Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Disliked But Glad I Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. There is a new topic each Tuesday, so check out her blog for more info!

This week’s prompt is interesting… and HARD. I can’t really think of many books I simultaneously disliked but was glad to read. So I’m just going to list some books that either disappointed me or had some problematic themes.

 

 

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert:

You can read my non-spoiler review here. But in a nutshell, this book was marketed as a fantasy for fans of Sarah J. Mass, but it read like a contemporary with some paranormal elements. It tried too hard to be nonsensical like Alice in Wonderland, and the MC was so unlikable.

Kisscut (Grant County, #2) by Karin Slaughter:

I am a huge Karin Slaughter fan. If you want to get into her books, start with the Grant County series then work your way up to the Will Trent series. Both series have overlapping characters. However, be forewarned that her books have very graphic and disturbing themes. Like Kisscut. Kisscut is the second book in the Grant County series and my least favorite. I disliked it so much due to its themes of CP that I discontinued the series for a very very long time. Do I still recommend her books? Absolutely! But please be aware that she writes very graphic crime/murder mysteries.

Fifty Shades series by E.L. James:

I feel like a cop out for choosing this but I had to. I read the first two books for a book club but DNF’ed book three. There’s only so much sex I can read about until I get bored and my eyeballs get stuck in my brain from rolling them too hard.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany, Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling:

I know this is a play, and I’m sure I’ll love it if I got to see it live. But I didn’t, so the script read like complete fan fiction. Did I love being back in the world? Yes. Do I consider this canon? No.

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia:

I actually gave this book 3.5 stars. Overall I did enjoy it! But I can’t shake off how much the end bothered me. If you’ve read this book, then you’ll know what I’m talking about. [Some spoilery words ahead] I really did not like Wallace at all. The way he pushed Eliza to keep writing for his own benefit, and how he practically drove her to commit suicide. I absolutely appreciate the themes of mental illness in this book and I’m glad so many people could relate to it and enjoy it. But the whole Wallace thing rubbed me the wrong way.

That’s it! I’m only choosing five books because I really can’t think of any more books for this week’s prompt. What about you? What’s your most disappointing read?

xx,

Amy