Disappointing reads? what books to avoid??

[soutthpaw]

Thought it would be cool to have a thread on books that you found less than amazing.  Ones that let you down and wanted to share the experience with others.   
I just finished reading
 "The Wolf Gift" by Anne Rice.   I felt it was a real letdown based on the storyline.  it was very predictable and no real surprises.  I thought the last couple chapters were the best where they are talking about the history of the werewolf race.   but there were no real surprise twists or turns in the whole thing.  one character gets killed of early and I think she could have made the story more interesting if left alive.    once you get a few chapters into it you can pretty much predict what is going to happen and who is going to show up later in the novel..   From an author like Rice, I have higher expectations than an unknown and I felt it was no where near what she is capable of writing.

[Luke White-Heart]

Well, i love books, so there are some books i can recemmond. Geektastic!

[Toxic Konpeito]

Don't mean to seem like a troll here, so please don't take this that way! Just stating an opinion, I promise!
 
THE TWILIGHT SERIES....... 
 
When the series first came out, I had heard that it was a really good read. My guilty pleasure is vampire and werewolf stories and I love the Southern Vampire Mysteries as well as the Mercy Thompson series, so when I was told of this great series involving both creatures and a Romeo & Juliet type theme I was eager to get my hands on a copy of the first book.....
Got it from the library the next week....threw it against the wall half way through.... I eventually finished  the first book and tried to read the second, but I couldn't make it through the drama and fussing of the heroine. I could look past the sparkling and such, but I simply couldn't get past what felt like the mental fantasy of a snobby teenaged girl.
END RANT!

[Alistair]

I don't mind if I get the heat for this, but, The Fault In Our Stars was the worst book I have ever read.


It starts out with the stereotypical non-colored girl talk, with the "Or whatever." I understand that its on a level which some can comprehend, but I do not approve of writing a book in such a ignorant manner.


John Green had the gall to sit down and write a story about two kids who eventually developed cancer and that's when they fell in love. That is by far the absolute worst thing you could write about. A lethal sickness is nothing to romanticize.

[Trixsie Vixen]

I read The Bridge To Terabithia

I still wish I could go back and not read it.  I recommend it to anyone with some leftover happiness they want killed.

[Alistair]

I read The Bridge To Terabithia

I still wish I could go back and not read it.  I recommend it to anyone with some leftover happiness they want killed.

I had to read that book in either middle school or high school and it ripped my heart out, chewed it up, and spit it out. 

[Trixsie Vixen]

Students sure be able to form a class action.

A so called "friend" recommended it to me.  Thanks.

[KotaRhode]

After hearing about how amazing The Fault In Our Stars was, I decided to try a book by John Green. I chose to read Paper Towns because it sounded semi-interesting. Searching for clues to find a lost love, it sounded like it could be a good book. I WAS COMPLETLY WRONG. Paper Towns is easily the worst book I've ever read. The first few chapters were nice, but they were just an intro to the story. Once the story actually gets going, you realize how terrible this book is. There is a point in the book when the main characters are stuck. It seems they've lost all traces of the missing girl and can't find anymore clues. So what's the logical thing to do. Sit in an abandoned mall for weeks on in, just thinking about this girl. This literally takes up about 50 PAGES but it feels more like a THOUSAND. When the book finally ends you find out that the girl is actually just an insecure, selfish teenage brat that decided to run away and waste everyone's time.   

[Alistair]

After hearing about how amazing The Fault In Our Stars was, I decided to try a book by John Green. I chose to read Paper Towns because it sounded semi-interesting. Searching for clues to find a lost love, it sounded like it could be a good book. I WAS COMPLETLY WRONG. Paper Towns is easily the worst book I've ever read. The first few chapters were nice, but they were just an intro to the story. Once the story actually gets going, you realize how terrible this book is. There is a point in the book when the main characters are stuck. It seems they've lost all traces of the missing girl and can't find anymore clues. So what's the logical thing to do. Sit in an abandoned mall for weeks on in, just thinking about this girl. This literally takes up about 50 PAGES but it feels more like a THOUSAND. When the book finally ends you find out that the girl is actually just an insecure, selfish teenage brat that decided to run away and waste everyone's time.

Aye! Bout time someone else realized how crappy his books are

[Angder]

 
(Stuff)

...you find out that the girl is actually just an insecure, selfish teenage brat that decided to run away and waste everyone's time.

sounds like a metaphor for the book you just read!

[Grovygrunge]

I read The Bridge To Terabithia

I still wish I could go back and not read it.  I recommend it to anyone with some leftover happiness they want killed.

I had to read that book in either middle school or high school and it ripped my heart out, chewed it up, and spit it out. 

Don't mean to be rude but if a book sticks with you for that long and makes you feel that way it isn't really a bad book. Especially if it was meant to make you feel that way, books that make you sad are good, lets you appreciate when you're happy more in my opinion


now back on topic: Heroes by Robert Comier. Had to read this in school recently, I found the main character very hard to relate to. in fact I'd go so far as to call him a douche who is selfish in everything he does. A few of my friends agree and the worst part is we know he isn't meant to be seen that way, he's meant to be a character you can relate to and kinda imagine you wee in his place but nope...He's an ass.
Hell the main antagonist for this story is way more likable and he...well I can't say because spoilers but he did something reeeeeeally not okay. 

[Dirgeful]

It's been a little over a year since someone has posted on here, but thought I might as well.

Sadly, a disappointing read for me was the Wolves of the Beyond series and the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series. As much as I utterly loved the books and the characters, it didn't spend nearly enough time on the main character. Ga'Hoole did it for at least, like, 5 books, so that was cool, but then it switched to the point of view of a completely different new character for seemingly no reason. Meanwhile, Wolves of the Beyond did the exact same thing after 2 books, which made me really sad. They were such good books, but for people that like reading about the real main character, it could get really annoying to have to slog through a different character. There are other books like this that annoy me, these two are just the two that I've actually finished the series on. The other would be Eldest from the Eragon series, also a good book, but annoyingly boring. 

[L. Jay Echoes]

I had high hopes for Madeline Lengle's Austin Family Chronicles. By the third book, I realized she'd spent all her imagination on the Time Quintet, and was left to churn out a tepid teenager diary.


Also, I didn't expect much of the Boxcar Children, but even so, I found it to be absolute garbage. Textbook case of telling instead of showing. Dialogue amounts to observing the flailing obvious. Spare yourself the agony and forego this mindnumbing blither.

[L. Jay Echoes]

BTW agree 666% on the Wolf Gift. I expected it to be altruism porn and little else. Dude wolves out, tears the guts out of murderers and rapists, caresses their (attempted) targets, then repeat.


Don't get me wrong; I love Anne Rice. And she can write well even apart from the Vampire Chronicles. But she only got on e chance per monster and she blew it. Maybe she improves in the sequel. Otherwise, don't expect much if you pick up TWG.