I take pride in almost always finishing a book. My thumb rule is to always read at least 150 pages before judging, because you never know when things will take a turn for the better (I’m looking at you The Secret History). Sadly, this also means that I have endured quite a few books that were boring, abrasive, and despicable. Here are five books I hate and why.
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
Nicola Yoon’s bestseller book received positive reviews, and it was adapted into a film in 2019. So, if you’re a hopeless romantic, this one might be for you. For me, however, this was one of the first books I gave a one-star review on Goodreads. Yoon’s book is about pragmatic Natasha and dreaming Daniel, who meet and fall in love in one day. After Daniel rescues Natasha from being hit by a car, they go get lunch, where Natasha reveals that she believes love is purely scientifical. Daniel responds with challenging her to go through the famous New York Times article, 36 questions to fall in love. My problem with this book is not necessarily the writing, because Yoon’s style is actually something that I enjoy. It’s fast paced, easy to read, and she keeps it interesting. However, I find the whole concept unbelievable and superficial. The idea of someone falling in love with someone, less than 24 hours after meeting them, is for me completely unrealistic. That’s a crush, not love. There are also some major character flaws in our two protagonists, which I can’t go into without spoiling. Let’s just say that it’s cheesy and cynical, and the entire book reeks of desperation.
Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
This one, some of you might be a bit more familiar with, because the movie adaption is worldwide known. My lovely friends gifted me this book for my 18th birthday, because they knew I would never invest in this myself. One day Anastasia is sent to interview billionaire Christian Grey, as a replacement for her friend who is sick. The interview is humiliating, but Christian Grey still manages to find his way into the exact hardware shop Ana works at, (creepy) and asks her out on a date. After leaving their date, Ana is almost run over by a rogue cyclist, but “luckily”, Mr. Grey is there to save her (this seems to be a trope). They share a moment, and Christian Grey tells her that he is not the man for her, even though they were not even together, and it was him who asked her out. There is much to hate about this book. The author is constantly trying to convince us that we should forget the fact that Christian Grey is an arrogant creepy asshole, because he is extremely handsome, sexy, and rich. Yeah, that seems about right. Ana is also a rip off Bella Swan (very likely since the book started out as Twilight fanfiction), who’s clumsy, shy, gorgeous, and extremely awkward. She’s not quirky, she’s just annoying. Furthermore, what annoys me the most about the book is the extreme lack of plot. Some will not believe me, but there comes a point during reading when you ask yourself: Really? Another sex scene?
World War Z by Max Brooks
This book is one of the many I have suffered through because of my 150-page rule. The book is 342 pages long, and after reading 150, I figured why not read the rest? Please don’t do this. You will be bored for an infinite amount of time. Brooks’ book is an oral retelling of a fictional zombie war, and we follow people from all around the world. The concept of a zombie war is interesting, and the book had great potential with its division of events in the war. Many books before and after it, has had success with the interview story format, and that is also not what kills this book for me. It’s the fact that even though it’s a dystopian tale of a fictional war, that doesn’t keep it from being the most boring book I have ever read. Firstly, we do not follow one character throughout the book. In fact, the moment one of the chapters are interesting enough that you would want to know more, they change the perspective to someone who is dull and sleep inducing. Most of the characters have no connections between them, and those who do, are written so far apart in the book, that you barely catch the reference. If I were you, I would save your money on this one, or maybe try watching the film instead. Who knows, maybe it’s less boring? Brad Pitt is in it.
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
I do believe in love, I promise. However, I also think that romance is a genre that could easily go wrong, since we all have different perceptions of how love should be given and received. Ugly love is about Tate who moves in with her older brother. After finding a guy absolutely wasted on her doorstep, she learns that this is Miles, her brother’s best friend. The attraction is immediate, and they quickly embark on a friends with benefits situation, where Miles gives her two rules: to not ask questions about the past, and never expect a future. There are two main problems with this book. Firstly, half of the book is spent on telling Miles’ love story with another woman, never showing us why we should care about his “relationship” with Tate. Second, Tate’s attraction and refusal to stay away from Miles, stems from a clear lack of self-respect. Our protagonist admits several times during the book that it is stupid to stay with him, when she knows he cannot give her what she wants. Someone is clearly suffering from Einstein’s definition of insanity. Colleen Hoover is among the world’s most famous and controversial authors, and this one is not worth your money. Unless you like wanting to throw your books at the wall when you’re reading, then it’s a sure page-turner.
A monster calls by Patrick Ness
Burning rage fills me when I look back on my stupid self, who decided to bring this book to my grandfather’s house, devour it in two hours, and not have anything else to read, for the rest of the weekend. There is a special place in hell, for books that keep you up late at night, ends brutally, and leaves you with tears in your eyes. A monster calls is a book based on an idea by Siobhan Dowd, who sadly was never able to see it come to life. Together with illustrator Jim Kay, Ness tells the story of a boy who is visited by a monster in his dreams. The monster tells the boy stories, and forces him to face his true feelings. A monster calls is a short book, with many excellent illustrations, and my problem with this book isn’t like the other ones on this list. Most of the previous books have been one-star reads. Five stars isn’t enough to explain how gut wrenching, heart twisting and brilliant this book is. While expressing emotions is a good thing, I would rather not sob my heart out at 1 am, whilst trying to not wake up sleeping family members, who would fear for my sanity. If complete emotional heart break is your thing, go for it, but I will never pick up this book again. I don’t think my heart could take it.
Completely Understandable