A hard-hitting, honest episode. Bravo. I haven't RED QUEEN, but I've heard so many great things about it - oddly, after your review, now I'm even more curious to at least check it out and see how it reads.
I also had a middle of the road opinion on this book. I liked the world it had and the set up the story gave. But I didn't like the characters too much and I was able to call out both of the major plot twists this book had. I've read a lot of Science Fiction before so (Like Reagan *disclaimer I'm sorry if I spelled her name wrong*) it all seemed very familiar to me. I put the book down half way for a while, and I only picked it up again when someone mentioned a feature about the end. The ending really picked itself back up and I will be reading the sequel. I feel like a big things with this, or any book is the characters. If you like them, you are going to get much more enjoyment out of this. I found myself enjoying the book a lot when my favorite character showed up, and he was only a side character. Anyways, the story has a good world and what I think is a good ending and some pretty dramatic moments. I can see why people love it so much, but for me. I'd only give it 3 stars.
I really enjoyed Res Queen and it was the first Ebook I ever purchased I was hooked straight away. I do agree there are some familiar elements but they were not overbearing for me and made me enjoy the story more. I loved it so much that the second I saw a physical version I bought that too :) try it out and I hope you like it :)
I actually really liked Red Queen. It did have its problems, but I felt like it was a fast paced read and a real pageturner. Also it's only the first book in the series, so the books will hopefully improve.
I don't think I've seen you this heated up in your videos before and I loved it! We always hear about the books you like and why you like them so it was great to see the opposite for a change! to see the books you didn't like and why. Controversial videos are so much fun to watch lol
I loved the Duff movie and I haven't read the book but I've heard they're very different, and I love the movie too much so I don't think I'll read it haha. Plus I always take your opinion into consideration when picking books!
+Irish Reader They are really different, the main characters are pretty similar, but the plot is very very different. I personally liked the film and the book though
they are very different. the Duff movie is a comedy, while the book is a contemporary novel I guess. I loved both the book and the movie even though they are different
The movie got rid of a lot of the important issues the book deals with I think, the movie is a fun teen flick while the book dealt with more serious issues, like her father being an alcoholic. I personally like the book better, but the movie wasn't awful just different than the book.
OMG, I'm not the only person who didn't love The Girl on the Train?! Finally, someone else out there. I didn't hate it either, like you, I just thought it was underwhelming and I thought all of the PoV characters were annoying. I'm excited for the movie though - they have an awesome cast, and I feel like this type of story will be more relatable on screen.
+Impression Blend Oh my gosh I'm so glad there's people who agree with me. The ending fell so flat for me and I really thought there was going to be some amazing reveal. But hey, I'm really excited to see how Emily Blunt will play Rachel.
+Impression Blend I love Emily Blunt, but i find it a bit ridiculous that she is playing Rachel who is described by everyone as fat. I wouldn't care if they change the way the characters looked if i wasn't important part of the plot! The whole point of her being that way was so that all the other characters felt superior to her and don't feel threatened by her. I don't see how this is possible with someone as beautiful as Emily blunt playing Rachel.
Mee Mee I mean, she may gain some weight for the role? Who knows. But also they usually prioritize character over looks, and she can definitely pull off the emotional/personality part.
I didn't hear any of the hype for Red Queen or Girl On the Train, I just saw them, read the back and thought this sounds awesome. It let me enjoy the books that way. The books.I read in 2015 that disappointed me were all of the Divergent series and the Death Cure.
I must say that I love your videos and I admire you so much because you always read historical fiction which is something that I would like to read soon but it scares me a little (because I hated history class when I was in high school) and I know everyone has different opinions but there is something that broke my heart when you said you didn't liked Point of Retreat and This Girl (which is my favorite trilogy ever thanks to Will Cooper) idk maybe is just that I haven't read a lot of different books but that trilogy is one of my favorites, anyhow I still love your videos
I agree on Red Queen, the premise sounded amazing and the first few chapters were really intriguing, but as the story progressed i found myself making myself finish and I didn't read the second book in the series.
It's interesting how you found The DUFF disappointing because I loved it. For me, the disappointment was The Dumpling, as it had similar themes to The Duff, and I expected to be blown away. Being strongly connected to the main topic of these books myself, I felt the whole body image topic was tackled better in The DUFF. You mention the relationship between the two characters in DUFF being abusive, and maybe I'm biased (I like the bad boys to a fault), but I didn't see it. I saw it more like a defence mechanism from his part, or even denial but I feel like I have to reread it to be clear. Lovely video btw! I'm super duper happy I found your channel this year, you have changed my life (literally). I read so many books and most of them I got from you, The Name of the Wind is on top of my TBR right now. Thanks for being awesome!
Can someone please tell me if Gone Girl is worth carrying on with?!?! According to my kindle I'm like 60% of the way through but I just hated reading it! I know the ending is probably what makes it but the story felt so slow paced and I just really didn't like any of the characters. Everyone says how brilliant it is but I just wasn't motivated to get to the end. Is it really worth reading?!
I haven't read _Gone Girl_. I saw the movie without realizing it was based on a novel. Plus, it was directed by David Fincher--he directed two of my favorite movies (_Fight Club and _Se7en_). The movie was fantastic and has piqued my interest when it comes to reading the novel. However, seeing this comments are raising questions for me. Could this be a rare case where the movie is better than the book?
I totally agree with you about Red Queen! I was so excited to get it, everyone was raving about it, but when I read it everything seemed so predictable, and it's like there aren't any surprises. Not sure if I will continue the series, but I'm glad to know that someone agrees with me.
I was so glad to find someone else who thought that Red Queen was disappointing! I work in a bookstore, and many of my coworkers talked this book up to me with extravagance and enthusiasm- when I finally read it, it was moderately interesting and frankly saddening, because I'd really wanted to like it. Thank you so much for agreeing- it was so nice to find someone else who felt a little let down.
Great video! My biggest disappontment this year was The Strange and Beautuful Sorrows of Ava Lavander. I was hoping for a sad but hopeful and redeeming story, but all I got was sad...
Wow, I was honestly shocked that Red Queen wasn't one of your favorites this year. I personally loved it! But maybe that's just because I rarely ever read YA and it's new territory for me haha, but yeah. Love your videos! Can't wait for your next vlog.
