Lærke Boesen I'm glad I'm not the only one who did not like it. I don't have any kind of burning passion about it but had to force myself to finish it.
rycbar123 ah yes, I can understand that. I haven't seen A Cinderella Story in years so I wasn't bothered. Also I think modern fairy tale retellings are inevitably going to feel similar!
I almost died of happiness when Caraval came out. I think it was partly because the cover was GORGEOUS... but the name mislead me i guess? Sounded like a carnival story but it wasn't, which was silly of me to assume, but I didn't understand why the main character wanted to save her sister when she was absolute trash to her and Julian just wasn't likeable?? Hate to say it, but it was a DNF. I know others love it, and that's FANTASTIC, that was just my big letdown book.
YES. I bought the hardcover because of all the hype, and I NEVER do that. It was very underwhelming, to say the least. I'll continue with the series, but my expectations are nowhere near where they were for the first one.
It's on my dnf too sadly. I'm pretty sure that's a first for me. Normally I can trudge through a book but Caraval just fell short for me in some many ways. Everything felt underdeveloped and odd.
To each their own but I literally don't understand how her books got so popular. I find none of her characters likeable and the writing is subpar at best
Could not get through Geekerella. The Vampire one, I thought you were talking about _The Coldest Girl in Coldtown,_ so I backtracked and saw that I'd blinked while you put a different book on the screen. Crazy that your thoughts matched mine on a different book!
I think ACOWAR was the only book that disappointed me this year. I didn't have a great reading year because there was a bunch of things happening but hopefully the next one will be better!
The only book I had to DNF this year was The Fountainhead - been trying to incorporate more classics into my reading but that one will never make it onto my shelves again.
Micah Lee The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand? I actually liked it a lot. It's a bit odd and has a horrifyingly bad "romance" but the philosophy of individualism was what I found most interesting.
hi! sometimes i found books that is not popular at all but at the same time it's so good, you should totally read these underrated books: - Pretending to be Erica by Michelle Painchaud (mystery book about a con artist, it's super good!) - My Ex from Hell by Tellulah Darling (basically about greek myth retelling, but not really retelling... but good!)
Didn't like ACOWAR at all. It really grossed me out. I think I might be becoming more "woke" to Maas' many problematic issues in her series. I hope she improves as a writer because I still enjoy them, but not nearly as much anymore.
It literally kills me to say this, because I absolutely love Victoria Schwab, but I'm having a hard time finishing Our Dark Duet. I'm not really happy with the way August's character has developed, but I'm hoping if I push through I'll end up loving it!
I was also unhappy with the way his character developed. I thought the world was interesting but I just wanted so much more from the characters. The ending of the second book just didn't have as much as an impact as it could have had the characters been more fleshed out.
I really liked her shades of magic books, but I'm not done with them yet! I've finished the book I mentioned above and I think they were okay. I'm still not happy with the ending and I feel like it could have brought a lot more... but they're not bad books by any means.
The book I hated this year was Frankenstein lol I was looking forward to it but it was so BORING and I was also disappointed by Daughter of Smoke & Bone but hopefully the series gets better bc I really do want to continue
**SPOILERS** I actually really liked that part! I didn't see it as instalove since they knew each other in their past lives and there was already a history there -- buuuuut, it *was* predictable (there were a ton of hints before the big "reveal" and by the time Karou finds out I'm sure most readers had already guessed). Also, it was a pain getting through the Madrigal flashbacks/whatever-you-want-to-call-them, for me it slowed down the momentum of the story... I thought that part could have been handled better. Anyway, I think the 2nd and 3rd books are really good, so I would definitely recommend continuing with the series!
There are issues with Daughter of Smoke & Bone that were irritating to me: destined lovers & glorification of thinness. But I'm so glad I confined with the series. It has inedible depth and the writing is downright gorgeous at times. Plus, Rabid Fairy & Violin Boy totally stole my heart!!!
Frankenstein takes some dissecting, and that’s why I had such a fun time reading it for school. I do agree it’s a bit slow, but you have to understand where the book came from and why it was written the way it was, and c’mon, the framing narrative for it was really ingenious for its time.
I feel like how you felt about Geekerella was how I felt about When Dimple met Rishi. I liked them both but I thought one paled in comparison to the other.
I felt the same about The Way of Shadows. Though if you are still interested in a similar plot that is executed way better you should check out the Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. I read that one before The Way of Shadows and felt a lot of similarities on how the main characters background were set up but felt that Lies of Locke Lamora did it better.
i ended up dnfing the diabolic, i was going into it expecting a lot, but i found the book to be too confusing and weird for my liking. hope others enjoyed it more than i did though!
I remember reading Way of Shadows when it first came out and everyone was gushing about it. I was so underwhelmed by it and I kept wondering what I was missing. I've read some really scathing reviews of the last book in the trilogy, though, so I'm glad I didn't continue it!
You want to read really good paranormal. Beautiful Monsters series by Jex LaneAnd Wolfsong by TJ Kulne. These are some indie writers and you'll love the main characters. The books are practically free on kindle. Please check it out.
Honestly, the Throne of Glass series. I was super excited to read this book because of all the hype, and I was just getting into fantasy. I had it sitting around awhile and when I finally decided to read it, I felt pretty disappointed. Someimes Celaena can veer into Mary Sue territory and that bothers me. Ironically I’m still reading to see what happens, (I’m starting the third book soon), but I was a tad disappointed initially. Edits: grammar.
Megan Elizabeth I definitely understand. It took me so long to finish the book. I liked it more near the end, but I feel like a lot of the characters are fairly flat and predictable. :(
Cait Atkins that makes sense! I’ve had other series like that where I absolutely love some of the books more than others. I think it’s all about the progression of the plot and that’s why I’m still trying to stick it out. I’m glad you liked the second half; that’s encouraging!
