Will be missed
Best app ever
Love this app, sad to see it go
Loving Tome🦋
Account logged out
Do not recommend
so disappointed
Fourth attempt
The Tome team (the Dev team) are exactly like the current US government, they love to silence people when they have differing opinions or when they call them out instead of dealing with the serious bullying issue that’s stemmed from their app. They allow users who’ve bullied, threatened (I’m talking death threats guys) and doxxed others to stay on the app, even after countless screenshots have been sent as evidence. They love to tell people to “block the bullies” instead of actually doing something; according to them since it’s occurred outside of the app they can’t do anything, but they refuse to understand THEIR APP IS WHERE THEY GET THEIR VICTIMS. They very openly admit to muting or removing posts that aren’t “relevant” (book related), but it seems to just be things they don’t personally agree with. There’s countless posts that aren’t book related that don’t get muted or removed, but god forbid someone calls them out for siding with bullies because they’ll immediately get muted or suspended from the app.
The amount of changes the app has gone through in less than a year is ridiculous and has made it impossible to enjoy your time on it. The book tracking feature? Not good enough for me to stop using other much better trackers. They just launched communities after a week of beta testing (was supposed to be longer) but ignored all the countless bugs they’ve been told about in order to push this update out. The communities have mods who have a bunch of expectations and duties, yet they’re getting absolutely nothing from it. The team gets free labor and the mods get to feel special for a lil bit. They also requested people make banners for the communities instead of utilizing the team member they have for art….so they’re asking users for free art they’ll end up using to promote the app and the users get nothing.
Let’s talk about AI: before launch and for maybe 5-6 months after, the creator (Nick) was constantly shouting from the rooftops about how much they were against AI. Slowly he started bringing up how they’d eventually have to include a bit of AI in the app for certain things they had planned, which threw everyone for a loop as they were supposedly against it. Well turns out Nick is not against AI at all and actually fully supports its use. Now it makes sense why they let users get away with using AI to make badges, even after people have reported them.
They say they’re open to feedback, but just know they only want positive feedback. Any negative feedback will cause: the team members to treat you like you’re gum stuck to their shoe, discord mods to attack you and tell you to calm down, and other users to gang up on you. You’re only allowed to praise everything they do as if they’re gods and we’re just the mortals who depend on them.
Run. Run as far away as you can from this app. Trust me, it’s not worth it.
Wow.
Miss the old Tome
Used to love it
So much potential!
Please do yourself a favor and avoid this app if you wanna protect your mental health
The amount of changes the app has gone through in less than a year is ridiculous and has made it impossible to enjoy your time on it. The book tracking feature? Not good enough for me to stop using other much better trackers. They just launched communities after a week of beta testing (was supposed to be longer) but ignored all the countless bugs they’ve been told about in order to push this update out. The communities have mods who have a bunch of expectations and duties, yet they’re getting absolutely nothing from it. The team gets free labor and the mods get to feel special for a lil bit. They also requested people make banners for the communities instead of utilizing the team member they have for art….so they’re asking users for free art they’ll end up using to promote the app and the users get nothing.
Let’s talk about AI: before launch and for maybe 5-6 months after, the creator (Nick) was constantly shouting from the rooftops about how much they were against AI. Slowly he started bringing up how they’d eventually have to include a bit of AI in the app for certain things they had planned, which threw everyone for a loop as they were supposedly against it. Well turns out Nick is not against AI at all and actually fully supports its use. Now it makes sense why they let users get away with using AI to make badges, even after people have reported them.
They say they’re open to feedback, but just know they only want positive feedback. Any negative feedback will cause: the team members to treat you like you’re gum stuck to their shoe, discord mods to attack you and tell you to calm down, and other users to gang up on you. You’re only allowed to praise everything they do as if they’re gods and we’re just the mortals who depend on them.
Run. Run as far away as you can from this app. Trust me, it’s not worth it.
So much potential
Still has growing pains
There’s also never been a fix implemented for the fact that whatever database is being used for the books is basically useless for independent, lesser-known, or brand-new titles. Never mind new releases that have a similar title to books that have been out longer.
I would like an email option for receiving Tome news, because Discord’s interface isn’t friendly to me, and so I’m betting there are others in the same position.
This latest communities update (I’m writing this review on 11/09/2025) is not only the most inelegant thing I’ve seen on the Tome app, but it’s also the most presumptuous. Frankly, it’s also offensive. It only gives you a choice of three communities you can join based off the last book you entered into the database. Based off of The Bookshop Below by Georgia Summers I was offered Fantasy, Romance, and Dark Romance. Yeah, no thanks. Not interested in any of those. I finally found how many communities there are (not many) and what they are, and I noticed that there isn’t a SINGLE community dedicated to any kind of diversity: no BiPOC Authors, OwnVoices, Disability Rep, Mental Health Rep, LGBTQIA+ Fiction, etc. At the very least there should’ve been a LGBTQIA+ Fiction community and a Diverse Reads community. Representation is too important in bookish spaces to not have spaces for these readers provided. Also? It’s 2025. Y’all should know better and have done it from the outset.