I was so pumped to pick up All the Light We Cannot See, everybody who read it loved it. As I began, it was amazing. Anthony did a great job in describing everything. It makes you feel like you're going to a whole other world, I won't argue about it, his way of describing is breathtakingly beautiful. But then he went overboard with his descriptions. I felt like the plot was going nowhere. I just had no little excitement about it. I tried to continue reading after page 400 something but I just couldn't.
I really liked The Girl On The Train! As a big fan of Gillian Flynn I knew that almost NOTHING could compare to her magnificient books so I read TGOTT as it was, a debut novel, and I really enjoyed it! We need to remember that Gone Girl is the third book of Flynn, and her first, Sharp Objects wasnt THAT good compared to Gone Girl! I just cant wait to Paula Hawkins grow as an author and to see her progress through the years :D
Very interesting list. I do hope I like Girl on the Train, we'll see. But I love these videos! Never stop making them :) It's great to see both sides of favorites and disappointments; it helps to be more well rounded. The books I was really really disappointed with were: The Last American Vampire, The Tiger's Wife, and very sadly, Dreams of Gods and Monsters...too convenient of an ending and a big let down :/
Great video. I felt the EXACT same way about TW&TD which was really disappointing considering how excited I was about the premise.........blugh. Oh, and *P.S.* You should consider putting an image of each book in a corner of the screen -- I always really like that sort of thing. =c)
I haven't read Gone Girl, so I kinda loved The Girl on The Train. I had so many disappointments this year! The Martian, Mara Dyer, Red Rising, Throne of Glass, Miss Peregrine's Home, We Were Liars, Vicious... I think the main problem was the high expectation I had because of the hype built around these books.
+Evandro Roberto i honestly loved miss peregrine lol, we were liars didn't feel that overhyped to me because i've only heard of it from one booktuber, and for mara dyer, i understand if you don't like it though i loved the first two books (the second book being the best) the last book was so bad lol
I felt the same way about The Girl on the Train! I loved Gone Girl and I picked up The Girl on the Train afterwards so that might have been a part as to why I was disappointed by it since I was expecting something just as good but the ending felt flat for me too.
ahhhh im so scared to read the girl on the train.. but i haven't read gone girl... so maybe i should do girl on the train first?! maybe ill enjoy both then?!
+whatskappening That is what I did, I read The Girl on the Train first and then Gone Girl, and I liked it. However, I am sure that if I would have read Gone Girl first I may have been a tiny bit disappointed.
+whatskappening I really liked The Girl on the Train but I *loved* Gone Girl. I'd read TGOTT first if I were you. The ending is predictable but very satisfying - I enjoyed every moment. It's dark and fun and middlebrow in a good way. I can't wait to see the film adaptation.
Your video convinced me to remove books from my wishlist which, by the way, has started to become insanely big. I'm still really interested in reading Red Queen, however for a few other books like the DUFF, I might consider not giving them anymore interest. Great video (just like always, duh)!
I started Red Queen, but it didn't seem to catch my attention like I thought it would. I like books that can grab my attention from the get go. Thanks for sharing your list with us. Have a Happy New Year.
i could see how people who have read gone girl would be disappointed by the girl on the train. i saw the gone girl movie, but I still really enjoyed the girl on the train. the first 100pgs were a little slow but after that i couldn't put it down! i agree that it wasn't exactly a mind blowing ending, but it still surprised me, since I don't read many thriller/mystery books. so I would say if you're new to that genre, it's a great read.
Hey, just discovered you and subscribed. :) Yeah, I agree with Girl On The Train, and I was really confused because most of my friends who have read it loved it so I thought.. "Oh I must be missing out on something." I mean it was okay, but don't think it really lived up to all the hype and at the ending I was a bit like ".....oh, was that it?". Plus I HATED Anna! She drove me mad I wanted to punch the pages of her chapters! lol Anyway Happy New Year to you. x
I really couldn't get into Girl on the Train either. I picked it up in Target and was trying to read it and honestly I just couldn't get past the first 10 pages.
I completely agree with your feelings toward The Wicked + The Divine. The art was stellar but the confusion was not needed and the plot ended up being lack luster.
I agree with your review of the wicked and divine: the Faust act. I felt that the twist at the end confusing considering how the rules of the world seemed to be disregarded. I also agree with the girl on the train. I didn't read gone girl, but I had read an awesome mystery/thriller before this called burnt paper sky, although it was called something else in the states. The girl on the train just didn't wow me.
Interesting video! I read the Red Queen because I heard good reviews about it. I liked it but I was not thrilled and like you said, it's a bit cliché. I want to read the second book though ^^. Another book that I read very good reviews about is Legend. I was a bit disappointed but it's still a good book and I'm reading the second book to see where it goes. I was so disappointed when I read the first and second books of The Mortal Instruments series. I didn't like it at all.... too bad I didn't!
I love WicDiv!!!! Of course I'm a total Gillan and McKelvie fangirl (two different people). I do agree with you about The Girl on the Train though... I haven't even finished it. I just couldn't get into it. I thought it dragged in a lot of places, so even when I was interested in the action I had to struggle through the boring parts to get back into rhythm. Ultimately, I just didn't pick it back up.
I read Red Queen early this year and i quite enjoyed it. But then I read Red Rising and it blew my mind away. It's so so good, i stop functioning for a while. The sequel: Golden Son is even crazier. So yeah, totally recommended that series. Help yourself, read it. Please.
While I still loved Point of Retreat, I do agree that it was a bit too cliche and not nearly as awesome as Slammed was. As for my disappointments this year, I was actually disappointed in The Bronze Horseman. It was so hyped and I expected to love it so much more than I did. You've gotta watch out for those hyped books! Great video :)
Thirteen Reasons Why is the one that came to mind as soon as I saw this. I forgot when I was published but I read it early this year and I sped through it but felt like I had read so many things similar. Even though I completely agree with you, I enjoyed Red Queen. I think i just missed young adult fiction. It was the first YA novel I had read in about a year and a half and it was refreshing to read something that wasn't loaded with symbolism and required for one of my creative writing classes.
I've heard so many mixed reviews about Red Queen and I can't decide if I should actually read it or not! I just bought Slammed and Point of Retreat! I'm worried now! Also, my heart broke about The Duff
I personally enjoyed it and would recommend you to read it. But I also think that you shouldn't let other people's opinions determine whether you read a book or not so read the book sounds like something you'd like to read then do and don't if you don't want to read it
+Annah I agree completely. While it may not live up to all the hype surrounding it, if you take the hype away it was still an enjoyable read and I will still be picking up the next one when it comes out. Give it a shot, definitely. If it's not something you find yourself enjoying don't force yourself through it - just move on!