I regret reading the last two books of Lara Jean series. Don't get me wrong the characters were still amazing and funny,but that feeling that i had when i read the first book was completely lost for me.(and i read one book after another immediately)
I just made a video ft. my take on this list. I unfortunately did read some bad and disappointing books this year, such as Caraval and The Winner's Kiss. However, I read some great books as well, which I'm trying to edit the video for!
I'm really struggling. I'm trying to read Six of Crows and while I love the concept I'm just not connecting to the characters. Everyone loves this duology and I want to so badly! I think I'm gonna have to finish the first one and then put it down and come back to the series in a year or so and try again.
I so much anticipated reading "And I Darken", because it is set in Eastern Europe and I live in Bulgaria, but ended up don't liking it all. I wish the author had researched it better.
Laura Wachter It's boring, yes. I read the first 50 pages and then was such a slow read. Also, I get it's fiction, but she gave wrong names and makes history to sound so great for people in countries under the rule of the Ottomans. I absolutely don't agree. I really don't get the hype.
Amairo Travels That’s actually really interesting. I’m a history major, but my main area of interest is the Russian Revolution and the USSR under Lenin and Stalin. I know very little about the Ottoman Empire and about Romania under the Ottomans, but it seemed to me like the author went with the commonly held perspective of the Ottoman Empire being very liberal when in reality... well, there’s a reason Vlad the Impaler is a national hero in Romania...
Laura Wachter Well, I don't know much about Romania either, but as a Bulgarian I can say a lot about my country being under Ottoman rule for 5 centuries. History talks about many struggles and massacres. I've seen lots of museums and churches where people were hiding and were killed just because they didn't wanted to change their religion. Also, the concept about the Janissaries seems so wrong in the book. I'm interested to see what's going to happen in the second book just from curiosity. Hope the author can do it better.
Always and Forever Lara Jean was such a disappointment for me. Its probably my fault though because the last 2 books were perfect to me and the third just didn't live up to those infinitely high standards. Also, I really liked that it was a duology because those are hard to find these days.
Been waiting on this. Love controversial videos. Can’t wait to hear your opinions. I think the worst book I read this year was Girl in Pieces. Couldn’t get through it
Omg I couldn't finish The Way of Shadows, and I started because I knew you liked the author!!! It's so good to hear that you didn't like it because now I know I can give a chance for his other series. Has anyone read both and can tell me if is worth the shoot?
The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks has been on my TBR for YEARS and I have /yet/ to read it. I have started it a few times but keep putting it down because I just couldn't get into it. Maybe I will give his other series a try.
Don't feel bad about not falling in love with The Way of Shadows. Brent Weeks is a fantastic writer but the Night Angel books are not easy to get through.
I FINALLY got around to reading TMI this year. I give the overall series (not including Infernal Devices) a 3.5, but C.O. Fallen Angels was the absolute worst book of the year for me. It made me hate literally every character in the book. Everyone was an asshole and whiny and just unbelievable. If I hadn't just finished TID and actually enjoyed it, I would NOT have continued the series. That book haunts me with its horribleness. 0 stars. So glad I finally got that whole series off my tbr.
Agreed with CoFA, also I think she has an incest fetish considering she ships Stefan and Damon from Vampire Diaries. The fact incest is pretty much in TMI twice is concerning
Theresa Branch that's kind of childhood ruining lol. Why would she admit to shipping them though... Seems like something you should probably just keep to yourself🤔🤔
I was actually disappointed in two books this year that are loved by everyone: “This Savage Song” and “Salt to the Sea” However, I think I will read “Our Dark Duet” in the future because I want to see how the duology plays out now that most of the world building is done. I just have to see if I can remember the events of the first book
Please read the Bronze Key (the 3rd book in the magestrium series) I loved it so much. It’s way better then the last one. The ending of it will have you running to the next book. If you read I hope you like it.
This year, I had some great reads, but also some 1/2 stars. "Milk and Honey", by Rupi Kaur, had so much hype around it, that I was expecting something different and, in the end, the poems didn't resonated with me. It wasn't my book. Also, "Romeo and Juliet" was disappointing. However, I can't wait to crack up more works by Shakespeare. The last on the list is "The Girl On Ice", by Robert Bryndza, that I found to be cliché and predictable. Despite this books, it was a good reading year
sad that you didn't like geekerella, I haven't read it yet but you were the reason why I bought it, since you talked so much about it when it came out :/
Gasp! The Night angel trilogy is one of my favourite series and I have struggled some with the Lightbringer series for the same reason you didn’t like the night angel; no one I particularly like, but I still enjoy Brent Weeks books 😁
I felt like the first two books in Magisterium had so much potential and fell flat, but I really really enjoyed the third book. I thought it was much better. My least favorite books this year have been: We Were Liars (felt like nothing happened and I guessed the ending) The Wrath and the Dawn (i feel like she loved the male lead for no reason) There's Someone Inside Your House (the reveal of the murderer was underwhelming and his reason for killing was stupid to say the least)
I know this would probably hurt Regan's heart, but my least favorite reads of the year were the Wondla books, for a laundry list of small reasons that added up to overall disappointment. I also did not enjoy The Leaving because it felt like a forced romance instead of the thriller mystery it is marketed to be. Not sure what year these came out, but I read them this year.
I don't have many books that I didn't like but there were some that made the list. None of them were terrible but didn't meet my expectations. -Doctor Who: Myths and Legends by Richard Dinnick - I was so excited to read it and it wasn't at all what I was expecting... -The Map That Leads To You by J.P. Monninger - loved most of it but the last part was just so sad and the ending left me confused... some sad books are great but this one wasn't what I was hoping for -How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill- it was a great book overall but I was disappointed that it seemed to concentrate more on the fall of Romans than about the Irish.... -The New Dark by Lorraine Thomson - it was just a really weird and dark book... I do plan to try the next book in the series, hopefully it gets better.