Can I make a huge request? DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE GEN AI ALL OVER YOUR APP. It’s so offensive and wrong. It takes all I am not to block people left and right for this blatant IP theft, ethical nightmare, and ongoing ecological disaster.
LOVE THIS APP
Why I Gave Tome 2 Stars After Beta Testing
But honestly, if I were a new user coming in now, I’d feel completely lost. The layout is congested, confusing, and lacks any real guidance. Nothing is intuitive, and with how the algorithm and community function, it feels nearly impossible for new users to be seen. Unless you’re already part of the in-crowd, you disappear into the noise.
I was deeply invested. I subscribed, became a Tome Keeper, and actively participated because I had faith in the product and believed in its potential. But over time, that faith turned into disappointment.
The app often feels like posting into the void unless you’re part of a tight-knit group. The badge system is tied to tokens, which you either have to buy with real money or receive as a gift from someone who spent their own. Tokens are then used to buy profile badges that are mostly tied to obscure inside jokes or designed for specific cliques. As a subscriber, you receive a monthly allowance of 1400 tokens, but beyond buying badges, I honestly don’t know what the point of them is. The system feels more cosmetic than meaningful.
People can also gift tokens by reacting to posts with a bread emoji—yet another inside joke that isn’t explained anywhere in the app. It’s a system that largely benefits users already plugged into the culture, especially those active in the Discord.
A lot of the app’s culture and inside jokes come from the Tome Discord. While it includes various channels, I felt its original purpose was to report bugs, receive updates, and give feedback. But now it primarily reinforces the exclusivity already present on the platform. Some users are so involved in maintaining their presence that they update their profiles multiple times a day to match ongoing jokes. That level of effort is a lot, and it only seems to pay off if you’re already known.
Tome also runs monthly profile contests that require a huge amount of time and design effort. In theory, they’re creative and fun. In practice, the winners almost always come from the same social circles. Votes are cast by other users, but the algorithm boosts the same few popular accounts - making it hard for new or outside voices to be seen. It feels more like a popularity contest than a celebration of creativity.
Users are encouraged to promote Tome on their social platforms, but there’s no real reward. Even ambassadors, who are given access to a private Discord channel, get nothing more than a sparkle emoji visible only to other ambassadors. It often feels like a lot of unpaid labor for superficial recognition.
You also can’t actually track your reads in a structured way. There’s no reading log, goal setting, or progress tracking. Instead, you can make a subpage to post your current reads, but it’s more like blogging than actual reading organization. Thoughtful reviews are often ignored, while most engagement goes to posts about shadow daddies or thirsting over app creators. It feels more like a fandom-heavy Tumblr than a space for genuine book connection.
Tome had a great idea, and I respect the original vision. But the current version feels performative, cliquish, and overwhelmingly busy. It doesn’t prioritize the reader experience—and definitely not the new reader experience. I’m giving it 2 stars for the concept and potential, but it’s not the inclusive or functional book space I hoped it would be.
Lost the plot
The Tome team (TT) in general has lost the plot. There are constant changes on the app. It feels like a brand new app every week. If that's your thing then you're in for a treat because it's nonstop! The app released too early. It is still buggy, and the constant changes don't allow for these bugs to be worked out. The purpose of the app has changed several times, going from a social bookish space, to a forum based app. Becoming a Tome Keeper is not worth the money. There are not additional perks other than a "Tome Allowance" which is basically tokens equivalent to $10. You can buy badges or gift bread... but you don't need to be a tome keeper to do so. There are cliques, and the TT does show favortism towards certain cliques. In their own words, they suppress posts from the feed, and it makes it difficult for some to get their message out to others. The best example is a book club stating they are leaving Tome. This was suppressed as "it is not relevant to all users." What about the people who wanted to join or were looking for more information? The TT listens to those who are essentially sucking up and willing to offer no criticism or feedback. If you provide feedback, all the lackeys and TT will gang up on you. Bullying is a huge issue on this app. I understand the TT stated they will not be having DM'ing services on the app in order to avoid bullying issues. Even without DMing available, there is still bullying. People have gone out of their way to doxx, threaten, intimidate, gaslight, and be manipulative in general towards other users. One user even received death threats for doing nothing but existing on the app. DEATH THREATS. The TT stated they cannot and will not do anything in regards to these concerns. If you want to use this app, please go in the knowledge that you are not safe, and will not be protected in any way shape or form. There are far better book apps out there. If you'd like an example of their previous work, please look up Seam Social, their last app that failed.