Your review of Girl on the Train sounds like Night Film by Marisha Pessl. It has a great promise, starts out intriguing, but by the end spirals into bizarreness that's just too hard to believe. Books like that are so much more of a letdown when you really wanted to love them.
Are you still planning to continue on with the Red Queen series? I really liked the book but yeah it was pretty much filled with cliche & had a lot of the same vibe as other books
I think regarding the Graphic Novels the real problem is really the format, both those volumes are really collections of chapters of an ongoing monthly story, there really isn't a sense of synthesis by the end of the volume, this sense comes in short bursts chapter by chapter, the beats are really not like those of novels in a series of books or even like seasons in a tv series for example, it's actually really different, I wonder if you'd feel differently about them by reading them monthly.
I was sooo excited to read Paper Towns but I was a little disappointed I didn't feel surprised in any way with it. I did LOVE the girl on the train though! :)
I'm reading The Girl on the Train right now and I'm starting to be a bit intrigued, but so far I have most of the same issues that you brought up. Rachel as a character makes me pity her and annoyed by her at the same time. it's like get your act together already!
You have the most amazing lighting in your videos, do you use artificial or natural light, if you don't mind me asking? :) I was so so so excited to read The Girl on the Train but couldn't bring myself to finish it. For me it didn't read well at all and I hated the format that it was written in.
I was most disappointing by the Rose Society I think. I really, really wanted to love it as I did the first one, but I felt myself pushing through it and that made me very sad. I'm content with the ending, and I'm not sure if she's coming out with a third one but I don't think I'll be picking it up if she does.
Cloud Atlas. Oh my gosh, Cloud Atlas. I had such high expectations and hopes for it. And I really disliked it. But David Mitchell is still such an amazing author, I can forgive him for that one dud ;) (even though I'm definitely in the minority with that opinion)
I think there were four books overall that I was disappointed by: 1. The Sin Eaters Daughter by Melinda Salisbury. Great world building, crappy main/overall story arc, all the characters bugged me, crappy insta-love that wasn't even done well... 2. Tape by Steven Camden. I picked it up because the cover stood out to me, read the blurb and was fascinated to read it. After getting home from buying it I looked it up on Goodreads and a lot of people did not like it, so I wasn't feeling as motivated to read it. It had been sitting on my shelf for a good part of this year and then when I did read it, it wasn't written well at all (No "" speech quotation marks, dialogue was marked with a '-' so I couldn't tell who was saying what), didn't connect to the characters at all, the plot was kind of lacking (the blurb was misleading-not much 'communication' between the two main characters via the 'magic' tape') and nothing was explained well. 3. My True Love Gave To Me (the selection of 12 short Christmas stories). Most of the stories were just either okay or kinda bad. Only one or two were decent or more than decent which was a shame. 4. Where She Went by Gayle Forman. Whilst it was great to see how Mia was doing in this book after the events of If I Stay, I did not like Adam's pov. I didn't like Adam in the first book and seeing it was all about him was just not really a compelling read. I could have done with just reading If I Stay and leaving it at that tbh.
+Julia Truong The Rainbow Rowell story was one of the best ones! And it was the very first story, the story after it was awful and set the tone for the rest of the book.
+Rachel Hesketh I totally agree about Tape, I bought it because of that gorgeous blue and yellow cover and blurb, however it didn't reach my expectations....nonetheless I tried another Steven Camden book 'It's About Love' and again the cover was gorgeous and the blurb was fascinating as ever; but the plot and the writing of the novel didn't make it for me.
Always love your reviews! By far my most disappointing read this year was the 5th wave by Rick Yancey. I suffered through those pages. The story was so boring until page 388... I should not be able to remember the exact page where the story improves. Queen of Shadows had me "eh" on some aspects. Specifically, the hate between Chaol/Celaena and the sudden (romantic) love between Rowan and Celaena. I just felt a little weird about them.
FINALLY someone shares my opinion on Red Queen. I was SO excited to read it because it got SO much hype. I kept waiting for it to get better but instead, it just got more and more cliche. You always give such on point reviews Regan!
I never really heard any hype for Red Queen actually. Most book tubers I saw talk about it that it was so bad, but when I went to Barnes & Noble and grabbed it out of curiosity I immediately bought it sat down and read it and I absolutely loved it. I'm now starting to realize that it is an unpopular opinion. D:
I felt similar about Red Queen. I enjoyed it, but it was so predictable. Everyone that raves about it always talks about the ~crazy twists and turns, but I saw everything coming, the foreshadowing was so painfully obvious.
I also thought that Red Queen was a bit disappointing. I didn't know about the book, it was one my cousin bought for me for Christmas, I really enjoyed the start, but I thought that the end was disappointing :/
Well I guess it didn't turn out how I expected it to be :/ Not in a bad way, actually. I've considered to buy the second book now, but I haven't really made up my mind yet.
YES! Thank you for mentioning Red Queen! I was so excited for it when it came out, I had high expectations, but it definitely didn't live up...the "huge plot twist" everyone was freaking out about was not a twist at all, it was blatantly obvious through Mere's internal thoughts that she knew one of the boys would betray her, we just didn't know which one. A lot of similarities to The Hunger Games and others as well (her sweet sister who is highly regarded, meanwhile she sneaks away with her guy best friend to steal or whatever I forget, cough cough gale...) Just very unoriginal :/
I agree with your opinion on Red Queen. Before reading it i had very high expectations as almost the whole of booktube has loved it but upon reading Red Queen I found it very cliché and that it followed a very basic plot line that didn't really captivate me as much as I expected. Great Review!
I picked up The Selection by Kiera Cass, read the second chapter (The line where she complained about everyone calling her beautiful), and threw it across the room in frustration. I know a lot of people say it's a really good read once you get past the first few chapters, but honestly the story line seemed cliché (love triangle, girl thinks she isn't pretty, that type of stuff).
