It happens to all of us. We fell hard for the hype for a book. Maybe we were fans of the author's previous works. Or maybe all of the gorgeous ~aesthetics~ sold us. So we pre-ordered that bad boy and cracked it open. Desperate to have the best time of our lives and write a glowing review (or at least gush to everyone about it). Except that day never came. The book you just read? That book that you were obsessing over? The book that you ordered the special edition because you just had to have it? Well, that book? It sucked.
Here are some books that let me down in the worst way.
Flame in the Mist: I adored Renee's Wrath and the Dawn duology so I was head-over-heels to hear that she was writing a Mulan-inspired series. I got an ARC and I was super underwhelmed. I didn't connect with the characters and I was just bored. Ugh.
Geekerella: It's not that Geekerella was bad, it's just that I heard everyone commenting on how adorkable it was. Cinderella retelling taking place at a comic convention? Those are all things I love. However, I walked away from this book thinking "well that was nice". Not the reaction I had hoped to have.
My Lady Jane: I love Jodi Meadows' fantasy books (I don't know the other authors, sorry) so I was interested in this take of Jane Grey. I wasn't prepared for the humor so this read was just all kinds of confusing for me.
The Empress: I adored the dark and twisty world of The Diabolic so I couldn't wait to continue the story. While The Empress was interesting, it didn't feel necessary and felt like it did some backtracking. I would have preferred for The Diabolic to have stayed a standalone.
Sky in the Deep: That cover was amazing, the hype was on point, and the idea of a badass female Viking warrior had me sold. But this book was missing a lot for me and just felt like a major letdown.
Akata Witch: I was in love with the idea of an African Harry Potter but this one just didn't do it for me. Honestly, I can't even remember the plot. Maybe it's because it was an MG that I didn't feel as connected to the characters.
Heart of Iron: Oof I feel guilty, two Ashley Poston titles made this list. Once again, the marketing was great and I was willing to give this one a chance, but this book was boring and weird. That romance was super weird.
Leah on the Offbeat: Ah, the book that inspired this post. This is a super unpopular opinion but I kind of just want to forget that this book happened. I wasn't a fan of the romance or the main character. After having given Becky's other two books five stars, this one broke my heart.
Chainbreaker: Timekeeper was a delightful surprise for me and I couldn't wait to be reunited with the cutest couple. Chainbreaker was a bit lackluster and I wasn't as invested in the story.
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns: A villain's story? Yassssss. The execution? Noooo! The main character's motivation didn't seem strong to me and I didn't connect with anyone. Bleh.
An Enchantment of Ravens: I was sooo excited for this book when it was first announced. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and I could never turn down a fae romance. This one was filled with insta-love and not much plot. Obviously not the story I wanted.
Royally Screwed: I came to love Emma Chase from her
Tangled series and I was absolute trash for a romance involving a royal family. I didn't have as much fun with this one as I had from previous Chase series. And, gasp, I grew tired of the number of sex scenes. Is it possible for a romance book to have too many sex scenes? Unsure, but I this one wasn't for me.
What books have let you down recently?
Have you read any of the books I listed above?
What do you think, am I right or being too harsh?
Labels: discussion
