Hi bookish friends, how are you? Half of the week has gone by, and today’s another day to let ourselves get a bit crazy, and get back into the Bookish Extravaganza! For more info, head over to Beauty & the bookshelf’s blog.
Today’s all about BASHING THAT BOOK. Because sometimes, yes, you need to let it out. It happens that books annoy me, that some characters feel flat, and that just so much potential is wasted, I can NOT let my feelings out. So, here you go, LET IT ALL OUT.
Dear book,
I know you wanted me to fall in love with you. But you can’t command feelings now, can you? And I certainly can’t. I’m so sorry, but I have to say this: you clearly weren’t for me, AT ALL. Why, you’re asking? Let me tell you this point by point.
You know I’m a huge contemporary lover, and you thought you could get to me with only that argument. Well, sorry not sorry, you did not. Because I’m a huge CHARACTER lover, too. Characters are so, so important in a book. They need to feel real. I need to be able to relate to them, or, at least, to sympathize. And you tried your best, but that didn’t happen, because your main character was just an annoying brat. She was selfish, too messed-up, didn’t think and didn’t think of the consequences of her actions, from the beginning, TO THE END. I just couldn’t.
Since I’m talking about characters, I want to say that you missed out on something here. One of your character got me, but NOT ENOUGH. He was flat, two-dimensional, and even though being one of the main characters here, just felt like on the background. I wanted to know more, and you left me thinking. I do NOT like that, such good potential wasted here.
Most of it all, your plot lacked a realistic construction, and took stupid turns at every stupid decision of the stupid main character. That’s a lot of stupid, I know, but…
You could’ve been the love of my life. But you failed. Instead of falling in love, I’m just grateful I don’t have to stare at you all day in my shelves.
Point of the story: I love great, three-dimensional characters we can relate to, or at least try to understand, and I do not like plots thrown all over the place. BE CONSISTENT.
Without love, farewell,
But … but … now I am so curious as to what book you were referring to! It’s not Glass Sword, right? It didn’t evoke such strong feelings?
I get upset about the same things as you. It annoys me when the MC doesn’t feel real and when potential is wasted on secondary characters. Also, there needs to be decent pacing and no info dumps please. I can’t take it all in at once. lol
Ahah, I’ll tell you…someday, if you want! It’s a contemporary, so not Glass sword, no! 😛
It annoys me so much when characters don’t feel real, especially in contemporaries. I mean, in fantasy, if they have magical powers of some kind, it’s okay, this doesn’t exist in real life, so… I don’t know if that makes sense somehow? But characters do need to feel even MORE real in contemporaries, if you ask me.
Thank you so much Kat!! <3
I get the distinction between fantasy and contemporary. There is a real difference and you can be sort of more forgiving with the fantasy characters because they have so much more unreal stuff going on.
I’m glad this made sense, ahah! 🙂
I hate it when they can’t make decisions. Indecisive characters are the worst. Great job with this! Ditto here on the three dimensional aspect part. When the character falls flat, (*coughs* every brooding ya male and unrealistic female*coughs*) it’s just too darn hard to love that book to bits. Sorry, book. It’s not your day.
Ohh yes they are the worst! I’m a pretty indecisive person, actually, ahah, but when in books, I just want to SHAKE THEM and tell them to DO something instead of endlessly complaining and just doing one thing, then the opposite, then, just, make up your mind, DO SOMETHING.
Thank you for stopping by Bianca! 😀
I FEEL YOU SO MUCH. One-dimensional characters are definitely annoying to read about. I end up not connecting with the novel and they become extremely predictable. I am also unhappy when the characters do bad things and are not punished in any way. The reader knows that he’s wrong, but there are zero consequences for his behaviour. As a Libra that can’t stand injustice, I become EXTREMELY angry at the novel and the author, for letting that happen.
I’m definitely curious to know what book you were talking about, but I’m grateful that this was a loosely based review, so everyone can identify to it!
Oh yes, characters in general need to be three-dimensional, and to FEEL real for me to connect with them and like them. You’re SO right about this, too: when that happens in books, it makes me SO mad, because it’s so unfair. What the characters are doing is stupid and bad and just plain WRONG, but nothing happens to correct that. It’s so annoying!
Thank you so much, that’s so sweet! 🙂 I hope you won’t read a book that bad anytime soon, though, ahah ! 🙂
Very nice, I’ve felt that way about my fair share of books too. I felt great after writing my rant, I might make it a permanent feature on my blog. 🙂
Thank you! Oh, me too, ahah, it feels SO great to write a good rant once in a while! 🙂
I feel like I spent most of the last week writing about what annoys me in books, haha. I think what upsets me most is when YA books treat shitty behaviour like it’s romantic.
Ahah, well it’s good sometimes, we need to let it all out, to feel better afterwards! 🙂 OH YES, this is what upsets me the most, too, it’s crazy when that happens in a book. I feel like throwing it away. It’s unacceptable for me.
Great post! I’m also a huge Character lover and I totally hate whiny immature characters and also the one’s who repeats making stupid decisions. 😀
Thank you so much Raven! 🙂 OH yes, those are the most annoying characters, they make me want to throw the book across the room, haha!
haha so funny! I think the things I hate in books the most is when they’re overhyped and have a wasted potential. Great post!