I read Gone Girl and I read The Girl on the Train and I have to say I enjoyed the latter very much. Not as much as Gone Girl but I find the ending interesting. It was great, not amazing but great. The most disappointing book this year was Night Film. I was so ready to love this book when I saw your five star review on Goodreads but I was so disappointed, it dragged and the ending was just meh. Happy New Year xx
The thumbnail attracted me to this and I have one question. Are those Harry Potter books in the background in English? I know it's a stupid question but I've only been able to find the Italian version and my current device doesn't work that well with my internet and crashes often, so I can never get too far with searching. If so where did you get them? If I go straight to a site and am quick it may work without crashing. Thank you very much and I love the videos I have currently seen.
Yay an X-Men fan! Have you read Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday? I personally believe no X-Men reading list is truly complete without it. It's amazing. I like this book so much I mention it randomly everywhere I can. Anyway, really enjoy your videos :)
I totally agree on your thoughts for the Girl On the Train! I thought it was going to be totally different, and I was very disappointed in how it ended.
I'm disappointed at Carry on by Rainbow Rowe, I mean I don't think is a bad book, I really much enjoy it, but I guess I had huge expectations and the book didn't full fill them.
I totally agree with you about Red Queen. The romance was lackluster and confusing. The premise was interesting, but oddly developed. I'm glad I'm not the only one who was disappointed.
I totally felt the same about Red Queen, in addition to what you said about it I felt that the protagonist was very unrelatable and it didn't help that the names were super difficult to pronounce/ are so unconventional that they didn't make sense. It does still have room to improve and if there had not been so much hype then I might have liked it better but it just missed the mark.
GOOD! I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH WESLEY AND BIANCA'S RELATIONSHIP! They were just them having sex. They weren't a good couple, they were just friends with benefits and I hated it. Wesley was (like you said) verbally abusive to her.
I COMPLETELY AGREE ABOUT RED QUEEN!!! It was so much like every YA book mixed into one! I love this and all your videos! You're my spirit animal for reading
for me, the Lunar chronicles. cinder was nust ok to me and in Scarlet I couldn't stand either Scarlet nor Wolf. Cress was better, but still. I don't know if read the Last book or not
I SO AGREE WITH RED QUEEN totally agree with absolutely everything you said about it, it didn't live up to the hype for me awh the fade out sounds super cool, i'm sorry it was disappointing! i've heard some negative things about the slammed series but i think i might still give it a try oh god i hated the duff lol it was soo bad in my opinion loved this video! x
I think the (over)hype surrounding certain books, especially on booktube, made me have very high expectations and when I eventually got around to reading them, I was a little disappointed. Some of those books are: Vicious, Eleanor and Park, Gone girl, The sea of monsters and Paper towns
I was so disappointed with The Girl on the Train... I also somehow guessed the plot twist. I literally just sat there and was like "I bet it was him. Yep"
A read Shutter by Courtney Alameda this year because I thought it'd be spooky and cool but honestly all the characters were pretty boring and the main character's father was super abusive but by the end of the book no one arrests him or helps the main characters they just think her dad's a great guy? Idk just wasn't good
One of my disappointing reads this year was unfortunately a book you counted among your favorites: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. I liked it, but felt that it dragged in some parts and that the ending was lackluster.
Ugh, The Girl on the Train was such a let down. I was in a class in college early this year where we read ultra-contemporary novels. The Girl on the Train was the first one we read. We had to have it pre-ordered so that we'd get it on the day it came out. It was pretty entertaining for the most part, but that ending (the last 50-70 pages) was horrible. It's just like watching a Lifetime movie. The reveal, the dialogue, the final bits of action. My entire class of creative writing majors unanimously hated it.
I've been trying to read the girl on the train since last December, because it was a gift and I seriously can't. I read 20 pages and then I leave it on my bookshelves for like two months because baaahhh
I didn't enjoy Red Queen at all either. It was so cliche I spent more time eye rolling than eye reading. That was a terrible joke, carry on.
Same
LOL
I thought im alone. My friends enjoy the book and I couldnt even finished the book w/ o rolling my eyes. Its suckss tbh
Yeah, I wasn't a fan either.
A hard-hitting, honest episode. Bravo. I haven't RED QUEEN, but I've heard so many great things about it - oddly, after your review, now I'm even more curious to at least check it out and see how it reads.
+Scott Sigler I would be very curious to hear your thoughts!
I also had a middle of the road opinion on this book. I liked the world it had and the set up the story gave. But I didn't like the characters too much and I was able to call out both of the major plot twists this book had. I've read a lot of Science Fiction before so (Like Reagan *disclaimer I'm sorry if I spelled her name wrong*) it all seemed very familiar to me. I put the book down half way for a while, and I only picked it up again when someone mentioned a feature about the end. The ending really picked itself back up and I will be reading the sequel. I feel like a big things with this, or any book is the characters. If you like them, you are going to get much more enjoyment out of this. I found myself enjoying the book a lot when my favorite character showed up, and he was only a side character. Anyways, the story has a good world and what I think is a good ending and some pretty dramatic moments. I can see why people love it so much, but for me. I'd only give it 3 stars.
I really enjoyed Res Queen and it was the first Ebook I ever purchased I was hooked straight away. I do agree there are some familiar elements but they were not overbearing for me and made me enjoy the story more. I loved it so much that the second I saw a physical version I bought that too :) try it out and I hope you like it :)
+MicaThorn Red Queen* curse my tiny keyboard
You should definitely read Red Queen, its amazing
I love how the booktube community is so accepting that it's okay to share opinions in videos like this
I actually really liked Red Queen. It did have its problems, but I felt like it was a fast paced read and a real pageturner. Also it's only the first book in the series, so the books will hopefully improve.
I don't think I've seen you this heated up in your videos before and I loved it! We always hear about the books you like and why you like them so it was great to see the opposite for a change! to see the books you didn't like and why. Controversial videos are so much fun to watch lol
I loved the Duff movie and I haven't read the book but I've heard they're very different, and I love the movie too much so I don't think I'll read it haha. Plus I always take your opinion into consideration when picking books!
+Irish Reader They are really different, the main characters are pretty similar, but the plot is very very different. I personally liked the film and the book though
they are very different. the Duff movie is a comedy, while the book is a contemporary novel I guess. I loved both the book and the movie even though they are different
Maybe I should try reading the book then.
The movie got rid of a lot of the important issues the book deals with I think, the movie is a fun teen flick while the book dealt with more serious issues, like her father being an alcoholic. I personally like the book better, but the movie wasn't awful just different than the book.
