If you read many many books, it is hugely likely you’ll start to notice patterns in your likes vs dislikes.
You also notice patterns on the carpet because you spend so much time down there WEEPING OUT YOUR HEART because either a book just punched you in the mouth or you just bought a gorgeous hardcover only to have it go on sale the next day and all you can think is, “WHY, UNIVERSE, WHY.”
There are definitely a lot of patterns to take note of when one is in the bookworm realm.
Since I review everything I read * I’ve noticed there are some things I keep coming back to when books don’t work for me. I’d like to say “THAT BOOK FAILED ME!!!” and break a plate dramatically while my hair blows in the wind. But, let’s be reasonable here. ** Just because I don’t like a book doesn’t mean necessarily that the book is bad! I just have expectations and standards and if a book doesn’t meet them = boom, my son. It is not for me.
So today *** I want to list 10 things that I continually complain about in books with small mewling cries. Because they just keep coming up! It’s not even my fault!
* This is partially to help me to try to remember what I just read because I SWEAR…I have no memory of anything anymore. Except for important things, like the month, week, and date I last devoured a scotch egg because somehow that’s important and my brain filed that information carefully.
** I KNOW. THAT IS AN ASTOUNDING IDEA ON MY BLOG, OF ALL PLACES.
*** Because Top Ten Tuesday is on HOLIDAYS, peoples, and I can’t even. It’s like being abandoned by your mother in a grocery store honestly. Come baaaaack, TTT, I love you. I can’t be expected to blog all by myself. I’m too young for this.
1. WHERE IS THE WORLD BUILDING, SON? DID YOU LOSE IT. CHECK UNDER THE TABLE AND SEE IF IT’S THERE.
I swear I try to be calm, but do you know what’s important in this life? CHEESECAKE YOGURT. Um…wait, well, okay that is true. But also: WORLDS THAT MAKE SENSE. And while our world doesn’t particularly make sense, * there are general principles and cultures that do. They have to. It’s called THE WORLD. And when I read a book that just doesn’t bother to develop this at all….it’s peeving.
How am I supposed to accept this fantasy world exists when there are no politics or culture or history?
I actually, unfortunately, find adult fantasy is waaaay better with world building than YA. And I feel like a heinous blueberry saying this, please forgive me.
Here are some snippets from my Goodreads reviews:
I don’t know, mate. DO WE SEE A PATTERN.
LOOK I LONG FOR WORLD BUILDING AND CULTURE LIKE I LONG FOR CHEESECAKE YOGURT. Which is a lot.
* What have you done, America.
2. BORING OR RIDICULOUS NAMES.
“Why are you so fussy, Cait?” you say skeptically as you tentatively try some cheesecake yogurt because I won’t shut up about it and either you eat it or murder me with a small shovel for being so annoying. “You can’t have it both ways.”
WELL WHY NOT.
As much as names get reused soooo much (like is everyone in the apocalypse called Eden? Are all contemporaries full of Chloes, Emmas, Sams, Jaxs, and Grace??) it’s equally a peeve of mine when the name is ridiculously out-of-context. If you were born in 1990s your name is MUCH more likely to be Jessica or Stephanie than it is to be KAI OR SUMMER OR ARLO as is happening in 2015. *
Look balance would just be nice.
And please don’t make me read another Grace. DON’T MAKE ME. I’M SO TIRED OF GRACE. **
And shout out to Of Fire and Stars that had names like Thandilimon, Zumordan, Dennaleia, and Amarathine.
That is…that is the opposite of what we need. Unless you want me giggling. Fantasy keyboard smashes = please don’t.
* And yes I am talking about Western names here. Obviously different countries would have different overused or underused or ridiculous names.
** FYI if your name is Grace, don’t cry. My middle name is Grace and I’m still over it.
3. THE MIDDLE WAS SLOWER THAN ME GETTING TO A SOCIAL OUTING.
Because if you time your arrival to a social outing about 3 minutes before everyone leaves — BOOM. You’re clever and you’re also me. I don’t want to see book middles be as slow as my social life.
When reviewing, I’m nearly ALWAYS saying “but the middle was booooooring” because apparently I have the attention span of a very—-
OH MY GOODNESS DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE TIME I TOOK OVER THE SUN IT’S A SUPER FUN STORY LET ME TELL YOU EVERYTHING.
4. HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE IN AMERICAN AND WHY.
See the problem is I am neither (a) American, or (b) never went to highschool or college. And yet I read a lot of USA literature. Actually what am I saying…this isn’t a problem. This is genius of me. But the second I open a YA contemporary and they start going on about school I just…nope.
The problem here is NOT that the books are about a culture I know 0% about…it’s that THEY DON’T EXPLAIN ANYTHING ABOUT IT. Because they assume everyone knows.
My vegemite and I are just over here, very confused.
Plus I don’t really care about what goes on at school??? Don’t we read to escape? Who is reading to escape to go to school??
5. UNLIKEABLE CHARACTERS ARE, SURPRISINGLY, VERY UNLIKEABLE.
There’s like this super fun idea amongst books, that if you have an unlikeable character with a redemption arc, readers will be so excited to see them become better people.
HAHA HAHA HAHAHA.
Not me.
Dude, if you are a selfish jerky character who spends 70% of the book being a selfish jerk, I HAVE STOPPED CARING. I’m so sick of reading about unlikeable characters! And you can have characters with unlikeable faults (don’t most characters have aspects that are like dead marmalade toast?!), but the point is I have to root for them still.
Here is a math sum of how to write a good unlikeable character: mean person + rude to people + secretly super stressed because never gets to sleep because working jobs after school to feed small sister = HELLO, I FEEL FOR YOU.
Instead of just being a brat for no reason. UGH.
6. OH! HERE’S A RANDOM ROMANCE TO SMACK YOU IN THE FACE RIGHT OUT OF THE BLUE.
Because Jupiter forbid we could actually have a teenager who didn’t want a relationship right now. Or better yet: maybe a teenager who just never met a decent person they wanted to go out with. Like it happens?!?
I like reading romance. I do! Don’t even ask me to tell you about my ships because I have SEVERAL ARMADAS. *
But if I have to utter the words “unnecessary romance” in a review, you can literally see pieces of my soul turning blue and falling dead and cold on the ground.
* And some of them are ships with people in them too! And not just me lusting over the Black Pearl.
7. IS NO ONE HUNGRY AROUND HERE? DOES NO ONE EVER NEED A SNACK?
Look, all I’m saying is that books where they’re running all over the country side to wipe out an emperor or climb a mountain or sass someone half to death — YOU NEED TO EAT. I feel like every YA sci-fi I read, all they do is gnaw on a few ration bars and they’re good to go for the next 8 working days.
HOW.
I appreciate foodie descriptions in books! Plus it’s a really great way to build culture, develop character quirks and personalities, and also make a bookworm hungry so they eat the tome they’re holding and therefore have to buy a new one and — BOOM. More sales.
Someone put me in marketing, I am a genius.
8. NOT ENOUGH DIALOGUE.
Please tell me I’m not the only one who may occasionally skim huge hunks of text to get back to the dialogue. Hmm? Please? HELP ME OUT HERE. I FEEL LIKE A CHILD.
9. EVERYTHING FEELS SO VERY SAFE.
I can generally tell when an author is going to scare me. There is just this feeling, you know?! It’s actually hard to explain!
For instance, going into a VE Schwab book? I’M SCARED. I AM ALWAYS SO SO SCARED. Other books I read and I’m like “the author won’t kill anyone” and I’m almost always right.
I WANT TO BE SCARED. I want to have no idea if everyone’s going to make it out the end!! It keeps me engaged with the book and feeling protective over the small cinnamon characters.
And I, too, always want books to be DARKER. But…this might be just my Slytherin side and I. But really. All books could be darker…
10. I DIDN’T CONNECT TO THE CHARACTERS BECAUSE I AM THE VULCAN QUEEN.
An unfortunate side effect of being the Vulcan queen is, well…it takes a really special book to make me connect to the characters. But most of the time, my #1 comment in reviews is “THIS WAS GREAT BUT I REALLY DIDN’T CARE ABOUT [INSERT NAME HERE] SO THAT’S A SHAME!” and then I go eat a planet because what else is there left for me in this cold world.
I am a lot less emotional than most and find it difficult to connect to people in books. And…um…in real life. Although if you want me to tear up, just please go watch the music video for Brother by Kodaline. I SWEAR. THAT WAS SO UNKIND TO MY EMOTIONS. I HAVE 9 TEARS IN MY EYES.
If a 3:24 minute music video can be more emotional than a 400-page novel…maybe it’s not just me?
However this really does come up in a LOT of my reviews. I connect less than a dot-to-dot colouring in book, I swear. It’s a little depressing. As much as I love books, my eternal plea is “MAKE ME CAAAAARE!!!” Please. Do. Sometime today, would be nice.