I personally loved geekerella but I can totally see why people wouldn't like it. I have quite a lot of books I didn't like this year. So here are mine (& they are in no order): - the kiss of deception. - aristotles and Dante discover the secrets of the universe. - vicious. - nimona. - because you love to hate me. - The jewel. - the upside of unrequited. - furthermore. - allegiant. - a feast for crows. - The voyage of the dawn treader.
I know I’m in the minority here but I didn’t enjoy Wonder Woman Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo :/ I like her fantasy novels with all of the epic world building but Wonder Woman was really slow to me. And I didn’t like any of the characters.
I loved the night angel trilogy. I'm surprised you didnt. I'm thinking about reading the light bringer series. I gotta say I don't really know how to take your recc. Books you've liked I hated, books I loved you didnt.
The Way of Shadows made my worst of 2017 list too!! I found it really tropey and generic which was so disappointing. Still plan on picking up The Black Prism at some point though because you've got me hyped haha
I couldn’t get through The Diabolic by S J Kincaid. This Savage Song was a disappointment for me but that is probably because I read it too quick. So I am going to reread This Savage Song and see if I like it better.
Aw man, I'm bummed to see Geekerella on this list, but I totally get her reasoning. Geekerella was just such a pleasant surprise to me, it would be on my best of 2017 list lol.
Stick with the night angel - it just gets better and better! One of my favorite series. The characters are not supposed to be likable. They are broken people who somehow find their place in the world and reveal their backstories! I love it!
I personally tried to read the chronicles of Narnia for the first time this year and I was not as impressed with it as the people I know that read the books as children.
I tried listening to Final Girls on Audible because it sounded interesting, and I went from "this is alright" to "I'm going to finish this out of spite it's so bad" to "I don't want to waste another hour of my life on this" and I returned it without finishing it. Worst book I've read in a long time.
Aww! I loved the Born Wicked series. But the last book did make me sad because I feel like it could have gone further with the after effects on the politics.
I was disappointed in Turtles All The Way Down. I had high expectations because I really wanted to see how he tackled anxiety, and although some of it was relatable and it was well-written, the plot and characters were mediocre.
ahh yesss spill the tea! I love videos like this! I think for me personally, least favourites would have to be Caraval by Stephanie Garber and Release by Patrick Ness. Neither of these are bad books but they were, well, okay. Caraval had me rolling my eyes at times but I was mostly disappointed because everything about it seemed like something I'd absolutely adore and then it just fell kinda flat for me. Also left me suuuuper confused why people seem to love it so much? Release was nice but I think my problem with it mostly lies in the fact that while reading I quickly realised I'm kinda exhausted on the 'troubled gay boy vs close-minded religious family' narrative. Not that those aren't valid bc I know this is the reality for many people and it's not the book's fault at all- it's just not what I'm looking for in terms of lgbtq rep these days I guess. Also I'm getting the feeling that Patrick Ness might just not be my cup of tea. I also read A Monster Calls this year and it wasn't bad! I get why people like it but for some reason I just can't really get into his writing so yeah that's all I have in terms of ~controversial opinions~ I suppose haha! no 'hate' for either of these though, but compared to some of the outstanding books I've read this year they were just pretty weak
I was excited for assassins but I really did not like the night angel books! Is it just me or does brent weeks write women characters so so so badly?! I enjoyed the lightbringer books when I read them but they did not age well in my mind :(
Are you aware of the sexism critics regarding the black prism series? I haven't read it but I saw Bookswithemilyfox's video and she heavily critiqued this book for sexism.
Yeah I have heard that! There is one main character that is a total asshole imo but he is one of the ones I don't like! There are so many amazing and powerful women in the series though that are some of my all time favs that I still enjoy the series!
That's the first time i have heard sexism about this series. I didn't notice it when i read through so it can't be too bad! Im intrigued now though. Gotta go listen to the review myself
This year, I finally read The Perks of Being a Wallflower and I think it was just meh for me. I am not a native English speaker but while I was reading it, I just thought that the writing style and the vocabulary used made this book dull, honestly. I was expecting more from this book because the film is one of my favourites. Disappointing.
The most disappointing book for me was The Best Kind of People. I had to read it for my creative writing class earlier in the year and it was mostly the ending that bothered and disappointed me.
Ravenclaw Geek I understand the Abundance of Katherine’s. I read that so long ago and I was not impressed with it, and I can’t remember what it’s about or whether I’ve actually finished it :P
Way of Shadows: He doesn't go to an assassin school, He's taught by Durzo Blint, one of the best Wet boys in the city/world. There is no "school" persay.
Eh, this year wasn’t the greatest reading-wise for me. My least favorite books were probably Little Deaths by Emma Flint, Missing by Kelley Armstrong, The Rattled Bones by SM Parker, and Mosquitoland by David Arnold
The worst books I've read this year were Red Queen, Stalking Jack the Ripper, Flawed, and The One that Got Away. I really want the time back I've lost reading them.
My most disappointing book this year was the accident season by moira fowley Doyle (I think that's how her name is spelled) really the ending of the book didn't make sense. But the rest of the book was pretty decent. Love these videos 📚
My Lady Jane for me. It was good, but it wasn't five stars IMO. I just wish the Ethyian mythology had been expanded upon and I was kind of underwhelmed overall. All in all though, I enjoyed the book and I'm glad I read it, but I have no need to keep the book.