The movie does the relationship SO much better than the book. I hate friends with benefits stories and it was one of those books so.
I haven't gotten to read Red Queen yet! I'll see if I agree with you once I do!
I love Red Queen and can't wait for Glass Sword and it is so amazing
I was dissipointed with Red Queen, too. The Fade Out is so gorgeous! I didn't like Slammed, so I didn't continue. Your sweater... so pretty
OMG, I'm not the only person who didn't love The Girl on the Train?! Finally, someone else out there. I didn't hate it either, like you, I just thought it was underwhelming and I thought all of the PoV characters were annoying. I'm excited for the movie though - they have an awesome cast, and I feel like this type of story will be more relatable on screen.
+Impression Blend Oh my gosh I'm so glad there's people who agree with me. The ending fell so flat for me and I really thought there was going to be some amazing reveal. But hey, I'm really excited to see how Emily Blunt will play Rachel.
Ivanna Shevel Me too! I think she will be great in that role :)
The girl on the train is bad !
+Impression Blend I love Emily Blunt, but i find it a bit ridiculous that she is playing Rachel who is described by everyone as fat. I wouldn't care if they change the way the characters looked if i wasn't important part of the plot! The whole point of her being that way was so that all the other characters felt superior to her and don't feel threatened by her. I don't see how this is possible with someone as beautiful as Emily blunt playing Rachel.
Mee Mee I mean, she may gain some weight for the role? Who knows. But also they usually prioritize character over looks, and she can definitely pull off the emotional/personality part.
Thank you Regan for another year of awesome videos ❤️
I didn't hear any of the hype for Red Queen or Girl On the Train, I just saw them, read the back and thought this sounds awesome. It let me enjoy the books that way. The books.I read in 2015 that disappointed me were all of the Divergent series and the Death Cure.
+Rakshita D me too. I wasn't a big part of book tube when Red Queen came out so I was lucky and missed all the hype.
+Courtnay I really enjoyed the Divergent series, the books are definitely a lot better than the movies
+Grace _ I found there was too much undeserved hype around Divergent and it ruined the series for me.
Courtnay Maybe, still, I know a lot of people who thoroughly enjoyed it
+Grace _ I do to but I also know a lots who hated it. I feel like it's marmite.
I must say that I love your videos and I admire you so much because you always read historical fiction which is something that I would like to read soon but it scares me a little (because I hated history class when I was in high school) and I know everyone has different opinions but there is something that broke my heart when you said you didn't liked Point of Retreat and This Girl (which is my favorite trilogy ever thanks to Will Cooper) idk maybe is just that I haven't read a lot of different books but that trilogy is one of my favorites, anyhow I still love your videos
Feel exactly the same way as you about This Girl! Hate when authors tell the same story and just change the POV's. Loved the video! Love from Brazil x
I agree on Red Queen, the premise sounded amazing and the first few chapters were really intriguing, but as the story progressed i found myself making myself finish and I didn't read the second book in the series.
It's interesting how you found The DUFF disappointing because I loved it. For me, the disappointment was The Dumpling, as it had similar themes to The Duff, and I expected to be blown away. Being strongly connected to the main topic of these books myself, I felt the whole body image topic was tackled better in The DUFF. You mention the relationship between the two characters in DUFF being abusive, and maybe I'm biased (I like the bad boys to a fault), but I didn't see it. I saw it more like a defence mechanism from his part, or even denial but I feel like I have to reread it to be clear.
Lovely video btw! I'm super duper happy I found your channel this year, you have changed my life (literally). I read so many books and most of them I got from you, The Name of the Wind is on top of my TBR right now. Thanks for being awesome!
Can someone please tell me if Gone Girl is worth carrying on with?!?! According to my kindle I'm like 60% of the way through but I just hated reading it! I know the ending is probably what makes it but the story felt so slow paced and I just really didn't like any of the characters. Everyone says how brilliant it is but I just wasn't motivated to get to the end. Is it really worth reading?!
I say give it until the plot twist happens (which you should be approaching soon) and if it still doesn't appeal to you I would move on
Okay, thanks :) I love your channels btw!
I could not get into this book at all. I ended up buying it on audible and found it to be much more enjoyable.
+Merryn Dowson For me - no. I've finished, but didn't like it at all. Nor the ending, plus I didn't like the characters either.
I haven't read _Gone Girl_. I saw the movie without realizing it was based on a novel. Plus, it was directed by David Fincher--he directed two of my favorite movies (_Fight Club and _Se7en_). The movie was fantastic and has piqued my interest when it comes to reading the novel.
However, seeing this comments are raising questions for me. Could this be a rare case where the movie is better than the book?
I completely agree with The Girl on the Train, expectations were set WAY too high!
I totally agree with you about Red Queen! I was so excited to get it, everyone was raving about it, but when I read it everything seemed so predictable, and it's like there aren't any surprises. Not sure if I will continue the series, but I'm glad to know that someone agrees with me.
I was so glad to find someone else who thought that Red Queen was disappointing! I work in a bookstore, and many of my coworkers talked this book up to me with extravagance and enthusiasm- when I finally read it, it was moderately interesting and frankly saddening, because I'd really wanted to like it. Thank you so much for agreeing- it was so nice to find someone else who felt a little let down.
Great video! My biggest disappontment this year was The Strange and Beautuful Sorrows of Ava Lavander. I was hoping for a sad but hopeful and redeeming story, but all I got was sad...
Wow, I was honestly shocked that Red Queen wasn't one of your favorites this year. I personally loved it! But maybe that's just because I rarely ever read YA and it's new territory for me haha, but yeah. Love your videos! Can't wait for your next vlog.
I was so pumped to pick up All the Light We Cannot See, everybody who read it loved it. As I began, it was amazing. Anthony did a great job in describing everything. It makes you feel like you're going to a whole other world, I won't argue about it, his way of describing is breathtakingly beautiful. But then he went overboard with his descriptions. I felt like the plot was going nowhere. I just had no little excitement about it. I tried to continue reading after page 400 something but I just couldn't.
I really liked The girl on the train. The final twist wasn't jaw-dropping, sure, but altogether it was a really good book.