#5… so much #5. I have so little patience for unlikeable characters.
Why would we root for someone who’s selfish and rude/cruel right?!
Peeve 1
When a character suddenly does something completely out of character for no reason and without explanation OR acknowledgement. Pisses me off every time.
Peeve 2
When a character is smart but continuously does the stupidest thing possible for the given situation (this is when I root for the death of a character I had loved).
I of course have many,many,many (a plethora even) more peeves but these 2 happen with unfortunate frequency.
Ugh I HATE the out-of-character thing! I’ve quit series because of that. And the stupid-decisions thing gets really tiring too.😂
I like to see sufficient word building in the books I read too. Also yes to why to characters not snack or pee? I mean no on ever pees in any book. Whyyyyy?
We need to know when they snack and when they get a chance for the bathroom.😂 Especially when they’re like in an action-adventure where they’re WITH each other the whole time. I mean. I have questions.😂
Haha!! Me too. Many many questions
I so agree with a lot of these! You’re not alone about the dialogue, that’s so me too! I thought I was the only one who felt that way! It’s so good to see someone else feels the same! Totally agree about the hunger and romance issue. Also, I really don’t like unlikable characters. I like to be rooting for a person. I do like reading about high school and college and university, but like you I don’t live in America (but I do read a lot of books written by authors from the USA) and some more explanations would be nice. I would be so on board with that.
The middle of a book is generally the hardest part for me to read. The end of it, I read really quickly, the beginning as well. The first half generally takes me a lot longer to get through than the second half. The last quarter, goes by really quickly. But the middle sometimes drags and it’s hard to get through. I can’t quite explain it, but.. that’s just the way it is! Not with all books obviously. But definitely with some. Like, sometimes it takes me 4 days to read the 33% – 67% of the book (estimates!) but I finish the last third in an afternoon.
I like some good world building. It’s very true about YA fantasy vs. adult fantasy. I read both, myself (I also read children’s / middle-grade fantasy).
Overall, great list! I agree with a lot of them. So nice to see someone else who agrees with me about the dialogue thing. Like, if there’s huge walls of text, I’m thinking, when do I get dialogue again?! Somehow I find dialogue easier to read, or something. I don’t know. It’s just.. my eyes just naturally focus on it? I don’t know what even.
Yyayyy we are practically officially TWINS NOW, GAIA.😂 And dialogue is like the best?! I can’t live without it tbh. And I just want people to care more about food than each other…surely that’s a normal thing to ask…
*coughs awkwardly*
I generally am slow-ish at the beginning because I’m trying to get a grip on the world, but the middle I practically skim half the time because they get SO BORING.😂 Only the best of books keep me engaged the whole time. *flails*
Also I feel like YA fantasy is more interested in matching everyone up? And adult fantasy is like “here’s ya world building and death”.😂 NICE.
I despise “Strong female characters” who are apparently strong because they have a tragic past, can beat up any man (or monster) and acts jerkishly towards everyone else. I love strong female characters, particularly if they can look after themselves, but this is not a strong female character! she is an emotionless machine who exists mostly for “girl power”, a pretty face and a love triangle. Just, urgh, no!
And yes, names annoy me so much as well.
Haven’t we got enough YA about America? We need some Australian ya! (speaking of which, do you have any suggestions for good aussie ya? I’m looking for suggestions).
YES!!!!! This drives me insane too! Just having a bitch for the sake of “strong women” does not appeal to me.
exactly!! i was gonna comment that too, it drives me insane
Agreed! It’s like people think “strong female character” = fighter and masculine. Which is SO sexist. I believe females can be strong AND feminine or clever or emotional. And like of course it’s cool to have girls who are badass and epic and not emotional…but we need both?!?
Oh I have so so many Aussie suggestions.😂 Have you read anything by Steph Bowe, Melissa Keil, Cath Crowley, or Melina Marchetta?
I do too! It drives me crazy.
No, I haven’t, I don’t read a lot of contemporary (I’m mostly into fantasy and historical) but I’m trying to get into the genre. I’ll look them up at my library!
you are so right about all these things!!! Also, you’re hilarious.
WELL THIS PLEASES ME GREATLY. THANK YOU.😂
I will brave the waters of political incorrectness by saying that one thing I hate in YA is present tense. Reminds me of the old Zork game.
“I walk through a dark tunnel. At the end, I see a fork.”
Why not chopsticks?
Is it because I’m old?
Erm…I have NO idea what present-tense has to do with political correctness. I personally love present-tense but each to their own!
OMG the world building is one of my biggest pet peeves, because why is so weak in YA fantasy! THAT RANDOM ROMANCE MAKES ME SO ANNOYED OMG HELLO WE WERE AT AN ADVENTURE. Also why do people not eat in books? 1
I knoooow right?! It’s like YA fantasy is more concentrated on making sure everyone has someone to kiss instead of telling us how the heck the economics work😂
#6 SO MUCH YES. I actually went through a period where I was trying to find books without romantic sub-plots and I COULDN’T FIND ANY. And that sucked. A lot. Because at the time I was feeling a lot of negative things about romance and I wanted to escape in my favorite place – books! And, nope. Everybody’s gotta have some random thrown-in romance all the time. Because no one in the world is ever single for five years or ten years or their whole lives…except yes, they are.
With #1, I always have the opposite problem. I get into a good adult story and I have to skim through half of it because it’s boring backstory political-historical stuff and I just don’t care because I want to know if the character is going to make it out alive and why are we talking about the history of sword-smithing?!?! It’s one of the reasons I prefer YA. And this totally affects my own writing. Just got beta reads back on my first novel and everyone’s like “um, yeah, but why do the Nazis do it that way?” So I guess I’m an outlier, which has me back in the story working to fill in those blanks.
It’s sooo hard. *cries* I have a few books I LOVE with no-romance so that’s good, but there definitely aren’t enough. *sobs* And yes, right? Not everyone meets someone they like in their town/school/class!!
I think there needs to be better balance with the world building tbh. I don’t like info dumps either. *sobs* But it’s really important to really set up your world so a reader can get lost in it and not feel apathetic! I struggle with this in my writing too.😂
YES YES AND YES! I hate when romance is just added into the book without any real reason for it! I also hate when all books are set in America and I just can’t relate because hello, there are other countries out there too! ALSO I hate when books have really weak main characters! I like characters who know what they want and can go get it! Lovely post overall Cait! <3
I know right?! It’s like everyone forgets there are other countries other than the USA….*sighs* 😂
I am with you all the way on the world building. BUILD MORE WORLD and build it better.
ALL WE WANT IS EXCELLENT WORLD BUILDING. C’MON WE DO NOT ASK FOR MUCH.
Exactly. We are not fussy people.
you read a book with a Kai in it????? how strange. I just think thats strange because I watch a show with a Kai in it and I will never be able to picture a Kai any way else. there was also a Lloyd, who’s a ninja and then I was reading Jane eyre for school and there is a docter named Lloyd and I’m just over here like ‘WHAT THE HECK?? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE.’ (omgosh that cat gif)
ahem.
hey, that gif in number 8, I’ve watched that show! only some of it, not very many episodes. I couldn’t stand it. XP
I also just made up a really cool name in a diffrent language…. its so cool. so, so cool.
we went to a pool party yesterday, because it was about 90 dagrees. and I climbed onto a floating raft thing, lay down strait, hands clasped over my belly as if I was holding a sword, closed my eyes, and plotted character deaths while drifting around the pool. it was quite inspireing, even though I decided not to kill the character at all, so I’m going to have to kill someone else, since the funeral I made up sounded awesome. or maybe I’ll kill the character anyway……
Most crazily, ~Olive
I was just picking Kai as a name out of the air, haha! But I’ve read 2 books with Kais in them I think? Cinder and something else with Snow in the title…the name escapes me.😂
I don’t know what show the gif is from hhaha, sorry. It just fit!
AWWW, WHAT A NICE WAY TO PLOT CHARACTER DEATHS.😂
who can ever remember XD
it fits perfectly! but basicly the girl in the red dress is a robot, but she’s always saying weird stuff and startling people, and its so weird. XD 😛
IT TOTALLY IS. XD
Most crazily, ~Olive
Ridiculous names that I can’t pronounce will not encourage me to read further in the story.
And if there are 40 pages in a row with a total of 12 lines of dialogue, I am out.
Yes, there has to be backstory, and a good establishment of things like culture and setting — but surely there are more interesting ways to do it than massive info-dumps?! The old “show don’t tell” is still solid advice for writers. Plus there are lots of techniques other than a narrator droning on and on — like the use of letters, newspaper articles, maps, family trees, etc.
