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Ballgowns and Broken Dreams: #BookTok’s Fyre Fest on The Viral List

This week, the “Caveman Method” skincare routine, crunchy teens pushing extreme wellness, and backlash over a failed #BookTok festival are going viral…

Written and Edited by the YPulse Editorial Team

May 9 2025
North America, Western Europe

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The “A Million Lives Book Festival” promised a magical #BookTok-friendly experience, but quickly became a viral flop
The “Caveman Method” is skincare where…people stop washing their face entirely?
“Crunchy” teen influencers are ditching processed foods and mainstream products, but some viewers worry about the spread of misinformation

A Million Lives Festival is going viral on #BookTok for all the wrong reasons What was meant to be a dreamy #BookTok convention celebrating romantasy authors quickly unraveled into what attendees are calling the “Fyre Festival of the book world.” Readers and authors alike flocked to Baltimore last weekend, dressed in shimmering gowns and ready to be swept away by the A Million Lives Book Festival—a two-day “romantasy” convention promising panels, community, and a glamorous ball. Instead, attendees walked into a nearly empty convention center with plain concrete floors, harsh lighting, and hardly any decoration in sight. The so-called “ballroom”...