Mines a bit of an unpopular opinion but the worst book of 2017 for me was the night circus, I even DNF it at 300 pages. (I know it came out years ago but I first read it this year)
Honestly, it makes me sad too because I was looking forward to it. I normally take characters over plot, but I felt I couldn't even connect to the characters. I'm glad you in enjoyed it, I may go back in a year or so and give this book another shot though.
YES!!! I hate this book with a passion. The writing was infantile, the plot (as other posters have said above) was circular and directionless, and the whole “filmic” second person POV just came off like bad fan fiction to me.
Okay, so I'm a little late to the party (circus?), but I also DNFd it last year (at about 150 pages, I think). I honestly LOVED the writing; it was literally my idea of perfect. The characters, the dialogue, and just the way the book was written in general, but... well, the best description I ever heard of it was something along the lines of "it's like buying a load of nice furniture and not having a house to put it in". Basically, that wondrous writing doesn't actually have any point to it. When it comes to books, video games, etc, I now like to think of them as houses with furniture. Is it a house with furniture, or a house with no furniture, or furniture with no house?
this year i was new to the booktube community so when i heard about heartless by marissa meyer i was super excited and the cover was so pretty so i bought it and, unfortunately, i really didn't like it:( i just felt like it lacked plot and all the characters where unlikable, except for maybe jest.
ROSEBLOOD!!!! I got like 75% done with it and just couldn’t force myself to finish it. I normally have a guilty pleasure for cheesy, kinda dark, paranormal type books, but it was a huge let down! Especially after all the hype for it. I think I rated it like 1.5 starts and sold it to my nearest Half Price Books. Would not recommend.
it's lightbringer, not black prism, only the first book is called black prism. much like game of thrones is only the first book of the series A Song of Ice and Fire
For me the worst book I've read this year is THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER! I saw a book wrap up video and she said that book is an 'amazing' mystery novel and at that time I saw looking for a good mystery novel and so when I heard she said its 'amazing' I bought 2 days after and I read through it blindly ! I didn't know it has SSSOOOOOOOOOOO much romance, PS I don't like reading romance, romance is pretty much predictable for me! RN I'm reading and 2nd book and after 2 weeks I'm still in page 170 I can't!! 😖 so much cringey romance I regret buying the box set of this series !
I wasn't crazy about Geekerella, I thought it was cute but not memorable :/
exactly!
My least favorite was Milk & Honey. There was so much hype built up around it, but I really didn’t care for it at all.
The same thing happened to me. I was expecting something so much better, because of all the hype, but it didn't make it for me, at all
Xiá agreed. I’m glad a lot of people found healing through it, but I just didn’t like it.
I will be burnt for this but, I liked it... it only just felt like reading through tumblr posts though.
I read Anna and the French Kiss this year, and I hate it with a burning passion
Lærke Boesen lilyCreads basically have a book review of everything she hates on that book! It was really funny... i didn't like that book as well!
Same!
Agreed that book is the WORST
It was disgusting
Lærke Boesen I'm glad I'm not the only one who did not like it. I don't have any kind of burning passion about it but had to force myself to finish it.
Do you still keep the bad books you bought, or do you donate or give them to other people?
Some I keep some I donate! Depends on the situation!
Surprising you didn't like Geekerella, everyone seems to GUSH about it
I mean I do... but it was the worst of the contemporaries I read!
She prefaced liking it.
Geekerella was one of my favorites of 2017!
rycbar123 ah yes, I can understand that. I haven't seen A Cinderella Story in years so I wasn't bothered. Also I think modern fairy tale retellings are inevitably going to feel similar!
I almost died of happiness when Caraval came out. I think it was partly because the cover was GORGEOUS... but the name mislead me i guess? Sounded like a carnival story but it wasn't, which was silly of me to assume, but I didn't understand why the main character wanted to save her sister when she was absolute trash to her and Julian just wasn't likeable?? Hate to say it, but it was a DNF. I know others love it, and that's FANTASTIC, that was just my big letdown book.
Uniquegirl 10 same, the sequel's cover is so pretty but I hated caraval
Uniquegirl 10 I LOVE CARAVAL 😭😭 it’s okay I thought it said “carnival” when I first got the book. Then realized it said “Caraval”
YES. I bought the hardcover because of all the hype, and I NEVER do that. It was very underwhelming, to say the least. I'll continue with the series, but my expectations are nowhere near where they were for the first one.
It's on my dnf too sadly. I'm pretty sure that's a first for me. Normally I can trudge through a book but Caraval just fell short for me in some many ways. Everything felt underdeveloped and odd.
Reading through the comments and wow Caraval is cropping up so much!
I read We Were Liars this year. I hatedddd it
Evee Ou Thank you I thought maybe I was alone.
Evee Ou yeah that book was terrible
cassandra clare is (one of) my least favourite author(s). please let me not be alone.
you're not! I don't understand the hype around her books. I just don't connect with any of the characters for some reason. Wish I liked them all more!
I 100% agree
I read Clockwork Angel this year and it was terrible. I won’t read any more.
To each their own but I literally don't understand how her books got so popular. I find none of her characters likeable and the writing is subpar at best
You're not alone
Could not get through Geekerella. The Vampire one, I thought you were talking about _The Coldest Girl in Coldtown,_ so I backtracked and saw that I'd blinked while you put a different book on the screen. Crazy that your thoughts matched mine on a different book!
An enchantment of ravens and Acowar!
ACOWAR disappointed me so much, it was so long and didn't need to be
Honestly ACOWAR was one of my most anticipated reads but it was so boring. Maybe SJM just isn’t for me :(
cookies77814 same with me...i love the first few books in the throne of glass series but it started getting way too confusing...