And I have an issue with trying to connect to characters that don’t seem to have any real problems. It’s a big part of why I stopped reading most contemporaries. I truly DO NOT CARE if the character only got a B on their exam, or can’t find a pair of pink shoes that week, or that goofy date didn’t call her/him back. WHO GIVES A DAMN?! Your friend has gone missing, and you discover they’re on their way to Neptune to become an unwilling monarch to fulfill an ancient prophecy that a gnome read on the back of a cereal box. Now THAT is a problem.
Gahhhh, it just makes my head hurt. And really really bland names don’t help either. It might be realistic, but I swear I just get characters SO confused if they all have like “top 100 baby names” list sort of names.😂
And agreed! I think it’s in the details, with the backstory/world building. A few well place and solidly specific details can make all the difference. (ALSO MAPS. *falls rapidly in love*)
And yeeeah…like when I read books about super rich American teens who literally have the BEST life and their parents buy them cars and they have tons of friends and I’m like “how can you even be complaining right here”.😂😂 It’s so alien from me. (This is why fantasy is better. 😉 )
I am 100% with you on world building. If a fantasy or sci-fi book doesn’t have good enough world building, then how does the book expect me to follow what’s going on without getting lost? I also get confused by American schools in books. I’m British so our schools seem really chilled compared to American ones. Why do they have so many exams and homework? Don’t these teens ever have time to actually be teenagers instead of studying all the time??
SAME. And like I don’t like info-dumps, but well placed details make ALL the difference!! And Australian schools are like way way different to British and American schools so you can imagine how confusing it gets.😂
Yeah, not a fan of random romances. You can have a happily ever after without everyone getting married. I also get peeved about confusing/bad worldbuilding, boring narrators, important questions left unanswered, and predictable plot twists.
Exactly! And sometimes it undermines how important friendship is and how strong platonic love is!
I COMPLETELY agree with #6. So far, every book I’ve found in the YA section of our library has some kind of romance in it. Honestly, can’t someone write a YA book without romance? I’m OK with reading romance, but I would like to read some without it.
Great list! 🙂
Same! I love a good romance, but it’s refreshing not to have any. If you’re interested I have a list of non-romantic YA here.😂
I agree! And thank you! 🙂 I will use that list. hahah 🙂
hey out of curiosity, who are your ships. also, what are examples of unnecessary romance (we could be thinking of the same books LOL)
Haha, oh I have too many ships.😂 I do love the romances in The Raven Cycle, Strange the Dreamer, Ruined, and all the Shadowhunter books! I just read Here Lies Daniel Tate and am still a bit peeved at how unnecessary that romance was.🙈
I’m completely in agreement on all of these! The world building one, OMG yes! I always go on and on about this in fantasy reviews because I need all the world building, although I do have a caveat to that, because if a book is going on and on about a certain world’s politics, yes it’s interesting, but I’d rather get back to the action. So I think it’s a balance, I need enough to understand the culture and customs and everything, but not so much that I get bored. At this point ridiculous names just make me laugh and roll my eyes, but I agree, there are way too many of them. It’s easy enough to find a unique name that doesn’t sound totally ridiculous. The middle being boring is probably one of my most common complaints as well, authors seem to be great at getting a gripping start and a gripping end but often have no idea what to do with the middle. I do okay on the American high school and college, but only because I watch a lot of US TV shows and I agree, it is kind of boring. Unnecessary romance is probably my biggest pet peeve of ever and I still don’t understand why every single book of ever needs to have romance. I kind of like unlikable characters, I’m a big villain fan, but I do agree that they need to have a reason for being that way. I LOVE dialogue, so it pisses me off when authors go on for pages and pages with flowery description. Get me back to the banter! I also hate it when characters are flat and I agree, books can always get darker! Basically we’re the same person, haha.
I’m glad I’m not alone with the hankering after more world building.😂 It just needs to be more of a thing right?!? IT’S FUN. And info-dumps are a definite no. But I think it can be in the details? Just a few really well placed and specific details can make all the difference.
Yesss, gah, why do we need so SO much romance?! I will forever praise authors if they can get through a book without adding in a clump of romance. I think it’s also a bit unrealistic to assume you’ll always meet someone you like when you’re so young!
You do know that you can return that gorgeous hardcover and get the sale price, right? Unless you carelessly threw away your receipt, then dumped coffee grounds on it so it disintegrated. I believe that’s called a teachable moment, but it still hurts.
Totally agree with you about unlikable characters. If I can’t root for someone and don’t like them, than why should I keep reading?
And YES ABOUT EATING! Does no one in books ever eat??? I mean, they go on these epic quests and walk and walk and walk but never seem to take a meal break. What’s up with that? At least the Hobbits taught us the importance of Second Breakfast!
How do you feel about the lack of a plot? I once stopped reading a beautifully written story because nothing happened. There was no plot, just day to day, boring life. Why would I want to read about someone else’s boring day when I’m reading to escape my own boring life? Weird.
And now I want some cheesecake yogurt.
Bahah, I mean, when you order online things are a bit different.😂
And yeS. Like I love a good villain (a bad good villain?!? SOMETHING) but there has to be some reason for me to be invested and if they’re selfish jerks the whole time, nope. I’m outta here. And I also need WAY more food in books. I get hungry just reading these people eat their one ration-bar and then conquer the world. Like no. Shouldn’t we have a snack ever 3 to 4 hours? Thanks.
Also YES. I should’ve said that about the plot too! I get soooooo bored with no plot. One of my most highly anticipated books of this year ended up having zero plot and I am sad.
Okay, a lot of this is me. I completely feel you. SO MANY REPEATED NAMES OR NAMES THAT JUST SEEM IMPOSSIBLE TO PRONOUNCE?? LIKE?? WHY?? And worldbuilding is important, guys. (Says the woman trying to figure out how to make her world realistic lmao.)
I also agree about the dialogue. Even if sometimes I write short stories with zero dialogue. I mean, what.
And 100000% about the unlikable characters.
Don’t worry, I cry over my own world building too.😂😂 BUT IT’S STILL IMPORTANT!
OMG, Middle-Name-Graces UNITE!! We can start a club with t-shirts and everything.
Also, Kodaline will be the death of me. I watched the Brother video, and then proceeded to go on a Kodaline video-watching spree. I just had emotions over a lost dog. Many, many emotions. THE LIL PUPPER WAS LOST.
Ohh another middle-name-Gracer.😂 WHY IS IT SUCH A COMMON MIDDLE NAME THOUGH. bahaha.
Dude, Kodaline is mean. Whatever did we do to them?????
OMIGOSH, I thought I was the only one who skipped to the dialogue in long passages of text #OOPS!
I 98% agree with EVERYTHING the Vulcan Queen has stated, BE PROUD, I’m agreeing with you! BUT, 1) I’m not American BUT I have had the school experience, so since like most people who read books (okay, I’m ASSUMING SORRY) have been high school or whatever, it would be kinda tedious to explain the details…? BUT I SHALL JUST HAVE TO BE NICE TO YOUR SOUL to make up for this!
I HATE SIMILAR OR BORING NAMES TOO! Why can’t everyone have names like Lazlo, SERIOUSLY? But when writing, coming up with names IS.SO.HARD. Send Help, PLEASE.
I definitely think some books avoid being dark! AND IT’s ANNOYING, like well, I predict a HEA, THANKS. I WANT TO BE SURPRISED, on the edge of my seat! I also find a lot of the time I don’t care for the characters and SO MEH about the book!
I definitely think some books are guilty of just copying other books and NOPE. Also, DON’T KILL ME, i feel like some of the ‘snark’ and ‘sass’ in books is SOMETIMES so annoying and fake and NOPE. A re-occurring complaint? THE BOOK DIDN’T DO anything for me. Like there is nothing AMAZING about it! I WANT SOME OOMPH? right. Also, LOVe squares/triangles or insta love.
NOPE, WE’RE PRACTICALLY THE SAME PERSON, IT’S OFFICIAL NOW.😂 Also I’m really pleased I’m not alone in these haha. And I do get that it’d be tedious to explain buuuuut…at the same time it’s really alienating!? I have no idea what the difference is between the freshman and sophomore and like all those things.😂
LAZLO IS DARLING.
I think it’s okay that books are light! I mean, not everyone is me. (Thank goodness, let’s be real here.) But I just like my books a shade darker.😂
And that’s fine! The snark can be done badly.😂I prefer self-depreciating sass to like downright sarcasm. I don’t like humour when it’s at the expense of other people.
Definitely agree that books should be darker. I may not be Slytherin, but my Griffindor side does need a lil torture and death here and there to stir up the feels, ya know?
Simi 🙂
YES. Nothing wrong with everything being just a smidge darker and … mORE EVIL. 😂😈😈
*Raises hand* I’m nineteen and I’ve never been in a relationship. Honestly, the idea that all teenagers date was my problem with The Ice Cream Girls. One of the main characters is really concerned that her daughter might be seeing someone. Said daughter is thirteen. Like, I understand that she has her reasons (backstory), but still. At thirteen, I was interested in swimming, and reading, and not getting ditched from my friendship group (ha ha, fail), not boys. Some girls are, sure, but the daughter doesn’t seem fussed. As she points out, reading Judy Blume books does not mean she’s living like she’s in one (paraphrased).
