Popular books that are NOT WORTH The Hype!

popular reads I think are not worth the read...

* I also use some affiliate links in the description, these links do not impact the price but I do receive a small commission from the retailer if you use my link!*

instagram:Peruseproject

[bookoffholicbookwart]

This might be controversial but any booktok recommendations is a big no for me. Read quite few to prove it to myself

[draftacriss]

Samantha Shannon herself actually feels the same way about the Priory ending! I can’t remember where I’ve seen her talking about it, but she basically said she wrote a different ending and the editor was so adamant it had to be cut down it made her feel insecure and she listened to them and trimmed down the ending. I think she was talking about how your should listen to your instincts when you know something is right and how editors don’t always know best. And she’s gonna write a sequel to it!

[nitzeart]

I learned my lesson with Sarah j maas after queen of shadows where she destroyed her characters for shock value and a heavy orefetence for a couple and then she did the same in acotar haha but whatever. I'll just never read anything by her again. I'm over her writing and her manipulating the reader into liking alpha males.

[femkechinitor]

Honestly, Addie LaRue was so overhyped for me! My expectations were way to high going in to the book.

[myvalley]

I agree with the rushed ending in Priory, but overall I absolutely loved it. It's one of my favorite fantasy books. It made me cry and I didn't expect that haha I loved the writing style and the characters so much. I would recommend it to anyone looking for lyrical writing, slow burns and interconnected povs. Have patience, though, it's not a fast paced book (till the end), but I think that makes it even more special.

[unavezms]

For me it was "Shadow and bone" trilogy. Six of crows is one of my favourite series so I my expectations were high. I was so dissapointed. Some supporting characters (Genya, Nikolai, Aparatus, Bahra for instance) are so well-written but both main characters are so dumb. Like Alina not being able to make ANY decision. Like girl all the world counts on you. I was yelling at Alina and Mal to make up already. ("But we can't be together"). Darkling had such potential but alas. I liked him in book 1, but in books 2-3 he is so flat, his writing is bad. To add insult to an injury the ending didn't make any sense to me.

No offence meant to series fans. I wanted to like it so much but alas.

[thestars]

So glad other ppl weren’t wowed by These Violent Delights. I got both books because I was so sure I’d love it and I could barely get through the first one. There was SO much telling instead of showing in the book. Huge chunks of text about useless backgrounds or descriptions that I think was supposed to be for the purpose of world building but just fell flat. And the writing style began to drive me crazy. Idk there was a lot more about it that I couldn’t stand and found myself rolling my eyes at certain sentences or descriptors, but all in all it was a huge disappointment 😭

[vishalankumaran]

Priory is actually getting a sequel. The author is currently working on a prequel for the world. And she did say that she has ideas for the priory sequel but she's gonna take her time writing it.

[brittanyfangirl]

I was worried that Priory would be on this list when I saw the title because I really have been wanting to read it! I’m glad to have heard your review didn’t make me not want to read it! Now I can go in with slightly lower expectations when I finally get to it 😊

[_sarathedreamer]

I love how you’re being savage towards these books but in the kindest way 😂

[_reveux]

samantha shannon said a while ago that she listened to her editor in making the ending more fast paced because they wanted to give the feeling of everything gearing up and rushing towards the end, kind of like how the characters felt the oncoming dread of the battle rushing at them, to sort of emulate the absolutely-no-time-left vibe, if that makes sense? i also thought the ending was way too rushed, and i stand by that, but knowing that it was an active choice sort of makes it more bearable lol. and i still really loved the book! the companion (i think?) that samantha shannon's been writing and said is close to being announced is supposed to be longer though, and i am really looking forward to reading it! i really love her writing.

[lalalaurenlibby]

100% agree on Priory of the Orange Tree - once we were nearing the ending I assumed there would at least be a sequel because there was no way it could be wrapped up. And then it was over suddenly with no book 2 and I was so mad about it. Still have it on my bookshelf because the title and cover are so pretty

[unprofessionalcritic]

Maas knows she's a one trick pony and she's trying to bring that back with the ending of HOSAB. She knows it was a bad book so she tried to hook the disappointed readers by bringing her old hit character. It's a cheap trick. Fortunately, it does not work on me and I won't continue.

[TheHannieCorner]

It’s been a few years since I read Priory, but from what I remember, I absolutely adored one of the plotline (the princess part) and absolutely despised the other plotline (can’t even remember what it was because I blocked it out). It made for a really conflicted 3 star read because I would get so bored when the plots I didn’t like were featured, but absolutely devour the parts of the book I enjoyed.

[maudhaugland]

I completely agree on The Priory of the Orange Tree! Even though it was long I wanted more. I feel like Tane could have her own whole fantasy series. Or really the whole thing could have benefitted from being a series instead of a standalone where she tried to push so much world building, character development and plot into a single book.

[unavezms]

I am no sure what's worse: to read the book you wanna like and it's okay like not good, not bad just okay or to love the book and to be dissappointed by the ending.

[MissJodles]

I’ll be honest, Sarah J. Maas always disappoints me. Throne of Glass had so many 4 and 5* reviews, but reading it for the first time in 2021 I was actually shocked at how boring it was for a book with an assassin main character and deadly competition plotline. I was expecting YA Game of Thrones/Hunger Games, and I got a bland murder mystery that wasn’t even a mystery and had the worst and most obvious red herring I’ve ever seen. The romance was okay, but the love triangle side of things was ridiculously stupid. I felt like the side characters only seemed to think about romance and how pretty the MC was without any kind of further development or other loyalties/friendships/goals. The whole story was so disappointingly flat.

[axlaru]

I'm actually curious about Priory of the orange tree's word count in comparison to other fantasy novels. Yeah it's like 800 pages but it also had giant font and really big margins.

[stellangios]

I know what you mean about the SJM being bloated: I've never read it, but I walked past two copies on the bookstore shelf yesterday and the front one was literally half falling off the shelf. Gotta have some serious plot and scope to justify that doorstop status... (Saying this as someone who loves a good doorstop! A *good* doorstop.)

[miarose]

The Guest List was the latest book where I don't get the hype. I DNFed after 30 %. I couldn't connect to the characters and in some cases actively hoped they would not leave that island alive. I also didn't finish the Spanisch Love Deception because I found it so repetitive and obvious. But that might be me, I just don't do well with contemporary romance.