YES! Both of these books were such a let down to me! I feel super wary to read fae stories now 😭
i loved acomaf but acowar was so disappointing. it made me despise all the characters i loved
I think ACOWAR was the only book that disappointed me this year. I didn't have a great reading year because there was a bunch of things happening but hopefully the next one will be better!
The only book I had to DNF this year was The Fountainhead - been trying to incorporate more classics into my reading but that one will never make it onto my shelves again.
Micah Lee
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand? I actually liked it a lot. It's a bit odd and has a horrifyingly bad "romance" but the philosophy of individualism was what I found most interesting.
hi! sometimes i found books that is not popular at all but at the same time it's so good, you should totally read these underrated books:
- Pretending to be Erica by Michelle Painchaud (mystery book about a con artist, it's super good!)
- My Ex from Hell by Tellulah Darling (basically about greek myth retelling, but not really retelling... but good!)
Didn't like ACOWAR at all. It really grossed me out. I think I might be becoming more "woke" to Maas' many problematic issues in her series. I hope she improves as a writer because I still enjoy them, but not nearly as much anymore.
It literally kills me to say this, because I absolutely love Victoria Schwab, but I'm having a hard time finishing Our Dark Duet. I'm not really happy with the way August's character has developed, but I'm hoping if I push through I'll end up loving it!
I was also unhappy with the way his character developed. I thought the world was interesting but I just wanted so much more from the characters. The ending of the second book just didn't have as much as an impact as it could have had the characters been more fleshed out.
I felt the same!
Which victoria schwab do you lile the most? I'd like to read something of hers but idk where to begin!
I really liked her shades of magic books, but I'm not done with them yet! I've finished the book I mentioned above and I think they were okay. I'm still not happy with the ending and I feel like it could have brought a lot more... but they're not bad books by any means.
Megan Holder well i'll give the shades of magic series a try then and see how i like it, thanks :)
The book I hated this year was Frankenstein lol I was looking forward to it but it was so BORING and I was also disappointed by Daughter of Smoke & Bone but hopefully the series gets better bc I really do want to continue
jessiibooks I thought Days of Blood & Starlight is amazing, keep reading!!
Yeah the instalove was annoying and the whole “other life” storyline was dumb
**SPOILERS**
I actually really liked that part! I didn't see it as instalove since they knew each other in their past lives and there was already a history there -- buuuuut, it *was* predictable (there were a ton of hints before the big "reveal" and by the time Karou finds out I'm sure most readers had already guessed). Also, it was a pain getting through the Madrigal flashbacks/whatever-you-want-to-call-them, for me it slowed down the momentum of the story... I thought that part could have been handled better. Anyway, I think the 2nd and 3rd books are really good, so I would definitely recommend continuing with the series!
There are issues with Daughter of Smoke & Bone that were irritating to me: destined lovers & glorification of thinness. But I'm so glad I confined with the series. It has inedible depth and the writing is downright gorgeous at times. Plus, Rabid Fairy & Violin Boy totally stole my heart!!!
Frankenstein takes some dissecting, and that’s why I had such a fun time reading it for school. I do agree it’s a bit slow, but you have to understand where the book came from and why it was written the way it was, and c’mon, the framing narrative for it was really ingenious for its time.
Also I am obsessed with your sweater!
I'm surprised Cursed Child wasn't on your list. If I'm remembering right, you weren't a fan?
I feel like how you felt about Geekerella was how I felt about When Dimple met Rishi. I liked them both but I thought one paled in comparison to the other.
I felt the same about The Way of Shadows. Though if you are still interested in a similar plot that is executed way better you should check out the Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. I read that one before The Way of Shadows and felt a lot of similarities on how the main characters background were set up but felt that Lies of Locke Lamora did it better.
i ended up dnfing the diabolic, i was going into it expecting a lot, but i found the book to be too confusing and weird for my liking. hope others enjoyed it more than i did though!
I remember reading Way of Shadows when it first came out and everyone was gushing about it. I was so underwhelmed by it and I kept wondering what I was missing. I've read some really scathing reviews of the last book in the trilogy, though, so I'm glad I didn't continue it!
You want to read really good paranormal.
Beautiful Monsters series by Jex LaneAnd Wolfsong by TJ Kulne.
These are some indie writers and you'll love the main characters. The books are practically free on kindle. Please check it out.
Caraval
Winter Song
Star-touched Queen
Create&Dream YES YES YES CARAVAL AND WINTERSONG THANK YOU THOSE BOTHERED ME
Same! Caraval was pretty bad.
I also hated Caraval, I can’t believe Stephanie Garber included such triggering themes thoughtlessly. It really bothered me 😕
Create&Dream I had to DNF Wintersong. There was just nothing there :-/ I was looking forward to it too
Gina G I didn’t finish it either
Honestly, the Throne of Glass series. I was super excited to read this book because of all the hype, and I was just getting into fantasy. I had it sitting around awhile and when I finally decided to read it, I felt pretty disappointed. Someimes Celaena can veer into Mary Sue territory and that bothers me. Ironically I’m still reading to see what happens, (I’m starting the third book soon), but I was a tad disappointed initially.
Edits: grammar.
Sugasweg Lord I agree I actually haven’t gotten past the second book in the series. I don’t know what it is but I just can’t seem to get lost in it.
Megan Elizabeth I definitely understand. It took me so long to finish the book. I liked it more near the end, but I feel like a lot of the characters are fairly flat and predictable. :(
I persevered and it gets much better in the second half of Heir of Fire! Can half of a series be one of your favourites? That’s how I feel about ToG
Cait Atkins that makes sense! I’ve had other series like that where I absolutely love some of the books more than others. I think it’s all about the progression of the plot and that’s why I’m still trying to stick it out. I’m glad you liked the second half; that’s encouraging!