And YES. Unlikeable characters are generally unbearable. My real problem with them though is when they are the narrator. Joe Rose narrates Enduring Love and he is the very definition of unlikeable. I hated him and I hated the book.
I know right?! I was like all into writing Narnia fanfic at 13 and going on hikes and like just being a fun childhood mess. I don’t getttt why people wnat ot grow up fast. And tbh I still am not a romantic.😂 But like I don’t mind reading romance, I just wish there were more options without it, right?
I have selfish and self-obsessed characters.😭😭
Now see, I like unlikeable characters. As long as they’re not the devil incarnate. There’s something delicious about a bad boy. And ESPECIALLY a hate-to-love relationship *THROWS CONFETTI* HOWEVER it depends on the author. And how they write the unlikeable character.
Also YES TO STUPID NAMES. I wanted to read After The Fire by Will Hill for ages.. Until I learned the MCs name is Moonbeam. MOONBEAM. What kind of name is that?!? I MEAN COME ON. It’s ridiculous enough that this generation is butchering good names by spelling them in a silly way, but to name your kid MOONBEAM. *DIES LAUGHING* Also a quick thing: If you’re going to include a name unpronounceable, at least be bloody gracious enough to include a “How to say these names” list. I’M LOOKING AT YOU SARAH J MAAS. AND YOU VERONICA ROTH. For what I read of Carve The Mark, I couldn’t pronounce a bloody thing. I read in my head, and when I have to trip over words/butcher them because there’s no pronunciation guide, it completely takes me out of my reading.
I’m not a fan of the whole getting a couple together to break them up for some inane reason and then get them back together ON THE VERY LAST PAGE. Or hidden secrets that break up a couple. *EYE ROLL* Or convenient ex-boyfriends/girlfriends that mysteriously reappear just as the MCs are moving on and it creates a stupid triangle.
And the last thing that gets my goat is editing errors. I KNOW IT’S SO FINICKY OF ME. I KNOW it can’t be helped but I cringe inside when they use the wrong name/use the wrong grammar/use the wrong characters name, anything like that. For all the people who read the book, HOW DO THEY NOT PICK UP ON THIS. It infuriates me. I have written angry one-star reviews because of stupid plot holes/editing errors.
I think that’s it that bugs me in books. Although, much like when you watch 24, WHEN DO CHARACTERS PEE. ARE THEY LIKE JACK BAUER AND JUST DON’T HAVE TO GO, EVER? EH EH EH. I always ask the important questions.
Hate to love relationships are good! And YES. I think characters with unlikeable qualities are fine…like I generally root for a villain.😂 But not when they’re super selfish and rude. I just can’t with the selfish/rude thing. Especially if they’re like a rich privledged teen who’s never even had life problems and they’re just throwing tantrums. *rolls eyes*
Okay I couldn’t take Moonbeam seriously either.😂
And yES. Like ridiculous breakups are just frustrating. We know it’s just there for the angst and that they’ll get together again. *sighs*
I actually never notice grammar. Probably because I can’t grammar. 😂
You are NOT – I repeat ARE NOT – the only one who skips big hunks of text to read dialogue. Dialogue is THE BEST. I love wittiness and banter, and I need moooore of it. And I also agree strongly with 7 (where’s the food???) and 9 – I LOVE SUSPENSE. Keep me on the edge of my seat, and you’ve won me over. And of course, if a world isn’t explained very well (and it doesn’t even have a MAP for me to go by), then…it definitely loses points. Maps are good.
DUUUUDE, WE ARE LIKE TWINS NOW. IT’S OFFICIAL. Dialogue fTW.😂 I would just like whole books of banter tbh. That’s what life is about.
And also what is the point of the book if I don’t finish craving some sort of food.😂
I completely agree about the unnecessary romance one, especially when the romance takes over what would’ve otherwise been an interesting plot. Unfortunately, that kind of sums up the last book I read, which I was originally really excited for . . .
BTW, why are you blaming America for not making sense? I mean, I will admit that we don’t always make complete sense. But it’s not like we’re any worse than a lot of other countries now or throughout history.
Duuuuuude, America makes less sense right now than any other country. 😂😂
But I do wish there could be some books were romance wasn’t needed. It is possible!
So true, Cait, so true. I recently read a romance novel they would have been better without the romance. Or at least characters I care about.
You know what also annoys me in contemporaries? When the protagonist gets good grades/into ivy league with VERY MINIMAL STUDYING!!! I take courses similar to theirs (all honors, with alone APs) and my homework load is the size of a small planet (so… bigger than Pluto). I want to see a protagonist study night and day, stressing and crying and saying no to parties and such to get into their dream school… and then get denied. Sorry that just angers me.
I know right?! I haven’t ever done that like massive-study-to-get-into-uni thing, but from what I hear from IRL people it’s really life consuming. So when these characters get into good colleges but have time to have wild adventures….it doesn’t seem very realistic.🙈
I love everything about this post, and am relating so hard to feeling lost without TTT, and also, DON’T GET ME STARTED ON THAT KODALINE VIDEO
I can’t.
SOMEONE AS KODALINE WHAT WE DID TO THEM BECAUSE HOW DARE THEY HURT US LIKE THIS. 😭😭😭
I GET WHAT YOU MEAN,, Unlikable characters *runs away* *beats with brick* *DOESN’T LIKE THEM*
Characters I cannot connect with,, “plssss no!!!!!!” I find my self becoming less and less connected to characters in YA Contemporaries because FANTASY IS TAKING OVER MY SOUL *lol what soul* and I FEEL LEGIT NOTHING!
And the long paragraphs.. *shudders* SPEAK MY SMOLS. SPEAK!!
And bless you to the vegemite Gods.,,, AMERICA! Where even are the books set in Britain? Im sorry,,, but like,, why is everything set in America,, cool there are loads of hamburgers well GUESS WHAT I’m vegetarian and I want book set someplace else #gofantantasyandmadeupplacesthatareactuallyrealk?
FANTASY TAKING OVER YOUR SOUL IS ONLY A GOOD THING.😂
Everything does seem to be set in the USA. haha. I think maybe because they have the best publicity to get their books on bestseller lists and such?
Yeah I think so! And like,,, a lot if the really “hyped” books are like,,, but authors in America????? so there like writing from their own experiences.
FANTASY FANTASY FANTASY
Unnecessary romance drives me CRAZY!!!!!
I’m not as bothered by the amount of school settings, than by the inaccurate representations of homeschoolers, I have yet to read a book that doesn’t portray homeschoolers as idiots!!
I also can’t stand it when the characters are unlikeable, when I stop caring if the main character survives, there’s obviously something wrong.
If you want a YA series with good world building I would strongly suggest Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce, the world feels really real.
There’s also a few other series set in the same world, and by the time I finished all of them I think I know the world in the books better than the one I live in…
I’m soooo over it tbh.😂 I just wish we could have some more emphasis on friendships too?! And how important platonic love is! And omg I really HATE it when homeschooling is portrayed negatively. It’s super insulting. 😒 I read this book called Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli and like…it was just really offensive to homeschoolers. Seriously.
I haven’t actually ever read Tamora Pierce. I should!
Um yes I agree with all of this WHY ARE THE MIDDLE OF BOOKS SO ANNOYING.
And also yes because whenever something bad is going to happen I JUST KNOW IT IN MY COLD DARK SOUL. I guess I have sensing superpowers or something I SHALL GO AND BE A NEW SUPERHERO NOW.
Also c’mon Cait YOU NEVER FINISHED YOUR STORY ABOUT HOW YOU TOOK OVER THE SUN??? Like no Cait why are you making us suffer I want to hearrrrr.
Me: *Sees link to something that will make me cry*
Me: *clicks*
Me: Haha I totally won’t cry.
Me: *cries*
DANGIT CAIT
LET’S JUST AVOID MIDDLES. HUZZAH.😂 I mean, we might miss out on important details but pfft. It’ll be fine.😂
I GOT DISTRACTED AGAIN ABOUT MY SUN STORY SEE IT IS ALL ABOUT–
OMG IS THAT A SQUIRREL.
All of these. World building is one my biggest complaints as well. Also when authors never kill off anyone! That’s the worst. It always makes me bored when I know that everyone is safe.
YES! I always get a bit apathetic when I know the author won’t kill anyone off!😂
I always feel peeved about the romance too!! I mean, not all teenagers are in serious relationships before they graduate from high school. Like, NOT EVERYONE FALLS IN LOVE WHEN THEY’RE FIFTEEN, OKAY??
