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Popular books I didn't like - am I the only one?
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Sometimes I feel like I'm living in a different universe when I see the praise certain books get. I'm talking about those popular books I didn't like that everyone else seems to adore.
There's this one bestselling novel that's been everywhere for the past year. I tried reading it three separate times and just couldn't get into it. The characters felt flat, the plot was predictable, and yet it has thousands of five-star reviews.
It makes me question my own taste sometimes. Has anyone else experienced this with bestsellers I disliked? Books that are critically acclaimed but just didn't work for you personally?
I'd love to hear about your experiences with popular fiction disappointments.
I know exactly what you mean about popular books I didn't like. There's this contemporary literary fiction novel that was on every best of the year" list last year. The writing was beautiful in places, but the story was so bleak and the characters were so passive that I found it emotionally draining rather than moving.
What really confused me was that all the reviews talked about how "hopeful" and "life-affirming" it was. Did we read the same book? To me, it was just misery piled on misery with no catharsis.
I've learned that my taste often doesn't align with critical acclaim. Some books that get mediocre reviews I absolutely love, while some critically acclaimed books I hated leave me cold.
That bestselling novel you mentioned - I think I know which one you're talking about, and I had the exact same experience. I kept waiting for it to get good, for the characters to become interesting, for the plot to surprise me... and it never happened.
What frustrates me about these bestsellers I disliked is that they often follow the same formula: unlikeable protagonist, traumatic backstory, quirky" writing style that's supposed to be charming but just feels forced. Yet readers eat it up.
I've started to notice patterns in what becomes popular. It's often less about quality writing and more about hitting certain emotional beats or following current trends. Popular fiction disappointments are becoming more common for me as I get older and more critical as a reader.
I feel this so much. There's a certain mystery thriller that's been dominating the charts for months now. The premise sounded interesting, so I gave it a try. The plot was full of holes, the twists were predictable, and the writing was just... bad. Like, actually poorly written.
But it has tens of thousands of five-star reviews! I read some of the reviews, and people are calling it the best book they've ever read" and "completely unpredictable." Meanwhile, I figured out the "big twist" in the first fifty pages.
This experience really made me question online reviews. I think some books just benefit from being the right book at the right time, or from aggressive marketing, rather than from actual quality.
I have a theory about why this happens. I think sometimes books become popular not because they're objectively good, but because they're accessible. They're easy to read, they follow familiar patterns, and they don't challenge the reader too much.
There's nothing wrong with accessible books, of course. But I think we sometimes confuse easy to read" with "good." A book can be both, but they're not the same thing.
The books I often find disappointing are the ones that are praised for being "page-turners" or "unputdownable." Sometimes that just means they're shallow and rely on cheap tricks to keep you reading, rather than having actual depth or substance.
I completely agree with your point about questioning your own taste. I've had that experience multiple times, especially with books that are everywhere on social media.
There's this one YA fantasy that's been huge on booktok for the past year. The aesthetic is beautiful - dark academia vibes, pretty special editions, etc. But the actual book? The plot is derivative, the romance is toxic, and the world-building makes no sense.
Yet if you say anything negative about it, you get comments like it's just YA, what did you expect?" or "let people enjoy things." But I enjoy plenty of YA! I just expect it to be well-written.
I think we need to normalize criticizing popular things. Just because something is beloved doesn't mean it's above criticism.
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