Thank you so much! 😀 Oh that’s something I should’ve thought of, too, when writing that post. Overhyped books annoy me the most, because you have high expectations, and, let’s be realistic, those expectations can never, ever be met. And that’s so sad 🙁
You’re welcome!! 😀 Yeah exactly! They drive me crazy! Because a lot of the time I enjoy a book less because of those expectations :/
Yeah, me too 🙁 I hate when that happens, we shouldn’t go into a book with any expectations, this way we’d always be surprised 😀
Yeah exactly!! I kind of prefer it when I see mixed reviews cos that way I’m not put off, but I’m not expecting too much either
yes, me too, actually! 🙂
*RABIDLY TRIES TO GUESS BOOK* Is it Stephanie Perkins??
Hahahah, no it’s not, I won’t tell, I’m not supposed to, it’s bad, haha 😛
The characters are usually what has the biggest draw on me. If I can’t connect with any of them… You’re out of luck, book!
I’m glad you got to vent about this a bit! I did a review instead but now feel like I missed out a bit 😉
Oh yes, me too, the characters are just such a huge part of a book. They have to be done right, otherwise I’ll have a hard time with the whole story 🙂
Thank you so much! And no, don’t feel like that…there’s always time to write a good rant, 😉
If there’s a book I didn’t like, I normally rant about it to my sister. It’s a good strategy. *nods* Boring characters really, really suck, I have to say.
OH I DO THAT TOO! Sisters are the best, aren’t they? <3 Yes, I get really annoyed when characters are boring, and there are some I would shake some sense into, if I could, ahah 🙂
Thank you for stopping by, Shar! <3
Hi! I’m a new book blogger (http://thepandabookblog.wordpress.com) and I followed your blog! Would you mind checking my blog out and maybe even following me back? It would mean a lot to me. Thank you!
Hi Abby, welcome to the bookish community! The best way to make friends and enjoy everyone is indeed to TALK with people! 😀 Thank you for stopping by, I’ll stop by your blog! 🙂
I think I hate it most when:
1. I can’t connect with the characters. I’m sorry, but I NEED to be invested in the people I’m reading about! Otherwise I’m a bottle of rage.
2. LOVE TRIANGLES for the sake of “drama.” NO. NO. There are plenty of ways to make your book “dramatic” without throwing in a fight for the heart. I mean c’moooooon, really?!
3. Cliff-hanger endings when no cliff-hanger is needed. I mean… If I want to read the second book in your series, I don’t NEED a cliff-hanger ending to keep me hanging on. If you throw this ending in just to “keep people reading,” you’re clearly doing something wrong.
Oh well we definitely agree on those things. I need to be invested in the people I’m reading about too! Otherwise I just feel too disconnected from the whole story.
Hahaha, I love what you’re saying about Love Triangles, I feel the same way. There are MANY ways to make a book dramatic, you’re so right, without using this annoying trope.
You’re right, yes. Sometimes, reading a book with a great cliffhanger at the end makes you craving for more, sure, but sometimes it’s not needed, and it’s just plain annoying, because you feel forced to read the book even though you weren’t that into it. I HATE feeling forced. And like you perfectly said, yes, no need for that if you know how to make your readers wanting more without any added thing! 🙂
Thank you so, so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts!! 😀
You’re so welcome! So glad I’m not the only one with these thoughts! 😀
It’s always the best feeling when you find someone thinking the same way you do! Thank you! 😀
So now I’m super curious what book you’re talking about. 😉 As for books I don’t like… I tend to really hate the cliche tropes that most other people love. Like I’m okay with love triangles and etc, but I detest forbidden romance and I’m not a huge fan of star-crossed lovers, haha. XD
Ahah, well I won’t tell 😉 Haha really? Well at least that’s great, you can recommend some books a lot of people wouldn’t go to, because of those tropes, and convince us of how great they are, that way 😀
I’d feel a bit guilty.,..but after that, very liberated! Hope you feel a bit better now, Marie! 🙂
It is indeed VERY liberating! I do, haha, thank you! :p
Ahhh this sounds like a drag! This is such a fun prompt! I did one of these too! This whole blogging extravaganza is super fun! One thing that really bugs me in a book is when you read that whole book and everything is building up for like a final battle with the villain and things are super intense… and then it ends up being so anticlimactic that you can’t believe you wasted all that time reading. Dull final battles are my most obnoxious book thing. In particular the two that I can think of are the face-off at the end of The Diviners by Libba Bray. That was horribly HORRIBLY disappointing after such a unnecessarily long book. And then in the Twilight movie Eclipse, when there is an epic battle raging on and most of the time you just see Bella freezing her butt off in the mountains or something with Edward and Jacob arguing about who gets to snuggle her. Why do they do this to me?! Great post! No idea what book you could be talking about, but it sounds lame! 🙂
Ohhh yes, this feature is really a lot of fun! I really am bothered when that happens, too, it makes me feel SO disappointed and almost cheated on, haha. I haven’t read the first book you mentionned, but OH YES, the Eclipse movie, that moment just made me SO ANGRY, hahaha. I’m so glad you agree with me 🙂 Thank you so much, it means a lot, and thank you for taking the time to write this comment! <3
I have no idea what book you’re talking about, but I really don’t want to read it haha. It sounds like such an annoying read! I enjoyed reading your rant and your gifs though 🙂
Haha, well that’s good, and I really hope you won’t read it, or a book as annoying as that one was! 🙂 Thank youu!<3