I also hate how even though high school is often a big part of the characters’ lives it’s only the SOCIAL aspect. I mean, what happened to studying and wailing because the weight of your fifty classes is threatening to murder you in your nonexistent sleep?? And I feel you on just not being able to relate to the highschool aspect. I actually only went to one year of public high school (hated it). It’s much better to just skip to college xD. Plus, i was never popular like…at all… so I definitely can’t relate to the social aspect.
I also wish religion played a bigger part in YA, especially YA contemporary! I mean, obviously we don’t want to be pounded over the head with religious agendas, but for a lot of teenagers that is a big part of their lives, and it would be super, super cool to see that! I think it’s cool we’re getting some books where the MC is Muslim and that’s a big part of the book, and it’s awesome! But it would be great, in my opinion, to get some characters who are like Lutheran or Mormon or Baptist or something!
Anyway, fantastic post!!
Exactly! And sometimes the only people in your life are kind of…weird or gross or something.😂And it’s pretty unrealistic to assume every teen will crush on someone at school. Sometimes it doesn’t happen.
And I always get stuck in writing when I’m trying to do a contemporary with the school issue. I’m like…”I’m setting this in summer.”😂😂
I am like a bit hit-or-miss with religion? Like I’d *like* to learn about more of them (I really wish there were more books about Jews because they have so much history and culture and it’s super interesting) but like I find Christian writers tend to juts get very preachy. I do wish there could be religion IN books without the books being considered “religion books”. If that makes sense?
I know. Not all of us can attract the hottest guys xD.
Oh yeah!! I LOVE reading about Jewish MCs! I’ve actually read a ton of books where the main character is Jewish, and they have such a rich, beautiful culture!
Definitely, that’s what I was thinking about. I don’t like religion books at all even though I’m very religious myself, but I just think it would be cool to maybe have it mentioned or something. Yeah, I definitely don’t like when writers have an agenda either!
OMG, I think I have never related to a blog post so much! I am everything you said in here. I Need my books to be dark, darker, DARKER!!
And I finished a book (third in a series) a few days ago. I loved everything about it, the story, the characters, the humor, the uniqueness … but I just didn’t care. At all. Which is sooo sad!
Oh and the dialogue thing … I don’t. But I love a good dialogue. Which is unfortunate, because I am truly horrible at writing dialogue. I have no social life?? How do humans word?? I never do it! I can write descriptions, monologues everything (never said it’s good!) but when I try to write dialogue my brain goes blank …
And the Highschool thing is so true! I am neither american not have I ever been to a highschool (or School System is very different) but I don’t read a lot of contemporary in generell. Most of the time I don’t really connect or love it as much as I would a Fantasy book. And romance with no chemistry or anything or just out of the blue is the worst!
I’M SOOO PLEASED YOU’RE THE SAME. *hi fives* Yay for darker books.😂I mean…I should probably feel bad, but yet. *adjusts halo as it sleeps*
DARRRRRKER BOOKS PLEASE.
I really like writing dialogue tbh, so that’s probably why I enjoy reading it so much! But I think this is why audiobooks are so good for me, because I don’t skim to get to the dialogue.😂
Yayyyy for homeschooler pride! 😂 Schools are just so strange omg.
I’m an American, but I was homeschooled and half the time had NO IDEA what was happening in Contemporary high school settings. I feel ya.
AND OH MY GOSH YES, THE UNREALISTIC WORLD BUILDING. Especially these strictly warrior cultures and assassin’s guilds. WHO FEEDS TUE STABBY BASTARDS?! It takes approximately 100 farmers/tradesmen/workers to support ONE full-time warrior and having hundreds or thousands of them hanging about DOESN’T WORK. Just one example.
*hi fives* 😂 We RELATE HERE. 😂 I think this is obviously why fantasy is better, hmm, yes? 😉
Omg don’t get me started on these assassin guilds and such. *cries* I read this book where the city was FULL of assassins who hated each other but legit none of them did anything. They were all happy to lowkey hate each other and never fight and there was zero explanation as to why. Or like when they send the country to war and it’s like “ok but do you realise you’ll have no food because you took the farmers”. *rolls eyes* Writing is HARD, but you have to actually do more than just tell a story. You have to figure out the economics too!
When you always like Cait’s posts before you even read them because you know they’re going to be just THAT good. <3 Number 7, for instance–could not be more relatable! Also… what is a scotch egg??
Hailey
http://www.haileyhudson.wordpress.com
OMG HAILEY. THANK YOU!!😂 THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY.
(You have to google! Scotch eggs are delicious.)
I definitely agree with you about the world building. IT IS SO STRESSFUL TO SEE A WORLD THAT I CAN’T EXPLORE because I have no insight into it! Plus, if I don’t care about the characters then I won’t feel invested in their story and that’s not great at all.
Exactly! We readers NEED to be invested or else what’s the point of the story?!
I went to public high school in the US and I still don’t understand how it’s portrayed sometimes. My high school had seven classes every day, but some have block schedules (more like in college) where you have like 4 longer classes per day that alternate MWF and T/Th. It seems like everyone in books has “free periods” but I have no idea how that works. And my high school was 9-12 grade (about ages 15-18), but other schools might include like 8th and 9th into “junior high.” I don’t know. High school was weird and I don’t really want to relive it. (You’re super right about escaping through books.)
(While I’m here, I’d like to apologize on behalf of America for being literally the worst.)
And yes! I skip to dialogue too! It’s actually a really bad habit because I end up having to jump back up to the paragraph and then it takes me forever to finish a page.
Another thing that bugs me about books: long endings. Books that drag out their endings long past the natural stopping point (think the ending of Return of the King). I like endings to be short and meaningful.
SEE. THAT’S JUST CONFUSING TO ME. 😂 Even my sister explaining how her Australian school functioned I’m like “what”. 😂 So I basically just need to live in fantasy books and not contemporaries, haha. (And *pats shoulder* I’m sorry your country is being like it is. Seriously though…whyyyy. 😭)
I think this is why I get confused in books so much, but I loooove dialogue! It’s what makes the book for me. Particularly if there’s banter. 😉
your lists are always so perfect please excuse me as i go print this out to wave around constantly.
WORLD-BUILDING IS ALWAYS SUCH A MAKE OR BREAK FOR ME. like as somebody who writes (occasionally), i KNOW it can be a pain in the butt to figure out every little detail of your fantasy world. BUT IT’S IMPORTANT TO US READERS DAMMIT, and i like to actually have an inkling of what the world is like where the characters are. i see so many discrepancies and holes in ya world-building these days and it’s just?? if *i* can catch this stuff, certainly an editor should be able to, too, and point it out to the author.
i feel like recurring complaints in my reviews are just annoying characters, and the “came out of a black hole of nowhere” romances that just suddenly spring up like 100 pages from the end of the book. girl-hate is also something i don’t see as often in ya books anymore, but that i used to complain often about as well.
another lovely post, cait! <3
IT IS SO SO IMPORTANT!! And I know it’s hard (says the writer too😂) but it’s worth it and really makes the difference from a subpar book to one you can get really invested in. *stares at A Darker Shade of Magic for 9 years* And true….it confuses me how many books just get away with 0% world building. W?hat are they doooooing in publishing.😂
Omg I’m so sick of girl-on-girl hate. It’s sexist and unreasonable and totally we don’t need it anymore.😒😒
Omg my middle name is Grace too! 😂 I’m not a fan of it either honestly, my relatives always try to smash it together with my first name (Mia), so it sounds like I’m a fairy from the princess land of sparkles and happiness or something (which I am definitely not, LOL). Also I totally agree about the unnecessary romance! I’m a teenager and literally no one I know has met the love of their life or is even close to doing so. I hate how it’s in virtually every YA book!
Grace just feels like such a filler name?!😂 I FEEL SO MEAN, but I’m allowed to be mean to my own name right? bahhah.
And yes! I was the same as a teen! Not a single one of my friends had a relationship until they were in their much later teens/early twenties…like it is possible but you wouldn’t know it from reading YA.😂
I feel you with SO many of these. The world-building is a biggie for me. Because I don’t like not understanding/being able to picture the junk. I need to see the junk, okay? And when I feel lost, I feel MUCH less inclined to want to continue reading. I mean, I DO, because I have problems, but I am probably salty about it.
Character names are such a big one too! I once read a book where the characters all had really similar sounding one-syllable names and I was so confused. But also, let me join you in the Of Fire and Stars debacle, because what even was that!? Also, if I read one more damn book with a heroine named Sam… ugh. Because my small male human is named Sam and it confuses me every time. I agree about Grace too. I am so glad I have weird names hahah. (I mean, Shannon isn’t *super* weird or anything, but I have also never, not once, run into a main Shannon. In fact, I have read TWO Shannons in all of my reading days- both were the “friend”.) I like somewhat unique names, but not so unique that the reader is stumbling over them, of course.
