My List of Disappointment : Books I Love LESS Than I Hoped I Would

Hello everyone! ♥

It’s been a while since the last time I did a Top Ten Tuesday but this week topic just basically called to me! It’s Ten Books I Loved Less/More Than I Thought I Would. I’ve read 21 books this year but only two of them are 5 stars. This month I haven’t even rated a book 5 stars

Being let down so often inspired me to make a list of books I loved less than I hoped I would. It was a coincidence that this week topic is similar. True story, I swear! 😛 But BEWARE, I’ll be dragging a lot of people’s favorites. It’s okay for you to be upset with my choice, it’s okay if you disagree and want to discuss it, but there’s no need to be angry or fight over favorite books, alright? 😉 Anyway, it’s definitely more than 10. Here you go!

(PS. all the title links will take you to my goodreads review while the full review links will take you to my blog review)

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

I’ve seen nothing but praise for this book so without a doubt, I bought it the first time I saw it in the bookstore. I was prepared to cry and be amazed but it turned out to be just an okay read for me! I hate one of the protagonist and his chapters were pointless. Though to be fair, it’s partly my fault because me + historical fiction = not best friends 😂 Full review.

Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Now before you yell at me, let me start by saying I did not dislike this book! I’m only slightly disappointed! It was 4-stars so I still enjoyed it so much. Buuuut compared to Illuminae, this one fell short for me. I feel like I didn’t connect with the characters as well as I did in the first book. Not to mention that this one was so much more confusing, but less scary 😛 Full review.

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

I adored My Life Next Door so much because adorable romance + juicy family drama are my jam. I was so excited to read another book by Huntley Fitzpatrick but boy, I disliked this one so much

The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

Again, I didn’t dislike it. It just didn’t live up to my expectation. I loved The Winner’s Crime a lot it broke my heart to pieces, so obviously I expected the final book to blow me away. It didn’t. This was too technical, too much descriptions of war strategy and the mythology. And due to Kestrel’s condition, I felt like we were back to zero.

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Helig

The premise of this series sounds so promising. I mean, time travel, ship, maps, diverse characters, what’s not to love? Unfortunately, the execution was too all over the place. The main character lacks of personality, there was unnecessary love triangle with a boring 2nd love interest, and info dumping 😦 the good news is, the second book was better. It comes out in February 28. Full review.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Oh God, the disappointment of the year. I know a lot of you love this series, that’s why I picked it up in the first place. Sadly, I hated it. I tried, I’m sorry. I disliked Paige, I hate the romance, I didn’t understand the world building & all the fancy terms, and the only thing I liked was the Seven Seals. Safe to say I wouldn’t read the sequels. Full review.

The Sun is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon

I wasn’t so surprised to know I disliked this book. I’ve seen negative reviews from bloggers I trust and insta love is a red flag for me. But since a lot of people praised this book, I had a little hope that maaaaybe I’d love it. Well, I didn’t. I didn’t like the insta love, it was so unrealistic even if it didn’t feel like an insta love 😦 Full review.

By Your Side by Kasie West

No one feels more sad than I do to see this book on a disappointment list. I’m a die hard fan of Kasie West. I’ve read and loved all her books, except this one. The premise says locked in a library. I was so excited and Kasie’s writing gets better each book, so naturally I had high hopes for this one. It’s the worst of all her books. The characters have boring to basically no personality and the romance was cold. I really wish her next book will be better.

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven

It’s basically the same case as Gemina and The Winner’s Kiss. I still liked it but less than I hoped I would. I enjoyed All the Bright Places so much and this one fell flat compared to it. It’s less emotional and honestly, kind of boring. Sorry! But I’ll still read anything Jennifer Niven writes ♥ Full review.

Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter

Remember when I said The Bone Season was the disappointment of the year a few paragraphs ago? Well, I lied. This one is. It’s my first 1-star rating in a long time. I had high hopes for this book because Russian fairy tale? Count me in. Sadly there was so many plot holes, but not enough Russian vibes. There’s basically no world building and the plot was just as vague. I wanted to DNF it so much, and I wish I had. Full review.

Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Now I feel a bit scared for putting this book on my list because every single person I know who reads this book, loves it. I had no idea why. It was boring and there was no chemistry between Amy and Roger. And to be honest, I didn’t connect with Amy at all. No, I disliked her. I… you know, I’ll just move on to next book before you all get mad at me 😛

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

I was so intrigued by this book because the premise + cover = to die for, not to mention a lot of bloggers seemed to love it. However, I feel like this book was a ball of beautiful prose with no actual plot nor character development. I’m sorry but Maya was such a weak protagonist. The romance between her and Amar was also so insta-lovey, even if I knew they go way back. I’m still gonna read A Crown of Wished though, because I’m sure Gauri would be a more interesting main character. Full review.

Well, I feel like this list has turned into a rant and my tone is getting more and more bitter. Not my intention, but kind of inevitable when talking about books I dislike 😛 to brighten up the mood, here are some books that I love MORE than I expected! It’s my good surprise list ♥

The Crown’s Game • I’ll Meet You There • Six of Crows • Illuminae

Alright everyone, those are 12 books I loved LESS than I hoped I would (plus 4 books I loved more than I expected). Do you see any of your favorites on the list? Or do you not like them as well? What books do you love less than you expected? Don’t forget to link me to your TTT so I could check it out! ♥

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