Listening to you talk about books makes me want to read more haha, so inspirational :)
I saw the missing harry potter book in the back and nearly got a heart attack because i thought you'd mention it in this video..xD
I really liked The Girl On The Train! As a big fan of Gillian Flynn I knew that almost NOTHING could compare to her magnificient books so I read TGOTT as it was, a debut novel, and I really enjoyed it! We need to remember that Gone Girl is the third book of Flynn, and her first, Sharp Objects wasnt THAT good compared to Gone Girl! I just cant wait to Paula Hawkins grow as an author and to see her progress through the years :D
Very interesting list. I do hope I like Girl on the Train, we'll see. But I love these videos! Never stop making them :) It's great to see both sides of favorites and disappointments; it helps to be more well rounded. The books I was really really disappointed with were: The Last American Vampire, The Tiger's Wife, and very sadly, Dreams of Gods and Monsters...too convenient of an ending and a big let down :/
Great video. I felt the EXACT same way about TW&TD which was really disappointing considering how excited I was about the premise.........blugh.
Oh, and *P.S.* You should consider putting an image of each book in a corner of the screen -- I always really like that sort of thing. =c)
I haven't read Gone Girl, so I kinda loved The Girl on The Train.
I had so many disappointments this year!
The Martian, Mara Dyer, Red Rising, Throne of Glass, Miss Peregrine's Home, We Were Liars, Vicious...
I think the main problem was the high expectation I had because of the hype built around these books.
I tried Miss Peregrine's Home too and I think the reason I was disappointed was the hype around it too. Overhyping things seem to ruin them I guess
+Evandro Roberto i honestly loved miss peregrine lol, we were liars didn't feel that overhyped to me because i've only heard of it from one booktuber, and for mara dyer, i understand if you don't like it though i loved the first two books (the second book being the best) the last book was so bad lol
Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children and We Were Liars were too of my favorite books😦
Thank you for making such an interesting video! I agree on The Wiked and the Divine, and I'm grateful for the advice on Point of Retreat
I felt the same way about The Girl on the Train! I loved Gone Girl and I picked up The Girl on the Train afterwards so that might have been a part as to why I was disappointed by it since I was expecting something just as good but the ending felt flat for me too.
ahhhh im so scared to read the girl on the train.. but i haven't read gone girl... so maybe i should do girl on the train first?! maybe ill enjoy both then?!
im willing to give it a shot!
+whatskappening That is what I did, I read The Girl on the Train first and then Gone Girl, and I liked it. However, I am sure that if I would have read Gone Girl first I may have been a tiny bit disappointed.
+whatskappening I really liked The Girl on the Train but I *loved* Gone Girl. I'd read TGOTT first if I were you. The ending is predictable but very satisfying - I enjoyed every moment. It's dark and fun and middlebrow in a good way. I can't wait to see the film adaptation.
thank you!!! :) i will try that dawngrrrl
+whatskappening You're welcome!
Your video convinced me to remove books from my wishlist which, by the way, has started to become insanely big. I'm still really interested in reading Red Queen, however for a few other books like the DUFF, I might consider not giving them anymore interest. Great video (just like always, duh)!
Great video (as always)!
P.S I am in love with your sweater!!!
I started Red Queen, but it didn't seem to catch my attention like I thought it would. I like books that can grab my attention from the get go. Thanks for sharing your list with us. Have a Happy New Year.
i could see how people who have read gone girl would be disappointed by the girl on the train. i saw the gone girl movie, but I still really enjoyed the girl on the train. the first 100pgs were a little slow but after that i couldn't put it down! i agree that it wasn't exactly a mind blowing ending, but it still surprised me, since I don't read many thriller/mystery books. so I would say if you're new to that genre, it's a great read.
Hey, just discovered you and subscribed. :) Yeah, I agree with Girl On The Train, and I was really confused because most of my friends who have read it loved it so I thought.. "Oh I must be missing out on something." I mean it was okay, but don't think it really lived up to all the hype and at the ending I was a bit like ".....oh, was that it?". Plus I HATED Anna! She drove me mad I wanted to punch the pages of her chapters! lol Anyway Happy New Year to you. x
i had the same exact problem with the wicked and the divine. what the heck did i read??
One of my favorite end of the year videos :) I plan to do a best/worst video soon, but spoiler Red Queen made my disappointing list as well.
Thank you so much for being so open and honest about your thoughts on these books. :)
I really couldn't get into Girl on the Train either. I picked it up in Target and was trying to read it and honestly I just couldn't get past the first 10 pages.
I completely agree with your feelings toward The Wicked + The Divine. The art was stellar but the confusion was not needed and the plot ended up being lack luster.
I hope there are less disappointing books for you this year! I haven't read any of them so maybe I dodged some bad experiences there!
I agree with your review of the wicked and divine: the Faust act. I felt that the twist at the end confusing considering how the rules of the world seemed to be disregarded.
I also agree with the girl on the train. I didn't read gone girl, but I had read an awesome mystery/thriller before this called burnt paper sky, although it was called something else in the states. The girl on the train just didn't wow me.
Great video! It really is a very sad thing when you're super excited about a book and it ends up being meh.
Interesting video! I read the Red Queen because I heard good reviews about it. I liked it but I was not thrilled and like you said, it's a bit cliché. I want to read the second book though ^^. Another book that I read very good reviews about is Legend. I was a bit disappointed but it's still a good book and I'm reading the second book to see where it goes.
I was so disappointed when I read the first and second books of The Mortal Instruments series. I didn't like it at all.... too bad I didn't!
I love WicDiv!!!! Of course I'm a total Gillan and McKelvie fangirl (two different people).
I do agree with you about The Girl on the Train though... I haven't even finished it. I just couldn't get into it. I thought it dragged in a lot of places, so even when I was interested in the action I had to struggle through the boring parts to get back into rhythm. Ultimately, I just didn't pick it back up.
I read Red Queen early this year and i quite enjoyed it. But then I read Red Rising and it blew my mind away. It's so so good, i stop functioning for a while. The sequel: Golden Son is even crazier. So yeah, totally recommended that series. Help yourself, read it. Please.
While I still loved Point of Retreat, I do agree that it was a bit too cliche and not nearly as awesome as Slammed was. As for my disappointments this year, I was actually disappointed in The Bronze Horseman. It was so hyped and I expected to love it so much more than I did. You've gotta watch out for those hyped books! Great video :)
Thirteen Reasons Why is the one that came to mind as soon as I saw this. I forgot when I was published but I read it early this year and I sped through it but felt like I had read so many things similar. Even though I completely agree with you, I enjoyed Red Queen. I think i just missed young adult fiction. It was the first YA novel I had read in about a year and a half and it was refreshing to read something that wasn't loaded with symbolism and required for one of my creative writing classes.