The slow middle is so UGH- because you don’t want to give up! But then you also kind of want to give up. Agree with the safety and random romances too! OH and in the same vein as the food thing, OTHER human biological necessities that seem to vanish too. No one needs sleep, or water, or the bathroom, or whatever, and it makes me really quite stabby. Love this post, I feel you, Cait!
YES AND YES! I’m the same. I also find it really uninspiring to be thrown into a fantasy world that has like zero world building…didn’t I come for an adventure?! HMMM!? *stamps foot*
I actually have seen a few Shannons online! I HATE my name, but at least it’s spelled kind of differently to the general “Kate”? I still wish it was something a bit different. 😂 And literally every second Cait/Kate I met? WE ALL HAVE THE SAME MIDDLE NAME OF GRACE. IT’S SO WEIRD. I now three bloggers who are Kate-Graces. 😳 My parents, clearly, are unoriginal.
(I have a character named Sam and I hate myself a little. 😂😂)
9 TEARS??? IS THIS A NEW RECORD? Holy TOMATO SAUCE.
Shoddy world building is sososo frustrating. Like, I would like to understand what in the flip-flit I am reading about. If you want me to be absorbed into the world, but then give me no detail in which I can do so, what are you expecting?? I DON’T WANT RIDDLES. Also, using food to build culture is A+ because then the characters are proven to not be secret photosynthesizing organisms and, um, food. Need I say more? I want cheesecake.
My connection to a character is SO important. I will admit that I do not have the emotional limits of a Vulcan, but I also don’t relate to every character very easily. If I don’t care about the character, I just don’t care at all.
Something that bugs me IMMENSELY is that safe feeling. Like, I have read so many finales where I’m like haha this is funny why is everyone freaking out? You KNOW they’re not going to kill of *insert-character-name-here* Like wait to underwhelm.
YES IT IS A NEW RECORD. IT’S LIKE I FOUND MY HEART. I’ve since killed it, obviously, and buried it like Davy Jones. Obviously. *nods*
And everyone knows food is helpful to do ALL THE THINGS. Build culture, make us relate, keep us glued to the page, make us eat our novels…there is no downside to more food in books.
I want to feel scared so so much in books.😂 UNLESS IT’S LORD OF SHADOWS AND IN THAT CASE, NO THANKS. I NEED SAFETY.😂
I completely agree with #4 and #6! I’ve never thought about #7 before, but having read that I firmly agree that YES, we need more food in stories! Food is relatable. I like it when I fall in love with a food item in a book (even though it’s slightly torturous because I can never try it?). I’ve always wanted to try one of Bilbo’s seed cakes.
Food IS relatable. And I’m totally going to root for a character who loves cake, tbh. In fact, they’ll probably be my new favourite.😂
Haha! What a brilliant post! You had me nodding my head continuously. Especially the American high school thing.
Aww, thank you, Lisa! I’m glad you enjoyed it.😂
Hi, Cait!
Oh, I totally forgot about that firework freedom stuff that’s happening in America. Riiiiight. 😛
Gosh, how I hate it when stuff doesn’t make sense. Really, my Ravenclaw-heart is bleeding, I’m a puddle on the floor and I tend to get so irritated that I throw pineapples and other heavy fruit to turn this book into a fruit and letter based Jackson Pollock painting. Because, WHICH PRINCIPLES DO APPLY, CAIT!? Can somebody tell me? When sense is gone/ How can I even try to go on/
When sense is gone/Though I try, how can I carry on!!! 🙁
I actually like romantic subplots. I like them in movies, I like them in books. I crave them to be honest because everybody needs a little love. I love those best friends and then it turns into something else types of stories. (Because that makes sense.) I love those where they hate eachother and over the course of time figure – hey, this person might not be a total idiot. (Because they’re funny.) But I don’t like lovestories in YA books. Rarely. Mostly, because they seem redundant. Urg. 😛
Also, can we talk about clichées? I don*t even know when an interesting idea starts to turn into a clichée but if the story feels kind of overused…. I don’t wike it. That’s why I kind of stay clear of YA now. Nothing surprises me anymore which is kind of sad, isn’t it? It has to be extra special to peak my interest.
What else? I don’t know. I think I have to ponder this topic a little bit. Have a great day, Cait!
LG, m
I do like romance in books too, haha, don’t worry.😂I just hate it when it’s thrown in or it takes over the plot and seems weird (like aren’t you saving the world, dear protagonist….is this maybe a bad time for love?😂)
There are tons of cliches that are super irritating too unfortunately. Gahh. Someone save us.😂
LESS ROMANCE, PLEASE. OR NONE AT ALL IF YOU’RE JUST RANDOMLY ADDING IT IN. How boring can a someone’s life be without it? Ay ay ay…
Obviously romance isn’t bad (doesn’t mean I’m willing to give most romances a chance, though), but authors are making me sick of it.
Oh I totally agree! I love reading a good romance, but when it’s randomly thrown in and not developed, ughghgh. I’m so tired of it. *sobs*
I know exactly what you mean by just knowing everything is going to be fine! Also what is with all the fake deaths lately??? Like…if it’s believable sure but if someone dies wgo is like THE main character I’m just like RIIIIIIGGGHHHTTTA and then 2 pages later SURPRISE not dead anymore!! MORE DANGER. ALL THE DANGER PLEASE AND THANK YOU.
Omg I know right?! SO over fake-deaths. Either kill them off or don’t. Stop playing with me like that.😂 I do think more characters need to be off-ed tbh, but then I also have no heart.😂
Yessss kill more characters!!! 😂 these authors are all too soft-hearted!
SO MUCH YAAASSSSS to all of these–especially the first three XD Lack of world-building and unlikable characters are terrible, but I also often end up DNFing longer books with a draggy middle.. I can’t deal with the boredom lol.
Brittany @ Brittany’s Book Rambles
I’m glad we’re in agreement on these haha! And I WISH I could DNF books?! But they sort of haunt me of I do that.😂
You are definitely not the only one who skims bounteous descriptions to get back to the dialogue. Especially when said descriptions tend to be in the middle of a vital point of the story/conversation.
🙂
Dialogue is just the fun part right?!😂 We can’t help that!
Ah yes, the unlikable hero/ine that we’re just supposed to adore because…why? They’re hot? They’re witty? They’re oh-so snarky and smarter than YOU.
No.
I feel like I have less tolerance than most because I hatehatehate the popular snarky heroine trope that seems to characterize just about every YA main character nowadays.
But this list is awesome in that it gives me a sort of mental checklist to keep in mind when I’m editing my own drafts! I’m definitely much more aware about including world-building, meal scenes and sufficient dialogue (which I admittedly tend to leave out because I haaaate writing it) than I was before!
UGHHG I JUST CANNOT. I hate selfish and rude people. It’s like we’re supposed to admire them for being “badass”??? But no??? Be polite please. And I hate entitled characters too. It drives me crazy. 😭 I think snark is great, but like….can we have polite and kind snark too?!
Bahaha, I’m glad you liked the post! Although just remember it’s just my opinion haha! So do what you want for your writing!
Ugh, YES TO ALL OF THIS! Although I kind of get the school thing because school is school. I didn’t grow up in the States and I mean classes are classes, and I guess that’s that? Or who knows maybe my school system was just close enough to American schools. Idk. ANYWAY, great list–and food descriptions are a big HELLS YES for me, because yummy descriptions ALL THE WAY. Great post!
And like if we’re escaping to fiction, don’t we want to see something else other than school classes?!? Like I DO enjoy contemporaries, I just don’t care about what they’re learning in highschool.😂😂
THANKYOU!
I love this post – I literally as vigorously nodding and laughing at each post! You know you’re a reader when you find themes in books that drive you crazy. I’m the same way about absolutely hating when the middle of the book is boring. I’ve been known on more than one occasion to get so annoyed I fling the book across the room only to come back a short while later because I have to know what happens. The way I see it though, life is too short to be bored by books!
Caitlin
wandererandwolf.com
Middles of books should NOT be allowed to be boring!! If they are, then the book is probably going on too long, right?😂
Um. Hi? How am I supposed to accept this new administration exists when there are no politics or culture or history?
What have you done America indeed.😭
Something actually on topic: I agree with pretty much all of them, especially #8.
Haha, I’m glad you enjoyed the post!
oh my god so much yes to all of this. especially the ridiculousness of the names from Of Fire and Stars. & also, speaking as an Emma, i’m sick to death of meeting other Emmas in my daily life and the LAST thing i need is bajillions of them craftily sneaking into MY FICTION.
plus WHY DOES ALL YA CONTAIN ROMANCE? is it a law? like i don’t always mind it but sometimes it’s so blehhhh.
also also: YES to the food thing! and also just want to say congrats to all the lowkey superheroes in books. amazing that characters live bathroom-less lives.
and that not a one has ever experienced a period.Bahahah, I’m sorry for picking on your name!😂 But honestly my name is SUPER common too and I hate reading it.😂(Although at least it’s never spelled my way?)
