I like nothing better than to rant about things. I am a ranter. I like to make my opinion known and I don’t care whether people are interested to hear it or not. As such, it is very appropriate to be tagged in the Unpopular Opinions Tag to get a chance to get a few things off of my chest. Although, it has taken me an awfully long time to get around to doing this tag. I am very behind other people ding this. Tags have moved on since this one came out but I like to be different.
Shall we begin?
1. A popular book or series you didn’t like:
I did not like Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha trilogy. I thought I might like it whilst reading the first book, but then the end of that book and the second book happened and I’ve not gotten around to the third.
That series just angered me into liking it and it was because the main character, Alina, was a bit annoying, but at least was justified as she had lots of life things happening and she was in an insanely stressful situation. You can at least understand her craziness, but then there was her love interest, Mal. Mal needed punching in the face repeatedly and the really awesome characters just didn’t get enough page time.
I was really intrigued by the Darkling but I felt like his entire back story and characterisation was flubbed to make him the evillest evil who ever evilled. I mean, he began in the first book by being this intriguing character who knew little about but was rumoured to be a bit bad. He then came across as charming and misunderstood, but then his character went wrong. Rather than becoming this villain with interesting motivations who you could relate to and almost sympathise with he just become all about POWER!!!! And that was annoying. He just became evil personified and failed epically.
Then there was Sturmhond who was not given enough page time ever. He was my most favourite of characters in this series because he had so much sass, but he didn’t get even half a chance to live up to his potential.
Ugh. Just, that series!
2. A popular book/series everybody hates but you love:
I’m going to have to say, Passenger. I saw mixed reviews for it when it came out and I honestly think it got a lot of criticism unnecessarily. I really liked it. Sure, the pacing was a bit off and I was annoyed the violin bit never cropped back up in the story, but I really liked the book and can’t wait for the next one.
3. A love triangle where you didn’t like who the main character ended up with:
I was going to mention A Court of Thorns and Roses but we all know how that one turned out.
Going back to my youthful reading I do have a book series I loved and adored and I was never happy how the romantic pairing went in that one and that is The Secret Circle books. I full on adored those books growing up. I got them out of the library so many times it’s probably a bit ridiculous. Anyway, in the book you have your main character, Cassie, who discovered she is a witch and she is part of this Coven and she finds her ‘soulmate’ in Adam, but he is in a relationship with Diana who Cassie loves. Then there is mysterious rebel Nick who is also part of the coven but on the darker side and I adored Nick. Nick and Cassie had a connection and the stupid ‘we’re soulmates’ things Adam meant that never got to happen. Instead, sweet Diana steps aside and lets Cassie and Adam get together because she can’t stand in the way of true love and it’s all very annoying, but I loved the book series regardless. Even if my ship just didn’t happen/
4. A popular genre you hardly read:
I read everything! Like, I actually read everything. I read contemporaries and romance and fantasy and sci-fi and historical. I don’t think I could claim there is one genre I hardly read, it’s more a case of me getting stuck in genre ruts and the others get neglected while I binge read a few books in a certain genre.
5. A popular/beloved character you dislike:
This is a difficult one because I don’t know what to say. I am terribly out of the loop on things and I honestly don’t know which characters are loved and which are hated.
Okay, I’m going to go with a character who I found through googling popular characters (was that cheating? Maybe but who cares?) and it’s Etienne St Clair from Anna and the French Kiss. I was never the biggest fan of the first book in Stephanie Perkins series and it meant I almost never read Lola and the Boy Next Door (which I adored) and it was because the entire relationship between Anna and St Clair seemed ridiculous. I hated it. I thought the rest of the series would be the same. Turns out I was wrong.
6. A popular author you can’t seem to get into:
I think I need to accept that Catherynne M Valente’s writing might not be for me. I’ve tried a couple of her books and just not been able to gel with them. It’s disappointing as the concept of them is solid but the books themselves just don’t work for me. Maybe it’s the writing. Maybe I just don’t like the writing. I don’t know but it’s frustrating as hell.
7. A popular trope you’re tired of reading:
I’m tired of love triangles for love triangles sakes. I’m also sick of the whole ‘chosen one’ thing. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I love a good chosen one story but at least make it something original. I feel like I’m continually reading about characters who have all these skills and abilities they don’t know about and they discover they are secret heir to all that is good and holy and must save the entire world even though there are better, smarter, more well-trained people to hand that would probably do it way more competently. But no, the chosen one must take the path alone blah, blah, blah. I’m bored of it.
8. A popular series you have no interest in reading:
I think I am going to have to say The Vampire Academy series. I know a lot of people adore it and a lot of people hate it. Either way, everyone seems to have heard of it and read it and it really holds no interest. I saw the hot mess that was the film when it was on Netflix and I almost felt interested to read the books but the price and the general idea of the books means I never will read them. I think if I had been 15 when I heard of this series I probably would have read and loved it but this one is just never going to happen. The world is awash with vampire stories and I’d rather stick to ones I actually really want to read.
I don’t know. I mean, I saw one person say they preferred Austenland over the book on this one and I agree, but only because I couldn’t get through the book but the film was hilarious.
The only other film I think was better than the book was the Lord of the Rings films. I love those books, don’t get me wrong, the films couldn’t even attempt to get half of the books in there (have you seen those books? They are beasts). I liked that the films cut down on a lot of the crap, though. I will always be in awe of Tolkien for the immense worlds he created, but I wish an editor had sat him down and explained it doesn’t all need to go in the books.
And there is my hate and complaints for all to see. Are there any books that make you want to rant?
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