I totally agree but you should still continue the series! The first one sucks but honestly each one gets better and better
I regret reading the last two books of Lara Jean series. Don't get me wrong the characters were still amazing and funny,but that feeling that i had when i read the first book was completely lost for me.(and i read one book after another immediately)
Yes! Copper gauntlet was dull and I'm still in the middle of Pronze key...
haven't heard of the other books but i really enjoyed geekerella! it was really cute!
I just made a video ft. my take on this list. I unfortunately did read some bad and disappointing books this year, such as Caraval and The Winner's Kiss. However, I read some great books as well, which I'm trying to edit the video for!
I'm really struggling. I'm trying to read Six of Crows and while I love the concept I'm just not connecting to the characters. Everyone loves this duology and I want to so badly! I think I'm gonna have to finish the first one and then put it down and come back to the series in a year or so and try again.
Tasia I was the same. But I hit the middle where all the individual characters meet and it really picked up and now it's one of my favourite series
I so much anticipated reading "And I Darken", because it is set in Eastern Europe and I live in Bulgaria, but ended up don't liking it all. I wish the author had researched it better.
Amairo Travels I had to DNF And I Darken. I thought it was cliched and kind of boring. It’s a shame, because the idea behind it was really quite good.
Laura Wachter It's boring, yes. I read the first 50 pages and then was such a slow read. Also, I get it's fiction, but she gave wrong names and makes history to sound so great for people in countries under the rule of the Ottomans. I absolutely don't agree.
I really don't get the hype.
Amairo Travels That’s actually really interesting. I’m a history major, but my main area of interest is the Russian Revolution and the USSR under Lenin and Stalin. I know very little about the Ottoman Empire and about Romania under the Ottomans, but it seemed to me like the author went with the commonly held perspective of the Ottoman Empire being very liberal when in reality... well, there’s a reason Vlad the Impaler is a national hero in Romania...
Laura Wachter Well, I don't know much about Romania either, but as a Bulgarian I can say a lot about my country being under Ottoman rule for 5 centuries. History talks about many struggles and massacres. I've seen lots of museums and churches where people were hiding and were killed just because they didn't wanted to change their religion. Also, the concept about the Janissaries seems so wrong in the book.
I'm interested to see what's going to happen in the second book just from curiosity. Hope the author can do it better.
Always and Forever Lara Jean was such a disappointment for me. Its probably my fault though because the last 2 books were perfect to me and the third just didn't live up to those infinitely high standards. Also, I really liked that it was a duology because those are hard to find these days.
Malia Intikhab this is so interesting because I really loved the first and last books but was v meh about the 2nd book
Been waiting on this. Love controversial videos. Can’t wait to hear your opinions. I think the worst book I read this year was Girl in Pieces. Couldn’t get through it
Hope you enjoy!
Omg I couldn't finish The Way of Shadows, and I started because I knew you liked the author!!! It's so good to hear that you didn't like it because now I know I can give a chance for his other series. Has anyone read both and can tell me if is worth the shoot?
Totally agreed about Geekarella; it was cute but it didn't do anything special or different
The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks has been on my TBR for YEARS and I have /yet/ to read it. I have started it a few times but keep putting it down because I just couldn't get into it. Maybe I will give his other series a try.
Don't feel bad about not falling in love with The Way of Shadows. Brent Weeks is a fantastic writer but the Night Angel books are not easy to get through.
I FINALLY got around to reading TMI this year. I give the overall series (not including Infernal Devices) a 3.5, but C.O. Fallen Angels was the absolute worst book of the year for me. It made me hate literally every character in the book. Everyone was an asshole and whiny and just unbelievable. If I hadn't just finished TID and actually enjoyed it, I would NOT have continued the series. That book haunts me with its horribleness. 0 stars. So glad I finally got that whole series off my tbr.
VintageWonderland same I dnf cofa it was so boring.
The Shadow From Within boring and full of pointless drama! And also idk what CCs deal is with all the incest...
Agreed with CoFA, also I think she has an incest fetish considering she ships Stefan and Damon from Vampire Diaries. The fact incest is pretty much in TMI twice is concerning
Theresa Branch that's kind of childhood ruining lol. Why would she admit to shipping them though... Seems like something you should probably just keep to yourself🤔🤔
COFA was my least favorite of the series too
I was actually disappointed in two books this year that are loved by everyone: “This Savage Song” and “Salt to the Sea” However, I think I will read “Our Dark Duet” in the future because I want to see how the duology plays out now that most of the world building is done. I just have to see if I can remember the events of the first book
Smfcake 24 unfortunately our dark duet doesn't get much better
I was really disappointed with Wise Man's Fear this summer and just could not finish it.
Please read the Bronze Key (the 3rd book in the magestrium series) I loved it so much. It’s way better then the last one. The ending of it will have you running to the next book. If you read I hope you like it.
This year, I had some great reads, but also some 1/2 stars. "Milk and Honey", by Rupi Kaur, had so much hype around it, that I was expecting something different and, in the end, the poems didn't resonated with me. It wasn't my book. Also, "Romeo and Juliet" was disappointing. However, I can't wait to crack up more works by Shakespeare. The last on the list is "The Girl On Ice", by Robert Bryndza, that I found to be cliché and predictable.
Despite this books, it was a good reading year
A gathering of shadows , A conjuring of light, The night circus, Uprooted and Replica!