I think it’d be nice to have more non-romantic YA. I just think it’s super unrealistic to think everyone is going to meet the love of their life in their teens?!? And sometimes it really gets annoingly in the way of the adventure!
A big giant YES to all of these, but especially to random romances that pop up out of the blue (Whyyyyy?), unlikable characters (well, unless they’re characters I love to hate if that even makes sense), and to lack of world building.
It always spoils the book for me when they just throw in a half-baked romance. Either do it properly or leave it out!!😂
Your “Is no one hungry?” idea made me think of something. I feel like characters never go to the bathroom. They can trek across really dangerous land for a month but not one time eat or go to the bathroom. I don’t even want a really descriptive scene or a character that goes to the bathroom every five pages. Just like I feel like it would make it a bit more believable. Like in Frontlines by Michael Grant they crave good food, and they are talk about having to go to the bathroom. I also really hate over explanations and things that are repeated. I don’t read many books like that though. But when I start a book, I would like to read about something interesting first and not have the first three pages about architecture. High School in America is weird to!!! BAHAHAHAHAH!!!! So true! I’ve only been to middle school, and THAT was weird. My parents started homeschooling me before High School because they don’t trust the High School’s in my area. So, yeah. I got one more year of High School to go though! Yay!
I agree! I mean we don’t have to FOLLOW them to pee all the time but it’s important to know they had the opportunity right?!? I read a book where they were like literally stuck hiding out in a ship’s hold and I’m like “BUT BATHROOM???” It spoils a book when there’s that element of unrealisticness.😂
That’s so cool you are/were homeschooled too though! I may be biased (being a homeschool graduate) but I think it’s waaaay better than school.😂
Well, I was going to comment with some of my own bookish pet peeves, but then I made the mistake of watching that Kodaline music video and now I’m ruined. :’-(
I’M SORRY. Isn’t that music video just plain rude??? Like whatever did we do to Kodaline to deserve that.😭😭
I so get the world building thing, so much. if you want a great adult urban fantasy, Robert Jackson Bennett’s Divine Cities trilogy has some awesome world building. I laughed so much at your post, but I like never really thought about how much characters just don’t eat! Like, now I’m going to notice it all the time.
*Sorry about America, my country is dumb.
Ooh I shall look that up! Thanks for the rec! I don’t even think I’ve tried adult urban yet? I’ve been all in love with the adult epic fantasy and I NEED MORE ALWAYS.
*pats shoulder* I forgive YOU, but seriously, your country needs to take a small turn in timeout.😂
Oh my goodness, yes, I’m SO with you on the names thing. (But don’t even TRY to talk to me about keyboard smashing until you read the Wheel of Time books. Nalesean, Couladin, Eadyth, Moseneillin, Furyk – WHAT EVEN IS THIS SHIT.) On the flip side, I also can’t stand names like “Arya” (probably the most overused name in fantasy), “Lan,” “Cin,” “Min,” or other overly simplistic names.
I don’t like being scared by books, but I do love chills going up my spine and nail-biting eeriness. And when books are so safe I don’t feel any anticipation, I feel like it takes away part of the reading experience.
I really hate when sexist/homophobic/etc behavior is shown and not addressed as problematic. I think problematic stuff in books is fine (because that’s realistically the way the world is), but it has to be clearly shown as problematic and harmful. I also hate when the authors try to shepherd the readers into a Specific Moral Opinion instead of just giving the readers the facts and letting us decide for ourselves.
Ellie | On the Other Side of Reality
OKAY WOAH TO THOSE NAMES.😂 That’s taking it to a whole new level of “no thanks”. I don’t get the fantasy-name-keyboard-smashes. They have no rhyme or reason or flow! And I agree super short names can be somewhat frustrating too. Like I don’t mIND them. So long as there’s balance with some longer names? Honestly naming things in books is a complete art.😂
I agree! If a book is always safe it’s easy to put down.
And agh YES. I hate it when books do that whole “well we’re being accurate by being sexist/homophobic/racist” and then they never have anyone stand out against it. I think that’s the difference between when the BOOK is, say, racist compared to when there are just racist characters in the story.🙄🙄 And definitely don’t like being preached at either. I’ve quit a lot of books because I felt WAY too preached at.😂
Oh my gosh not enough dialogue. There are adult fantasies that have pages and pages and pages of no dialogue. I cannot read this. At least talk to yourself or something to break it up a bit. I won’t think your mad. Much.
Duuude, I am with you there. Like I love adult fantasy for being more darker + better world building…but sometimes the info dumps are maddening.😂
I definitely agree with most of you what you said. The one thing that appears in many books that makes me flinch everytime I read it is this sentence “I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding”. Once you start noticing this sentence in books, it’s over for you.
Also, generally books that take place in America are so tiring and I am not even American. How can Americans stand reading about America constantly? Like you already live there, try something new. I’d like to see all the countries and explore some other cultures. 😀
Then the fact that girls in books do not have any female best friends but they do have a boyfriend. Or they don’t talk to their friends the moment they find a boyfriend. Personally, I find that very unrealistic.
I could rant all day but anyway great post 😀
OMG I HATE THAT CLICHE TOO!! I just read it in Ink and Bone actually.😂 I think it’s totally overdone hhaah. And I totally agree about the American thing. I mean, I get the “write what you know” but we also have imaginations, right!?
Or I hate the cliche when the girl gets a boyfriend so promptly ditches all her friends. *rolls eyes*
#1 YES! Once I put down an arc because it went straight with the story without any explanation on ANYTHING.
You can’t even understand where the all thing was set.
I will never pick up that book ever again.
Ughh that’s so maddeningly unhelpful. I hate being confused in books!
YES to a lot of these! Especially the school thing. I’ve realised I’m kind of over reading books about school. Have I grown too old finally??? And the unlikeable characters – ugh. Give me flawed characters! Yes! But don’t make them complete bastards – I won’t connect even a little bit. AND THE FOOD. OMG. Food is my life, dude. I need more characters EATING.
I’ve ALWAYS been dubious about books set in school.😂 Unless it’s like a super interesting school, haha, like an assassin school? Or Hogwarts.😂 BUT I NEED LESS SCHOOL AND MORE ACTION. And food needs to just be more in books all the time. It’s an excellent way to get us to connect to characters. :’)
OMG I so relate to the “not enough dialogue”, “unnecessary romance” and “can’t relate to characters” complains! All of those are sooooo annoying to me and I wish they would just stop argh.
But WHY ON EARTH DID YOU POST A LINK TO THAT VIDEO OH MY GOD I AM SOBBING WHY???? I KNEW from the first few seconds what was going on and that it would ruin me and then IT DID, HOW DARE YOU CAIT???? *sobs into my pillow even though I’m supposed to go for dinner now*
I’M SORRY ABOUT THE VIDEO. I JUST AM THE MEANEST RIGH? But not as mean as Kodaline, because clearly someone spilt their cereal today. What even was that. Why did we deserve that.💔💔💔
Yes, you are BUT you’re also a great person because you shared this amazing song but now I’m going to cry whenever it comes up on my playlist. Sigh.
THE STRUGGLE IS when you have long texts of DIALOGUE. So you skip around in search of dialogue only to be hit in the face with a big chunk of words. WHY.
I hate unnecessary romances tho! Like WHY are you THERE. What is your PURPOSE. To have a romance in the novel??? Whyyyyyyyyy. And omg name problems! Like it is hard to find the perfect balance as a writer so I understand, BUT STILL.
THANK YOU for this post because now authors will make everything better because everyone listens to you. <3 XD
It’s so dumb when there’s unnecessary romance! It’s like you can TELL it’s just flung in there to tick off the “romance” checkbox.😭😂 I think books can be so much more fresh without it, right?!?
Hhaha, I’m glad you liked the post, May. THANK YOU.
OH MY GOSH YES TO THE SNACK THING. I’ve read so many books where the characters just don’t seem to eat/eat very little but they seem to have all the energy in the world to go save society and stuff. LIKE, HOW. IT’S SO UNREALISTIC.
And also, unlikable characters annoy me too. If the character is horrible for most of the book and hasn’t got a really good reason for their behaviour, then no thanks.
IT’S SO UNRELATABLE. Like I can totally get behind someone like blowing up a planet or taking over the moon, but with no snacks??? Don’t be absurd.😭😂
*sees update from Cait*
*squeals*
Okay, I hate out-of-the-blue romances. LIKE WHAT IS THIS TREACHERY!!!!!