I've heard so many mixed reviews about Red Queen and I can't decide if I should actually read it or not!
I just bought Slammed and Point of Retreat! I'm worried now!
Also, my heart broke about The Duff
I personally enjoyed it and would recommend you to read it. But I also think that you shouldn't let other people's opinions determine whether you read a book or not so read the book sounds like something you'd like to read then do and don't if you don't want to read it
+Annah I agree completely. While it may not live up to all the hype surrounding it, if you take the hype away it was still an enjoyable read and I will still be picking up the next one when it comes out. Give it a shot, definitely. If it's not something you find yourself enjoying don't force yourself through it - just move on!
Your review of Girl on the Train sounds like Night Film by Marisha Pessl. It has a great promise, starts out intriguing, but by the end spirals into bizarreness that's just too hard to believe. Books like that are so much more of a letdown when you really wanted to love them.
Are you still planning to continue on with the Red Queen series?
I really liked the book but yeah it was pretty much filled with cliche & had a lot of the same vibe as other books
Hex Hall series, matched series, red queen, Frozen, Teardrop series by Lauren kate, Shatter me, Marked series and the Shadow Falls series
I think regarding the Graphic Novels the real problem is really the format, both those volumes are really collections of chapters of an ongoing monthly story, there really isn't a sense of synthesis by the end of the volume, this sense comes in short bursts chapter by chapter, the beats are really not like those of novels in a series of books or even like seasons in a tv series for example, it's actually really different, I wonder if you'd feel differently about them by reading them monthly.
I was sooo excited to read Paper Towns but I was a little disappointed I didn't feel surprised in any way with it. I did LOVE the girl on the train though! :)
I'm reading The Girl on the Train right now and I'm starting to be a bit intrigued, but so far I have most of the same issues that you brought up. Rachel as a character makes me pity her and annoyed by her at the same time. it's like get your act together already!
You have the most amazing lighting in your videos, do you use artificial or natural light, if you don't mind me asking? :)
I was so so so excited to read The Girl on the Train but couldn't bring myself to finish it. For me it didn't read well at all and I hated the format that it was written in.
The Wicked + The Divine does not pick up till issue 9-15 which is too long to get to it
I was most disappointing by the Rose Society I think. I really, really wanted to love it as I did the first one, but I felt myself pushing through it and that made me very sad. I'm content with the ending, and I'm not sure if she's coming out with a third one but I don't think I'll be picking it up if she does.
I am reading the Red Queen right now and it reminds me so much of the reviews I watched about the Grisha trilogy.
i didn't really like the duff as much as i was hoping to, but i'm considering trying her new book?? 😁 i honestly don't know what to do 😂
Happy New Year, Regan!
Cloud Atlas. Oh my gosh, Cloud Atlas. I had such high expectations and hopes for it. And I really disliked it. But David Mitchell is still such an amazing author, I can forgive him for that one dud ;) (even though I'm definitely in the minority with that opinion)
I think there were four books overall that I was disappointed by:
1. The Sin Eaters Daughter by Melinda Salisbury. Great world building, crappy main/overall story arc, all the characters bugged me, crappy insta-love that wasn't even done well...
2. Tape by Steven Camden. I picked it up because the cover stood out to me, read the blurb and was fascinated to read it. After getting home from buying it I looked it up on Goodreads and a lot of people did not like it, so I wasn't feeling as motivated to read it. It had been sitting on my shelf for a good part of this year and then when I did read it, it wasn't written well at all (No "" speech quotation marks, dialogue was marked with a '-' so I couldn't tell who was saying what), didn't connect to the characters at all, the plot was kind of lacking (the blurb was misleading-not much 'communication' between the two main characters via the 'magic' tape') and nothing was explained well.
3. My True Love Gave To Me (the selection of 12 short Christmas stories). Most of the stories were just either okay or kinda bad. Only one or two were decent or more than decent which was a shame.
4. Where She Went by Gayle Forman. Whilst it was great to see how Mia was doing in this book after the events of If I Stay, I did not like Adam's pov. I didn't like Adam in the first book and seeing it was all about him was just not really a compelling read. I could have done with just reading If I Stay and leaving it at that tbh.
I personally loved the Sin Eaters daughter but I do agree that the romance could have been better
+Rachel Hesketh Yes!! I read My True Love Gave to Me this holiday season and I was extremely disappointed. Many of the stories I couldn't even finish.
+Rachel Hesketh I wanted to buy the My True Love Gave to Me but now that most of you are saying it's bad... Was the Rainbow Rowell story in it good?
+Julia Truong The Rainbow Rowell story was one of the best ones! And it was the very first story, the story after it was awful and set the tone for the rest of the book.
+Rachel Hesketh
I totally agree about Tape, I bought it because of that gorgeous blue and yellow cover and blurb, however it didn't reach my expectations....nonetheless I tried another Steven Camden book 'It's About Love' and again the cover was gorgeous and the blurb was fascinating as ever; but the plot and the writing of the novel didn't make it for me.
Always love your reviews!
By far my most disappointing read this year was the 5th wave by Rick Yancey. I suffered through those pages. The story was so boring until page 388... I should not be able to remember the exact page where the story improves.
Queen of Shadows had me "eh" on some aspects. Specifically, the hate between Chaol/Celaena and the sudden (romantic) love between Rowan and Celaena. I just felt a little weird about them.
FINALLY someone shares my opinion on Red Queen. I was SO excited to read it because it got SO much hype. I kept waiting for it to get better but instead, it just got more and more cliche. You always give such on point reviews Regan!
are those ikea shelves?
I never really heard any hype for Red Queen actually. Most book tubers I saw talk about it that it was so bad, but when I went to Barnes & Noble and grabbed it out of curiosity I immediately bought it sat down and read it and I absolutely loved it. I'm now starting to realize that it is an unpopular opinion. D:
I felt similar about Red Queen. I enjoyed it, but it was so predictable. Everyone that raves about it always talks about the ~crazy twists and turns, but I saw everything coming, the foreshadowing was so painfully obvious.
