Some of my favorite videos to watch on BookTube are the rant videos about books people hate— especially when those books are super popular. There’s something so cathartic about it, even when you’re not the one ranting. I watched a couple more recently and decided to make my own post about it, albeit a written one. I love ranting about books I hate. It’s fun to dissect exactly why that is. Now, if you’ve been following my blog for a while, some of these may not come as a surprise. But whatever, it is what it is. So, are you ready for the rage-fueled ride of your life? Then let’s go!
- The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff:
I swear to god, I must’ve bought different copies of these books than everyone else. How am I the only one who absolutely hates these books? I mean, the first one is fine. The plot is interesting and the concept cool. But I didn’t care about the characters and the dialogue was so cringy. And then along came Gemina. Oh, how I hate Gemina. It’s only saving grace is Hanna Donnelly, but even she wasn’t enough to keep me reading. But I absolutely despise Niklas and how he refuses to leave her alone, no matter how many times she tells him to. She even once broke his arm, he was so aggressive and persistent. And yet his cousin hates Hanna for not going out with him? She doesn’t owe your cousin shit, you snotty little brat. And then there’s the Russian Mafia’s gross ass plan. There was no reason that had to be what instigates the plot, and Kaufman and Kristoff know that. And let’s talk about the plot. It’s exactly the same plot at Illuminae! As I’ve said before, I’ll reread a good book, but I’ll be damned if I read a shitty rip-off of an already mediocre book. So anyway, I hate this series and genuinely do not understand the hype.
- Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi:
I won’t get too into this one since I recently wrote a scathing review, but I hated this book. It retroactively ruined how I feel about the series as a whole. Imagine fucking up your series that much. I never want to relate.
- Crystal Storm by Morgan Rhodes:
Ha ha, speaking of shitty sequels… The first four books of this series are fun (if simplistic) high fantasy. This one takes all the potential the story had and shits on it. First of all, my NOTP stays canon and then has drama for no reason. There are so many POVs that no one’s story gets any decent attention or development. I was blown away by the ending when I first read it, but now I can’t even remember what happened (aside from my least favorite character being buried alive). It killed my interest in the series, and I’ve heard the last book is even worse. No fucking thanks.
- Great Expectations by Charles Dickens:
Dickens and I do not get along. I slogged through Oliver Twist and couldn’t even finish A Tale of Two Cities. But this book? It remains the bane of my existence to this day. We had to read this in ninth grade English. We all hated the experience. But I’m sure it wasn’t my young brain that was too blame, as I was an adult when I read the other two. This book was painful to read. As much as I hate the wordiness of his books though, I have to admit he’s a baller for it. Homeboy got paid by the word. If I were him, I’d have done the same. Hopefully my words would amount to something less boring though.
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany and Jack Thorne:
This book is not canon. That is all.
- The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin:
The character destruction this book caused… I’ll never be the same. Plus, nothing happens until like the last twenty pages. And the creepy atmosphere is gone. I wish this book didn’t exist.
- Dark Reunion by LJ Smith:
I used to be obsessed with The Vampire Diaries in high school, but I have never liked this book. It’s just… so dumb? I can’t even explain it. It just sucks balls, man. Elena, the protagonist, isn’t even in it. Also the ending is cheesy and doesn’t even get explained. Fuck that shit.
- Where She Went by Gayle Forman:
If I Stay was a decent enough book, but this book is garbage. I absolutely can’t stand Adam. Also, there’s something super cringy about his band’s lyrics. Seriously, I want to yeet this book off a cliff.
- Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge:
Whether you regard it as a retelling of Beauty & the Beast, Hades & Persephone, or some kind of mix of the two, this book is utter shit. The romance is awful, the protagonist irritating as shit, and the plot stupid. Don’t let people mislead you into reading this terrible, terrible book. Trust me when I say it’s not worth it.
What are some popular books you hate? Let me know in the comments!
Strange Storyteller 
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