OMG THIS MAKES MY DAY.💕💕 I’m so glad you like my posts!😂
I SO AGREE WITH YOU. Especially the romance thing! It pisses me off every time. When someone is busy saving the world, they generally do not have time to fall in love 3 days after meeting another person.
Although school systems don’t bother me too much (I live in Canada, which is quite similar to the US) but I do wish more books would take place in other countries. I mean some diversity would be nice???
I know right?! Plus it totally derails the plot and just makes everything WEIRD. No thanks.😂 Let’s just focus on what’s important here = like surviving. 😂
Number 5 and 6 yes! I hate reading books where the story itself is actually really good but it just not enjoyable because of an annoying main character. I’m not even gonna start on unnecessary romances. ugh.
Also I actually get more of the opposite with 8 as in too much dialogue! Often it’ll go for pages and I will forget what they were even doing in the first place!
Also one of my main pet peeves are when the characters are insanely unrelatable and unrealistic. I get the whole ‘trying to create interesting characters’ thing but c’mon, tone it down a little there authors.
Yessss! I mean it’s just dumb, right? Why would we care about horrible or selfish main characters?! I need to CARE in order to like the story!
Haha, and yes sometimes characters can get a bit wild.😂
If you want to read darker books try Gillian Flynn of the Gone girl fame. Scarier? Stephen King.
Oh here I go, giving book recs to everyone I meet (er.. talk to), If I were a book character I would be so annoying.
I saw the Gone Girl movie and it wasn’t really my style. 😂 But thanks for the recs anyway!!
Yes sometimes I skip to read the dialouge part ♪＼(*＾▽＾*)／＼(*＾▽＾*)／ My most often complain is the slow paced book. I have little patient so slow paced book did not worked for me.
HI FIVE over our lack of patience together!😂
＼(*＾▽＾*)／＼(*＾▽＾*)／
You are brilliant and I love your blog! It is so fun, and there is cake. I am so persnickety when it comes to books! I agree with 9.5 of your complaints. When it comes to world building, I was completely spoiled at a young age by Narnia, Middle Earth and the Wizarding World, so nothing pleases me. Boring names are so… boring. But I am indeed rather smitten by ridiculous names, so that is my 0.5 of disagreement. I have never been to high school either, but I have been to college and there is no reason why I would want to read about it. Reading about school is SO BORING- unless it is Hogwarts.
OMG YOU’RE MAKING ME BLUSH. THANK YOU!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this. <3
And absolutely YEs to being spoiled by Narnia. My life and no regrets.
(School is only interesting to read about when it's full of wizards...we are in absolute agreement.)
I CRIED WATCHING THE MUSIC VIDEO TOO! And after downloading it, everytime I listened to it for the next few days I had tears in my eyes because I could NOT move on!
LET’S JUST CRY TOGETHER FOR EVER. WHY DID KODALINE DO THAT TO US???? WHO HURT THEM.
OMC, this whole post had me laughing!
Where do you live? You mentioned Vegemite, so I’m guessing Australia? I can appreciate the need for cultural descriptions even if stories are set in our world since cultures are so different. It’s a shame American authors don’t always take the time to context modern culture. We do things weird to other cultures just as they do to us. I’ve had the opposite complaint at times, reading books by British or other European authors. It does gbpve me the chance to go investigate tho, and the cultural anthropologist adores that.
(#notmypresident I don’t know what the loonies in my country were thinking but I’m ready to move to Rapa Nui and live among the haunted giant stone heads. It’s safer…)
Ahhhh I’m so so glad you enjoyed it!
And YES. Australian! It can be a bit of a weirdness, even though honestly my life is like 80% American media anyway.😂 (Which is mostly good and sometimes annoying with the orange you elected. 😭)
All of these are so true! (except the characters thing. I usually connect to the characters (side note: I watched that video but I didn’t really get it. Did the brother die? I’m confused))
I also have a lot of book peeves. One is when there would be no plot if the characters just were honest and hugged each other. Because all this ‘I should tell XX this important thing that would make XX understand why I’m acting this way but NO.’ (it just always turns out badly for the characters. And I want a real plot, you know? Is that too much to ask?
I also really don’t like books that are too creepy. I FREAK MYSELF OUT, OKAY? This was my main issue with The Raven Cycle and a lot of other books.
And my last pet peeve is when things don’t make sense. Whether it’s the world building or the character’s actions, I WANT EXPLANATIONS, OKAY? @authors. Side note: my life is very hard.
Eeek, I hate books with no or little plots!😭 It’s so annoying and hard to keep focused and interested.
Awww, I LOVE THE FREAKY BOOKS! *flails* I never get freaked though. I am apparently one with no heart. :’) I only thought The Raven King was a bit creepy tbh and, predictably, I loved it. 😂
1. Right??? Why do people think it is acceptable to have a flimsy world??? This is one of my ONLY complaints with the Hunger Games trilogy and one of my BIGGEST complaints with the Divergent trilogy…
2. Agreed. Names are predictably “wild” these days. Mace and Zero and Dream and Vision. Eugh.
3. Really???? I struggle most with getting through boring BEGINNINGS.
6. Bahahahaha – yes!!! Useless romance is useless. Surprising!!!
7. Mmm!! I need more foodie books!!!
8. Definitely a legit complaint!!! Dialogue MAKES a book.
10. I have thee hardest time relating to the Overly Good And Kind Souls, which is… concerning.
Hilarious post as always, Cait!!
WE NEED MORE WORLD BUILDING! *shrieks to the hilltops* And we absolutely need more food in books.😂 (I’m so glad you liked the post!)
The number one recurring complaint in my reviews is REPETITIVE USE OF WORD/PHRASES. There was a book I read once where on every. single. page. someone “shrugged one shoulder”. Constantly. I feel like everyone in that world had a tic.
Sometimes I think “this phrase feels familiar” and if I flip a few pages and easily find it again I FEEL UNREASONABLE RAGE.
I realize there are so many ways to say something, but if you are running out of ideas then just keep it simple. Woman said “blah blah” is fine, if your only alternative is Woman shrugged one shoulder “blah blah”. (I clearly never got over the ‘shrugged one shoulder’ book…. there have been others, but that bothered me particularly)
As for your complaints…
#4 – I went to high school. and university. in Canada. So sometimes I read these american based books and wonder at the way high school seems to work in the book because it doesn’t always jive with what I experienced (sports were not a big deal in my high school, but seem to be the main stay of the American High School experience… ) . I also never even considered learning to drive until I was quite over 20…. so I have a hard time understanding high school settings that include characters driving 😉
#6 – I *love* romance. Love it. But I need build up. I need chemistry. I do not want it there just for the sake of it. I want it to be a sensible part of the story and make sense for the characters. Clary and Jace have chemistry from the get go and their romance is a key plot element. Spot on. Current book I am reading, some romance is spot on but it seems like *every* character has a love interest but this is supposed to be about magic and war and why is there so much romance drama?! ugh.
#8 – OMG SO MUCH YES. One of my biggest pet peeves with Anna Karenina… entire CHAPTERS with NO dialogue. I mean, what even is that?
#10 – I am overcome with feels when reading like a feels sponge. So I don’t struggle to connect with characters… however I find in a lot of books with female protagonists I struggle to connect with her. If I don’t care much about the person 70% of the book is about, that is a problem. So I guess my complaint more is when the character focus is to narrow. I connect with the secondaries, so I want them to have a solid presence. I don’t want to be only in the head of an overly special female. (or male. I don’t tend to read a lot of male protagonist books that have narrow focus..)
FIRST OF ALL THE UNNECESSARY ROMANCE THOUGH. LIKE WHYYYYYYYYYY.
Also I haTE PLOT HOLES. like how did that person suddenly appear there and why do they have a connection? GIVE ME THE BACKSTORY.
Also yes, why don’t they have to eat? or pee? or even like, dress BEFORE THEY SMELL OF ROSES AND HAY AND THE WARM EARTHY SCENT OF A FARMER?? *eye roll*
Ah, yes, I can totally relate to these! Sometimes I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I’ve definitely had these moments. And I’m just like… WUT. Also, as far as the school thing goes- I just don’t get when there’s no mention of it AT ALL (in contemporaries). I mean, the character’s homeschooled/we’re just talking about their home life? Fine. But if you’re 15? You’re going to school. Don’t pretend like this is a fantasy world.
And I TOTALLY DON’T GET BRITISH SCHOOL SYSTEMS. When I read British books I just flail in confusement because wut is happening? I really need someone to explain them to me, haha. So I APOLOGIZE on behalf of America for also being confusing. Really we all just confuse each other. Because reasons. 😉
Omg school systems are so different in every country though, right?! UK schools confuse the heck out of me hahah and US schools are SO WILDLY CONFUSING.😭😂 Someone needs to write a how-to-guide for different schools for different countries.
Omg please. Non-internationally-reading people would be so confused but it’s simple to the people living there… and think how HELPFUL.