Chicago Man Tried to Give a Review on Remarkably Bright Creatures. The Netflix Sticker Threw Him Off: ‘An Eyesore!’

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt recently became a Netflix adaptation, sparking book reviews on TikTok. While book reviews on BookTok are usually informative and straightforward, Anthony Koz’ (@anthonykoz) commentary took a turn nobody would expect.

In his review of the recent adaptation captioned “book review gone awry,” Koz had a copy of Remarkably Bright Creatures in hand. Before starting his review, he made a comment that such creatures are “definitely not” found in the government.

“Sorry, few and far between,” he continued. Koz seemed like he was about to dive into the actual review—but then, he got distracted by the Netflix sticker on the front cover. Koz aggressively tapped on the logo, frustrated by its presence.

A book review derailed by Netflix

“Why are they still doing this…” he said, seemingly exasperated by the Netflix logo. “What is this?! An eyesore!”

Stickers can be damaging to book covers, and for dedicated readers, books are sacred property. It’s a crime to put stickers on them.

Then, he pointed to another print on the front cover that said “reading group inside.”

“Oh, really? How do I figure that out? By opening the book? Maybe just put it on the front page?” It seems that Koz also had a bone to pick with the design choice. The stickers and printed labels at the front can distract readers from appreciating the cover of the book.

“I don’t need it in front of the book. I’m in a bookstore. I know it’s coming to Netflix—I’m in the know!” He continued his rant against the sticker, as if social media ads weren’t enough to inform everyone of an upcoming show. Koz did pause his rant to appreciate the book’s side profile.

The side of the book was sprayed yellow and printed with colorful corals. It’s definitely a unique choice. But then, Koz continued his complaint against the Netflix sticker out front—for him, the large logo ruins the book’s aesthetic.

“I can hear the Netflix noise,” he said, replicating the sound. He added, “I don’t want to think about that when I pick up my book.”

BookTok judging movie ads on book covers

Realizing he was derailed by his rant, Koz tried to start his book review. But then, he got immediately distracted by a person’s silhouette on the front cover.

“I got to make a new video,” he said, being unable to review the book at all. As the popular saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover—but all Koz has done is judge this particular book’s cover.

Other BookTok commenters shared similar frustrations about book covers being plagued with ads about being adapted into film or TV series.

Someone agreed with Koz’ rant, saying, “If I ever join a book club I hope ppl talk like this.”

Another said, “Tell me about it… This already hasn’t aged well!! Whose idea was this?” They attached a photo of Project Hail Mary and a sticker that said, “Soon to be a major motion picture starring Ryan Gosling.” Many agreed, annoyed by the presence of the ad.

But the TikTok commenters also shared frustration on printed stickers, deeming them worse than the peelable type. Some books nowadays have permanent Netflix logos printed on them, which has also been yet another source of frustration for readers. As the popular saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover—but perhaps it’s a conversation worth having when book stickers start becoming a big distraction.

(featured images: Anthony Koz)

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]