I also thought that Red Queen was a bit disappointing. I didn't know about the book, it was one my cousin bought for me for Christmas, I really enjoyed the start, but I thought that the end was disappointing :/
oh? that's very weird. i actually liked the ending the most. why don't you like it?
Well I guess it didn't turn out how I expected it to be :/ Not in a bad way, actually. I've considered to buy the second book now, but I haven't really made up my mind yet.
YES! Thank you for mentioning Red Queen! I was so excited for it when it came out, I had high expectations, but it definitely didn't live up...the "huge plot twist" everyone was freaking out about was not a twist at all, it was blatantly obvious through Mere's internal thoughts that she knew one of the boys would betray her, we just didn't know which one. A lot of similarities to The Hunger Games and others as well (her sweet sister who is highly regarded, meanwhile she sneaks away with her guy best friend to steal or whatever I forget, cough cough gale...) Just very unoriginal :/
I agree with your opinion on Red Queen. Before reading it i had very high expectations as almost the whole of booktube has loved it but upon reading Red Queen I found it very cliché and that it followed a very basic plot line that didn't really captivate me as much as I expected. Great Review!
Jake G I agree, and it steals so many plot lines from other books such as Red Rising and Game of Thrones.
Very true, I really wanted to enjoy this series but just couldn't overlook these factors! :(
Taasia Thong Very true, I really wanted to enjoy this series but just couldn't overlook these factors! :(
I picked up The Selection by Kiera Cass, read the second chapter (The line where she complained about everyone calling her beautiful), and threw it across the room in frustration. I know a lot of people say it's a really good read once you get past the first few chapters, but honestly the story line seemed cliché (love triangle, girl thinks she isn't pretty, that type of stuff).
I read Gone Girl and I read The Girl on the Train and I have to say I enjoyed the latter very much. Not as much as Gone Girl but I find the ending interesting. It was great, not amazing but great. The most disappointing book this year was Night Film. I was so ready to love this book when I saw your five star review on Goodreads but I was so disappointed, it dragged and the ending was just meh. Happy New Year xx
Are you going to read 'The invisible library'?
The thumbnail attracted me to this and I have one question. Are those Harry Potter books in the background in English? I know it's a stupid question but I've only been able to find the Italian version and my current device doesn't work that well with my internet and crashes often, so I can never get too far with searching.
If so where did you get them?
If I go straight to a site and am quick it may work without crashing.
Thank you very much and I love the videos I have currently seen.
Thank you!
I actually liked red queen. I guess in the odd one here. It was predictable and it wasnt amazing but I still found it enjoyable and entertaining.
Yay an X-Men fan! Have you read Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday? I personally believe no X-Men reading list is truly complete without it. It's amazing. I like this book so much I mention it randomly everywhere I can. Anyway, really enjoy your videos :)
I totally agree on your thoughts for the Girl On the Train! I thought it was going to be totally different, and I was very disappointed in how it ended.
I'm disappointed at Carry on by Rainbow Rowe, I mean I don't think is a bad book, I really much enjoy it, but I guess I had huge expectations and the book didn't full fill them.
I totally agree with you about Red Queen. The romance was lackluster and confusing. The premise was interesting, but oddly developed. I'm glad I'm not the only one who was disappointed.
I totally felt the same about Red Queen, in addition to what you said about it I felt that the protagonist was very unrelatable and it didn't help that the names were super difficult to pronounce/ are so unconventional that they didn't make sense. It does still have room to improve and if there had not been so much hype then I might have liked it better but it just missed the mark.
GOOD! I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH WESLEY AND BIANCA'S RELATIONSHIP! They were just them having sex. They weren't a good couple, they were just friends with benefits and I hated it. Wesley was (like you said) verbally abusive to her.
I definitely agree with you on the Duff! It was just so unenjoyable to read hahah
I COMPLETELY AGREE ABOUT RED QUEEN!!! It was so much like every YA book mixed into one! I love this and all your videos! You're my spirit animal for reading
for me, the Lunar chronicles. cinder was nust ok to me and in Scarlet I couldn't stand either Scarlet nor Wolf. Cress was better, but still. I don't know if read the Last book or not
I wasn't crazy for Carry On by Rainbow Rowell or The Wise Mans Fear By Patrick Rothfuss. Which is sad because they are both spectacular authors.
I SO AGREE WITH RED QUEEN
totally agree with absolutely everything you said about it, it didn't live up to the hype for me
awh the fade out sounds super cool, i'm sorry it was disappointing!
i've heard some negative things about the slammed series but i think i might still give it a try
oh god i hated the duff lol it was soo bad in my opinion
loved this video! x
Those were my exact thoughts on Fade Out! I was so excited when I heard the premise, but so disappointed when I actually read the thing.:/
I think the (over)hype surrounding certain books, especially on booktube, made me have very high expectations and when I eventually got around to reading them, I was a little disappointed. Some of those books are: Vicious, Eleanor and Park, Gone girl, The sea of monsters and Paper towns
I'm glad I have found another soul who feel the same about The girl on the train. It was probably my biggest book disappoinment of the year.
I was so disappointed with The Girl on the Train... I also somehow guessed the plot twist. I literally just sat there and was like "I bet it was him. Yep"
A read Shutter by Courtney Alameda this year because I thought it'd be spooky and cool but honestly all the characters were pretty boring and the main character's father was super abusive but by the end of the book no one arrests him or helps the main characters they just think her dad's a great guy? Idk just wasn't good
One of my disappointing reads this year was unfortunately a book you counted among your favorites: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. I liked it, but felt that it dragged in some parts and that the ending was lackluster.
I would agree with your review of Red Queen. I was a tad bit disappointed because of the YA cliches and troupes.
Ugh, The Girl on the Train was such a let down. I was in a class in college early this year where we read ultra-contemporary novels. The Girl on the Train was the first one we read. We had to have it pre-ordered so that we'd get it on the day it came out. It was pretty entertaining for the most part, but that ending (the last 50-70 pages) was horrible. It's just like watching a Lifetime movie. The reveal, the dialogue, the final bits of action. My entire class of creative writing majors unanimously hated it.
I've been trying to read the girl on the train since last December, because it was a gift and I seriously can't. I read 20 pages and then I leave it on my bookshelves for like two months because baaahhh
I'm sorry, but I really disliked Cinder and Shadow and Bone (is that what it was called? Leigh Bardugo wrote it I don't remember)