I love your sweater in this video! Great reviews also😀
I read "The Girls" by Emma Cline and really didn't like it. I thought some of the writing was pretentious.
sad that you didn't like geekerella, I haven't read it yet but you were the reason why I bought it, since you talked so much about it when it came out :/
I tried to read Geekarella and just couldn't get into it. It seemed cute, but it just wasn't my thing either
Gasp! The Night angel trilogy is one of my favourite series and I have struggled some with the Lightbringer series for the same reason you didn’t like the night angel; no one I particularly like, but I still enjoy Brent Weeks books 😁
I felt like the first two books in Magisterium had so much potential and fell flat, but I really really enjoyed the third book. I thought it was much better.
My least favorite books this year have been:
We Were Liars (felt like nothing happened and I guessed the ending)
The Wrath and the Dawn (i feel like she loved the male lead for no reason)
There's Someone Inside Your House (the reveal of the murderer was underwhelming and his reason for killing was stupid to say the least)
I brought caraval in July, read it half way trough in November... and I hate it.. I can't even finish that book
I know this would probably hurt Regan's heart, but my least favorite reads of the year were the Wondla books, for a laundry list of small reasons that added up to overall disappointment. I also did not enjoy The Leaving because it felt like a forced romance instead of the thriller mystery it is marketed to be. Not sure what year these came out, but I read them this year.
I don't have many books that I didn't like but there were some that made the list. None of them were terrible but didn't meet my expectations.
-Doctor Who: Myths and Legends by Richard Dinnick - I was so excited to read it and it wasn't at all what I was expecting...
-The Map That Leads To You by J.P. Monninger - loved most of it but the last part was just so sad and the ending left me confused... some sad books are great but this one wasn't what I was hoping for
-How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill- it was a great book overall but I was disappointed that it seemed to concentrate more on the fall of Romans than about the Irish....
-The New Dark by Lorraine Thomson - it was just a really weird and dark book... I do plan to try the next book in the series, hopefully it gets better.
I personally loved geekerella but I can totally see why people wouldn't like it.
I have quite a lot of books I didn't like this year. So here are mine (& they are in no order):
- the kiss of deception.
- aristotles and Dante discover the secrets of the universe.
- vicious.
- nimona.
- because you love to hate me.
- The jewel.
- the upside of unrequited.
- furthermore.
- allegiant.
- a feast for crows.
- The voyage of the dawn treader.
I know I’m in the minority here but I didn’t enjoy Wonder Woman Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo :/ I like her fantasy novels with all of the epic world building but Wonder Woman was really slow to me. And I didn’t like any of the characters.
i think you should read nevernight by jay kristoff, because i think you'll love it!
I loved the night angel trilogy. I'm surprised you didnt. I'm thinking about reading the light bringer series. I gotta say I don't really know how to take your recc. Books you've liked I hated, books I loved you didnt.
I got into Brent Weeks based on your recommendation. I hope what he writes next is awesome again. 🙁
Ya ihave those books too when it's too sad to finish it I didnt need to read it!!
The Way of Shadows made my worst of 2017 list too!! I found it really tropey and generic which was so disappointing. Still plan on picking up The Black Prism at some point though because you've got me hyped haha
I felt the exact same way when I tried to reread Born a Wicked. It was like I grew out of it or something. :(
I enjoyed way of shadows. Some plot twists were a bit cheesy, but I did like it.
I couldn’t get through The Diabolic by S J Kincaid. This Savage Song was a disappointment for me but that is probably because I read it too quick. So I am going to reread This Savage Song and see if I like it better.
Aw man, I'm bummed to see Geekerella on this list, but I totally get her reasoning. Geekerella was just such a pleasant surprise to me, it would be on my best of 2017 list lol.
Stick with the night angel - it just gets better and better! One of my favorite series. The characters are not supposed to be likable. They are broken people who somehow find their place in the world and reveal their backstories! I love it!
I personally tried to read the chronicles of Narnia for the first time this year and I was not as impressed with it as the people I know that read the books as children.
I was so lucky this year and really liked all the books I read!
Some of my worst books of 2017 were Perfume by Patrick Süskind and Prodigy by Marie Lu because I had too much expectations.
Hello from Colombia.
I tried listening to Final Girls on Audible because it sounded interesting, and I went from "this is alright" to "I'm going to finish this out of spite it's so bad" to "I don't want to waste another hour of my life on this" and I returned it without finishing it. Worst book I've read in a long time.
Aww! I loved the Born Wicked series. But the last book did make me sad because I feel like it could have gone further with the after effects on the politics.
Loving your sweater 😍
I was disappointed in Turtles All The Way Down. I had high expectations because I really wanted to see how he tackled anxiety, and although some of it was relatable and it was well-written, the plot and characters were mediocre.
ahh yesss spill the tea! I love videos like this! I think for me personally, least favourites would have to be Caraval by Stephanie Garber and Release by Patrick Ness.
Neither of these are bad books but they were, well, okay. Caraval had me rolling my eyes at times but I was mostly disappointed because everything about it seemed like something I'd absolutely adore and then it just fell kinda flat for me. Also left me suuuuper confused why people seem to love it so much?
Release was nice but I think my problem with it mostly lies in the fact that while reading I quickly realised I'm kinda exhausted on the 'troubled gay boy vs close-minded religious family' narrative. Not that those aren't valid bc I know this is the reality for many people and it's not the book's fault at all- it's just not what I'm looking for in terms of lgbtq rep these days I guess. Also I'm getting the feeling that Patrick Ness might just not be my cup of tea. I also read A Monster Calls this year and it wasn't bad! I get why people like it but for some reason I just can't really get into his writing
so yeah that's all I have in terms of ~controversial opinions~ I suppose haha! no 'hate' for either of these though, but compared to some of the outstanding books I've read this year they were just pretty weak
I was excited for assassins but I really did not like the night angel books! Is it just me or does brent weeks write women characters so so so badly?! I enjoyed the lightbringer books when I read them but they did not age well in my mind :(
Are you aware of the sexism critics regarding the black prism series? I haven't read it but I saw Bookswithemilyfox's video and she heavily critiqued this book for sexism.
