In true 2020 nature, there have been some very awful books I've sadly set my eyes on.
It wasn't intentional but mate, I really need to stop judging books by their covers because sometimes they do lead me to despair.
It wouldn't be fair to keep those angry feeling to myself - that's what my therapist says anyway - so I'm going to share all the ugly bits with you because bookworms stick together even during pain - and believe me, these books truly were a pain in the ass. Pardon my french.
All of these books have been provided to me by Publishers which makes the whole thing more difficult because I still need my monthly dose of bookish mail but I'm also very vocal about my feelings.
I would also like to mention the fact that you never know how a book turns out to be, sometimes you think it's a good one based on major factors that make you believe you need that book on your tbr - like cover design, premise, plot, blurbs. But then personal taste could really shake things up and make you really hate a book you thought you would enjoy and this is exactly what happens to me most of the time.
But I digress, let's get the party started and leave these books behind - like most of 2020.
(You can still read all about my favourite books of 2020 here.)
- Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett. To be fair, I was totally drawn to it by the beautiful cover but stayed for the freshness of the plot which I thought it was new and thrilling but ended up being boring. The protagonist keeps living in the past, constantly thinking about her best friend who got away, but the author didn't give the characters any sort of depth or growth. Not to mention the fact that Jessa - our protagonist - has an affair with her brother's wife aka her best friend. It was so twisted and intriguing at that point but fell totally flat. Awesome sex scenes tho!
- The Body Double by Emily Beyda. This book was so frustrating to read that I actually dnf'ed it at first but then Summer came and I needed something to do - other than baking the fourth banana bread in a row. The premise is interesting: a girl - who remains unknown - is hired to be the body double of a famous star who's trying to recover from her own personal hell of drugs and depression. I thought "this sounds so interesting!" But then it took a turn and I couldn't wrap my brain around what a person is willing to do for money and fame and became so frustrating to the point where I really wanted to throw the book across the room and never see it again.
- The Boyfriend by Laura Southgate. Talking about frustrating books, this one deserves its crown of fuckery. It's the story of a young girl who starts an "affair" with an older man. The thing is, you never know if they do have an affair or not and it's just pages after pages of toxic masculinity that I really didn't ask for. Probably the worst read of 2020.
So yes, I've read really awful books that made me so furious and just overall frustrated at the thought of picking them up and give them my - limitless - time.
This post/rant wasn't made to offend the authors, obviously. As a writer, I know how much a bad review can hurt you and shape your craft, and I do believe that characters, in a story, can also become so real they start having a life of their own, without the author having anything to do with it.
At the end of the day, these are just one person's thoughts, so take it as you wish.