Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like MORE/LESS Than I Did

hosted by The Broke and Bookish

So, obviously first impressions are very often wrong.




As Lizzie Bennet taught us, discovering a book (or a boy) is better than you thought it (he) would be is one of life's greatest pleasures. But when a book that looked so lovely and pretty on the outside isn't as good as you thought it'd be... well, it's kind of like the time I unknowingly put spoiled milk in my cereal. Or the time I put salt in my coffee.



Not good.

Books I thought I'd like MORE, aka the disappointments:

1. Taken by Erin Bowman

Simply put, I found practically nothing in this book to enjoy. I was in love with the concept, smitten with the cover, and overjoyed to receive an ARC. Finishing it was like pulling teeth. With rusty pliers. That have been dipped in acid.

2. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Oh, God, this book. I adore high fantasy. It's my first literary love. But this book was just flat, flat, flat. The characters that did have any depth to them I positively hated, but at least that was something. I felt nothing else for any of the other characters. The plot was a Game of Thrones rip off. And INCEST. Incest. And not even in a provactive-those-scheming-Lannisters kind of way. Just a way that made me go "NO."

3. Undeadly by Michele Vail

When I saw the cover of this book and read the synopsis, I was salivating. By the end, I wanted my money back. Not only was the plot shallow, and not only did it waste an awesome premise, but Molly was written as the most juvenile, simple-minded, cliche of a teenager I've ever had the misfortune to read. If you click on my review above, you can read me rant about it for ages and ages, because I was actually insulted by it.

4. Easy by Tammara Webber

I'd been hearing all over the place how inspirational and powerful and moving this novel was. And it almost was, except not quite. I got almost zero feels from the book. There were a lot of cliches and Jacqueline felt cardboard flat to me for most of it. I was expecting so much from Easy, and the high expectations just ensured disappointment.

Tied for 4. Prophecy by Ellen Oh

To me, this book did not live up to the potential of its cover and synopsis at all. I got no feels and no deep characters. I think I actually compared reading this book to playing a video game, because that's how uninvolved I was emotionally and how little impact the many dry action scenes had. 

5. Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

Oh, you beautiful book. Why didn't you enchant me? Why didn't your perfect prose and haunting atmosphere seduce this fairy tale lover? Why was I bored instead of beguiled and frustrated instead of frightened? I'm still upset about it.


Note: These are not necessarily all books I hate. Just because I was disappointed in them doesn't mean I didn't find something to like. It just means they didn't meet my high expectations.

Not-so-honorable mentions: The Selection by Kiera Cass, Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter (it has nothing whatsoever to do with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), Matched by Allie Condie, Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett (still worth reading), Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin (which I ended up quite liking in the end).


On to one of the most glorious experiences as a reader: the moment a book SURPRISES you.

 

Books I thought I'd like LESS, meaning the unexpected delights:

6. Dark Star by Bethany Frenette

This book was recommended to me by Lili, and though I'd never heard of it before, I gave it a shot. I must admit, since the book had never come across my radar, that I didn't have my expectations up too high. Well, that just goes to show that you can't put much stock in kneejerk opinions (emphasis on jerk). This book is so much fun, and while it wasn't at all what I was expecting (this is not a superhero book), I had such a blast reading it. I love these characters.

7. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick 

There are some contemporary reads that I adore, and there are some that, to be blunt, annoy the heck out of me. My Life Next Door is one of those reads that I completely got. I went into it sort of, ho hum, boy next door, how original, but I'm in the mood for something easy to read and highly romantic. And then I basically fell in love.

8. The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Again, contemporary is a very hit or miss genre for me. The cover, which I like, is usually the kind of cover I find on books I don't like. But I LOVE THIS BOOK. I've been planning on doing a Literary Public Service Announcement on it for a while. I love Bianca, a bitter, confrontional package of awesome, and I love Wesley, and yes, there are a few cliches in here, but I love how Keplinger plays with them and how she realistically depicts modern teenagers. (Fitting, since she wrote this when she WAS ONE.) I read this book in a day. I was mildly obsessed with it, and it was so much more than I was expecting.

9. Catching Jordan by Miranda Kennealy

More surprise contemporary reads. I love, love, love football, but I admit I loathe the cover. It makes the book appear like it's going to be cheesy when in actuality Catching Jordan is a cheese-free zone. Jordan's awesome. But obviously the real star of this book is SAM HENRY my god hello Sam Henry come into my life and my bed as soon as possible please.

10. Legend by Marie Lu

I thought this would be "just another dystopian", but it's so much more. Action-packed but brimming with relatable characters, Legend is ten different kinds of awesome. Only after reading it did I hear that Lu was partially inspired by the Jean Valjean/Javert dynamic, and if that doesn't make you more interested, I don't know what to tell you. Get yourself a copy STAT.

Honorable mentions: The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson (while I really liked the first one, I still had some doubts. CoE BLEW ME AWAY), The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen (READ THIS NOW), Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen, Defiance by C.J. Redwine.

As always, what books surprised you the most, good or bad? Leave me your links if you've got them, please, so I can come visit!