Yeah I have heard that! There is one main character that is a total asshole imo but he is one of the ones I don't like! There are so many amazing and powerful women in the series though that are some of my all time favs that I still enjoy the series!
PeruseProject Thanks for answering I really trust your opinion and I can't wait to read it!! 😁😁
That's the first time i have heard sexism about this series. I didn't notice it when i read through so it can't be too bad! Im intrigued now though. Gotta go listen to the review myself
Vicious by VE Schwab
The becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkins
This year, I finally read The Perks of Being a Wallflower and I think it was just meh for me. I am not a native English speaker but while I was reading it, I just thought that the writing style and the vocabulary used made this book dull, honestly. I was expecting more from this book because the film is one of my favourites. Disappointing.
i love your sweater
The most disappointing book for me was The Best Kind of People. I had to read it for my creative writing class earlier in the year and it was mostly the ending that bothered and disappointed me.
The least favorite books I read this year were probably Paper Towns, An Abundance of Katherines, and The Shining.
Ravenclaw Geek I understand the Abundance of Katherine’s. I read that so long ago and I was not impressed with it, and I can’t remember what it’s about or whether I’ve actually finished it :P
Worst books for me were the lovely reckless and paper princess..just wow..it was so bad I almost cried.
Way of Shadows: He doesn't go to an assassin school, He's taught by Durzo Blint, one of the best Wet boys in the city/world. There is no "school" persay.
Wonder Woman by Leigh Bardugo
Alexandra Cornejo-Ahumada YES! Everyone was raving about it. It was good but nothing special to it :/
why don't people like ACOWAR?
For me it just feels really cheesy and predictible
Eh, this year wasn’t the greatest reading-wise for me. My least favorite books were probably Little Deaths by Emma Flint, Missing by Kelley Armstrong, The Rattled Bones by SM Parker, and Mosquitoland by David Arnold
Are paranormal romance I definitely suggest Alice in Zombieland it's a little different than a typical paranormal romance but man is it good
The worst books I've read this year were Red Queen, Stalking Jack the Ripper, Flawed, and The One that Got Away. I really want the time back I've lost reading them.
My most disappointing book this year was the accident season by moira fowley Doyle (I think that's how her name is spelled) really the ending of the book didn't make sense. But the rest of the book was pretty decent. Love these videos 📚
I adored geekerllla and sorry it feel flat for you but the darkest mine by mindy failed so badly for me!
I did not like A Shadow Bright and Burning. It didn't amaze me like other books I read
My Lady Jane for me. It was good, but it wasn't five stars IMO. I just wish the Ethyian mythology had been expanded upon and I was kind of underwhelmed overall. All in all though, I enjoyed the book and I'm glad I read it, but I have no need to keep the book.
spill the tea
Mines a bit of an unpopular opinion but the worst book of 2017 for me was the night circus, I even DNF it at 300 pages. (I know it came out years ago but I first read it this year)
Aww that makes me sad as it's my favourite book! I can see why it wouldn't be for everyone though as it's so character driven rather than plot
Honestly, it makes me sad too because I was looking forward to it. I normally take characters over plot, but I felt I couldn't even connect to the characters. I'm glad you in enjoyed it, I may go back in a year or so and give this book another shot though.
Caseysrealmofreads I also did not like it. It was okay, but compared to how hyped it was, I was very disappointed.
YES!!! I hate this book with a passion. The writing was infantile, the plot (as other posters have said above) was circular and directionless, and the whole “filmic” second person POV just came off like bad fan fiction to me.
Okay, so I'm a little late to the party (circus?), but I also DNFd it last year (at about 150 pages, I think). I honestly LOVED the writing; it was literally my idea of perfect. The characters, the dialogue, and just the way the book was written in general, but... well, the best description I ever heard of it was something along the lines of "it's like buying a load of nice furniture and not having a house to put it in". Basically, that wondrous writing doesn't actually have any point to it. When it comes to books, video games, etc, I now like to think of them as houses with furniture. Is it a house with furniture, or a house with no furniture, or furniture with no house?
Worst book of my reading year was Throne of Glass which I read but didn't like. And Fallen by Lauren Kate. I stopped reading it after 100 pages...
Nelli I totally agree with fallen, it’s terrible
this year i was new to the booktube community so when i heard about heartless by marissa meyer i was super excited and the cover was so pretty so i bought it and, unfortunately, i really didn't like it:( i just felt like it lacked plot and all the characters where unlikable, except for maybe jest.
I was really disappointed by Caraval and both books I tried from Sarah J Maas
ROSEBLOOD!!!! I got like 75% done with it and just couldn’t force myself to finish it. I normally have a guilty pleasure for cheesy, kinda dark, paranormal type books, but it was a huge let down! Especially after all the hype for it. I think I rated it like 1.5 starts and sold it to my nearest Half Price Books. Would not recommend.
it's lightbringer, not black prism, only the first book is called black prism. much like game of thrones is only the first book of the series A Song of Ice and Fire
The worst book I read was I Hate Everyone But You... I gave it one star, and I rarely ever give books less than three stars.
For me the worst book I've read this year is THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER! I saw a book wrap up video and she said that book is an 'amazing' mystery novel and at that time I saw looking for a good mystery novel and so when I heard she said its 'amazing' I bought 2 days after and I read through it blindly ! I didn't know it has SSSOOOOOOOOOOO much romance, PS I don't like reading romance, romance is pretty much predictable for me! RN I'm reading and 2nd book and after 2 weeks I'm still in page 170 I can't!! 😖 so much cringey romance I regret buying the box set of this series !