The book drama about Matthew and Paul has caused controversy
The latest BookTok drama revolves around a supposedly “forbidden” book and the skepticism of a bookstore owner.
Being a creative mind and owning a small business in 2024 is no easy feat. With fierce competition, high taxes, and a slim profit margin, every entrepreneur has to overcome many obstacles. But Paul Castle faced an even bigger obstacle when he learned at the age of 16 that he would go blind due to retinitis pigmentosa.
Nevertheless, he met the love of his life, Matthew, and together they have created a TikTok brand for the hilarious and lovable creators they are, known simply as Matthew and Paul.
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But in June 2024, Paul announced that an order for his children’s book, The secret ingredientwas returned by a bookstore. He assumed it was returned because of the very appropriate LGBTQ+ content, but the owner of the Good Neighboor Bookstore, Bob Lingle, had some doubts about the truth of the story, creating some old-fashioned BookTok drama. So what’s the controversy surrounding Matthew and Paul’s book?
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Paul Castle shared the book drama that The Secret Ingredient was “banned” from a bookstore.
In a video first shared on June 21, 2024, which reached over 10 million views, Paul recounted how he received the devastating news that an order of 100 copies of The secret ingredient was sent back to him. In an email read by a speech reader (because Paul is legally blind), we heard together: “I am writing to you with unfortunate news. It seems that the person who ordered your books was not fully aware of our policies, and we have returned the boxes to you.”
“Please see the tracking number below,” the voice continued emotionlessly. “While I find your book very charming, we simply cannot carry it in our store at this time. I hope you understand. If you could arrange a refund after receiving the packages, that would be greatly appreciated. We have covered the shipping costs. All the best, Tanya.”
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Paul immediately burst into tears as he said, “A bookstore contacted me and wanted to stock my book,” without naming names. “They ordered two boxes, so about 100 books, and I was really excited because it’s every author’s dream to have their book in a bookstore.”
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He explained that the book is about two male penguins who deliver cakes to different birthday parties with very different family structures – two mothers, two fathers – and end up adopting their own baby. Paul wrote and illustrated the book himself and explained how to buy the book, which led other BookTokers to question Paul’s authenticity.
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Bookseller Bob Lingle caused controversy by questioning Paul’s story.
In his own response video, Bob Lingle, who owns a bookstore in upstate New York called Good Neighbor Bookstore, expressed skepticism about Paul’s story. Bob, who has worked in bookstores for over 15 years, began by noting that authors need to be careful about using certain words because words matter. “Just because a story chooses not to run a book doesn’t mean the book is banned,” Bob explained. “Using the word ‘banned’ to give a book more power is something I don’t like.”
According to the Center for Freedom of ExpressionHowever, a book is officially considered “banned” when “private individuals, government officials, or organizations remove books from libraries, school reading lists, or bookstores because they object to their content, ideas, or themes.” If Paul’s book was returned because of its content, which is not explicitly stated, it would be “banned” even if only because of a private individual, so Bob isn’t quite right there.
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Still, Bob may know more about the fact that bookstores don’t typically order 100 books. Several commenters agreed that in their experience, the largest order size for self-published authors is in the 5-10 book range rather than the 50-100 book range. But Paul has over 2 million followers on TikTok – it’s possible that BookTok has changed the way bookstores order.
Regardless of the credibility of Paul’s story or Bob’s controversial opinion, The secret ingredient has since sold out thanks to Paul’s viral video. Devotees across the United States have ordered his book individually and from bookstores, and Paul’s marketing as a “banned book” has likely boosted sales for stores seeking to support marginalized voices.
While some admitted they felt deceived by Paul’s video, we prefer to see the best in others rather than always assuming the worst.
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