Sometimes you know right away. Sometimes it takes a couple books. But we've all experienced it: cutting ties with a book series.
Maybe you were genuinely excited for the series and it just wasn't what you hoped for. Maybe you fell for the hype and it let you down. Or maybe you actually loved the first book (or three) but then it took a turn and went horribly wrong. Hey, it happens.
So here are just a few of the series I've quit. And don't go giving me your best pouty face if one of your favorites shows up in here. I'm not hating on the book (well, not always... *ahem*) it just wasn't my cup of tea. Different strokes and all that. ;)
# of books in series: 3
# of books I read: 1
This is a case of "it's not you, it's me." Because most people seem to love this series. Unfortunately, it employs one of my least favorite plot devices ever - the unreliable narrator. Gah! I can't stand an unreliable narrator! If I know if in advance I avoid the book like the plague. In this case I didn't so it left me incredibly frustrated with the book and I had no desire to continue the series with crazy pants Mara.
# of books in series: 4
# of books I read: 1
The synopsis of this YA novel seemed to have all that I could want: time travel, romance, a Scottish setting, strong female friendship. I wanted to love it. Nope. So many tiresome tropes. Each girl describes the other as drop-dead gorgeous, but naturally neither of them sees it themselves. The two princes are devastatingly handsome. And one character, a theater buff, insisted on tossing around phrases like "Holy Hammerstein" and "Sweet baby Sondheim" until it was gag-inducing. Overall, this YA novel felt like a moony 12 year old would love it. Me? Not so much. Hasta la vista, Doon.
# of books in series: 3
# of books I read: 1
After reading this one I wondered, did I read the same book everyone else did? Because I completely missed the boat here. The story seemed to move at a snail's pace and I just wanted something (anything!) to happen. And for a book about witches there was surprisingly little magic/witchcraft. The whole thing was so completely underwhelming. Continue with the series? Not a chance.
# of books in series: 4 (so far)
# of books I read: 1
After 486 pages I still wasn't sure what Omens was supposed to be. Suspense thriller? Paranormal? Government conspiracy? Druid mythology? Investigative mystery? It was all there. It was like the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach and it felt like a muddled mess. There was too much going on, little of it made sense, and I just couldn't drum up enough interest to continue.
So these are just a few of the series I've quit... believe me, there's more to come.
Have you read any of these? What series have you quit?
I have not read any of these, but yeah, not every series is going to work for every single person. It does suck when you just feel like the oddball out though! I can't think of a series I've quit though - mainly because I don't read that many, and the ones I do start, I PLAN on finishing. hah
ReplyDelete-Lauren
Ha! I feel like the oddball out A LOT, Lauren. :) There are so many books/series that are hugely popular that I either actively disliked or just felt... meh. So I'm used it it. LOL
DeleteHey Tanya, great post!! I haven't heard of a lot of these series, but I have read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, and I wasn't a fan either. Everyone else loved it so much, and I really did too, but it was just too underwhelming for me. Glad I'm not the only one who wasn't a fan haha. Life is too short for boring book series ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Brittni! I swear, I think you're the *only* other person I know who wasn't blown away by Mara Dyer. I just kept thinking, "this is what everyone is raving about?" And, yes, life is too short for boring series. LOL
DeleteThat header made me snort Tanya!I read Half Blood and liked it more than I expected, I haven't continued the series though. I DNF'd the other two books after like 30 pages. QUITTERS UNITE.
ReplyDeleteLOL Quitters unite, indeed. :) Ugh, that's a shame that you DNF'd the other two books after liking the first one. But like someone else commented, life is too short for boring series!
DeleteNot read any of those but there are a couple I have wanted to try and I just got the first two books in the Cainsville series for Christmas so I hope i like it...lol. :)
ReplyDeleteOh geez, of all the times for me to bash the Cainesville series. LOL Nevermind me... I'm almost always the oddball out when it comes to books I don't like. I hope you'll love the series! :)
DeleteBWHAHA I love this! It makes me chuckle. So, the only one I have read is Half Bad. And GOOD. CALL. So I actually LOVED the second book, Half Wild. But the third book? OHH ALL THE RAGE. Seriously though, I am glad you are able to cut a series loose if you don't like it. Life's too short, and there are too many amazing series out there waiting!
ReplyDeleteAh, so I am not alone on Half Bad. I applaud you for getting through the first two books. After the mind-numbing boredom of the first one I just couldn't. I just gave you a gold star for that alone. :)
DeleteUh oh! I just won Half Bad from Shannon---I should have investigated further before I chose that one! :-) Hopefully I'll like it better than you guys did?
DeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Uh oh, Nicole... I think Shannon just unloaded that one on you. LOL
DeleteI tend to quit series too. I am going to continue with the Hald Bad series though. I haven't started the others . . .and probably won't!
ReplyDeleteI hope you end up loving Half Bad! I swear, it has to be just me. It has such good reviews. Once again, I'm odd man out. :)
DeleteLove this. I haven't read the Cainesville books but good to know since I've heard of them. And Mara Dyer... yeah I'm not sure the unreliable narrator is my thing wither.
ReplyDeleteOmens actually has an 4.05 average on GoodReads so ooviously it's another case of "it's just me", Greg. :) And the whole unreliable narrator thing... oh my gosh, drives me insane!
DeleteGreat new feature, Tanya! There were a few books that I gave up on last year. I tried The Mara Dyers series a couple of years ago and it wasn't for me neither.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jess. :) So I'm *not* alone with the Mara Dyer series... good to know! That series has such a fan base and I'm over here like... *crickets* LOL
DeleteAll of these series are new to me except Mara Dyer which I started but I haven't been in a rush to finish.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great feature! Sharon - Obsession with Books
Thanks Sharon! Mara Dyer just wasn't doing it for me. I found I didn't care if the girl was crazy pants or not. LOL
DeleteHa ha ha ha. I have a Goodreads shelf called "series I'm putting on hold" which I should really rename "series I have abandoned." You didn't miss anything with Mara Dyer (just got weirder) and I also abandoned Half Bad. If I abandon after book one, I always check out the reviews for the second book JIC, but really, what is the point of reading multiple books you aren't really into?
ReplyDeleteLOVE this topic, obvs!
Jen @ YA Romantics
Thanks Jen :) Good to know I didn't miss much with Mara Dyer. I remember a lot of people being disappointed with the third book so I felt totally justified. LOL
DeleteWell the ending of Mara was pretty UGH! Like I loved and hated it. Good thing we're getting a spin-off trilogy or I might have murdered someone.
ReplyDeleteYou're missing absolutely nothing with the Doon series. I actually made it till half way through book 3. Which was literally the same as book 1. So nope.
Aw Half Bad. The last book was my saddest book from 2016. I fucking cried. And I don't cry. Not like that. It was weird. I wasn't sure my eyes would ever be normal again.
A Mara Dyer spin-off, really? I hadn't even heard of that. Nice to know I missed nothing with Doon. I spent so much time rolling my eyes and scoffing that I knew there was no way I'd move past book one. A book that made you cry? Did you frame it? I didn't know such a thing was possible.
Delete