s romance novel “Beverly” gained attention, but now faces accusations of mirroring R.J. Lewis’ earlier work, “Obsessed.” Both stories focus on a female protagonist and her romance with a childhood friend, and critics have highlighted similarities in their texts, suggesting that Robert may have used artificial intelligence to modify Lewis’ book. The situation has sparked speculation about whether the authors might be the same person, as Robert’s initials mirror Lewis’ backwards. This incident follows other recent controversies in BookTok, including backlash against author Ali Hazelwood for her comments on a beloved character from “The Hunger Games” and Victoria Aveyard’s criticisms of generative AI in writing. Robert has removed her online presence, and “Beverly” has been pulled from Amazon amid ongoing discussions about accountability in the literary community.

Source link