So every year we all read books that are just... meh. We don't hate them - we don't consider them the worst books ever. We just have very mediocre feelings towards them. For me, a disappointing read is usually 2 or 3 stars, and it is often a book I had high expectations for that unfortunately, for one reason or another, I didn't think delivered on those expectations. It doesn't mean I hated the book, it just means it wasn't what I was expecting in most cases or it didn't meet my very high expectations I went in with. Often times, if the book is in a series, I may still try to continue the series and give it another chance. Sometimes even my favourite authors give me disappointing reads - books that just don't tickle my fancy. Most of the books below are 2 or 3 star reads that just didn't meet the hype, didn't meet my expectations, or were simply so average that they weren't super memorable. As a disclaimer, I don't hate these books - and I apologise if any of your favourites are on this list. Everyone has their own taste and this is just a sample of mine! So without further or due, here are the 17 Biggest Disappointments of 2017 (for me, and they are in no particular order).
1. Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George
I was really looking forward to reading this interesting take on vampires and werewolves. This story follows two cousins, Dacia and Lou, in the 1890s as they embark on a family vacation Romania to meet their mysterious relatives and learn about their families darkest secret (psst... the secret is their shapeshifters!). After reading The Dark Days Club last year I was all in for reading another paranormal historical series - especially one dealing with vampires and werewolves. And it helps that the book cover was GORGEOUS. However; I found this book a bit of a let down - the story was fine but not amazing. I feel like the writing was a bit rushed and that overall, though the writing was good, it was clearly aimed at quite a young audience. The characters themselves weren't given much detail - and the romantic interests even more so. I also found that because the story felt rushed that the deep meaningful family relationships that were depicted, and the romances suggested, just really weren't able to fully blossom into relationships I would connect with or root for. Overall I just found this a forgettable story - a great premise, but with poor execution for anyone over the age of 14.
I was really looking forward to reading this interesting take on vampires and werewolves. This story follows two cousins, Dacia and Lou, in the 1890s as they embark on a family vacation Romania to meet their mysterious relatives and learn about their families darkest secret (psst... the secret is their shapeshifters!). After reading The Dark Days Club last year I was all in for reading another paranormal historical series - especially one dealing with vampires and werewolves. And it helps that the book cover was GORGEOUS. However; I found this book a bit of a let down - the story was fine but not amazing. I feel like the writing was a bit rushed and that overall, though the writing was good, it was clearly aimed at quite a young audience. The characters themselves weren't given much detail - and the romantic interests even more so. I also found that because the story felt rushed that the deep meaningful family relationships that were depicted, and the romances suggested, just really weren't able to fully blossom into relationships I would connect with or root for. Overall I just found this a forgettable story - a great premise, but with poor execution for anyone over the age of 14.
I am not normally a huge space opera or sci-fi reader, but after reading numerous reviews (from reviewers I trust!) saying this was a delightful and fun space romp I decided to give this book a try. And unfortunately, I think it was over hyped. The book, like many disappointing books on this list, was fine. I didn't hate it. But it was just fine - definitely not a book I would re-read or recommend as a must-read. Starflight follows the adventures of unlikely duo Solara, a criminal, and Doran, a rich heir to a fortune who are natural enemies, but upon some unfortunate circumstances must become allies when they go on the run. Overall I found that this was just basically a romance set in space. While the romance in the book was well-developed - there is no insta-love here - I do think that this book could've easily taken place in another setting with little change and it wouldn't be noticeable. I didn't think the "space" aspect was overwhelmingly obvious (although maybe that's just me). I also found this focus on romance made me only care about our main two characters - I kept reading how awesome the side characters were and I just don't agree - I didn't find them memorable nor interesting, and this is kind of a problem since the companion novel that follows this book Starfall follows two of the side characters introduced in this book. I also think that it wasn't as action-packed as suggested, like I said it was more a romance to me. While I have no problem with romance it just wasn't what I wanted or expected out of this novel. Furthermore, since I'm not a huge sci-fi fan, it takes a really amazing story for me to get into a sci-fi book (like the Illuminae Files or The Star Thief).
Meg Cabot was one of my favourite authors growing up - I own pretty much her entire written works and The Mediator and Princess Diaries series were my absolute favourites - my original editions of these books are falling apart from use. So you can imagine my excitement when I found out that Cabot was continuing both series with adult companion novels - I screamed out loud. However; I'm sad to say that I think I had way too high of expectations because I really just didn't enjoy this book that much. It was fine, but it definitely didn't have the spark of the original Mediator series. The story follows Suze Simon, seven years later, as she works at her old high school as a guidance counsellor while also planning her wedding to formerly dead fiance Jesse DeSilva, all while dealing with her abilities as a mediator - a person who can see ghosts and helps them to move on.This book just didn't have the heart pounding chemistry between Suze and Jesse anymore - they came off rather boring (especially Jesse's whole "lets wait until marriage" thing - it came off so preachy). I also disliked how Cabot wrote Paul Slater. Paul Slater was my bad boy crush growing up - and yes he was a bad dude. He was like Damon Salvatore bad. He was an asshole. But Cabot tried to redeem him in the final mediator book, and then in this one she threw that all out to make Paul the absolute WORST. It made me sad because I really wanted to like him still. Basically I feel like nothing much happened with the plot of this book and that the original characters had lost their spark - they really felt like hollowed out versions of themselves, or in the case of Paul - worse versions.
This is a Pride and Prejudice retelling that was recommended to me by a very good friend - I was expecting to love it for both those reasons. However; I think I should stop giving Jane Austen retellings a try because I am clearly too attached to the original product. This book was well written and I will admit, a very original take on the original Pride and Prejudice tale - we switch settings to St. Louis, Missouri, and Charles Bingley is a famous reality TV star on a Bachelor-like franchise, while the Bennets are old money eager to meet this famous star when he moves to their city. I appreciated the originality a lot - especially the way the author managed to bring out the crazy quirks of the Bennet family with a modern day twist (like the fact Mary is a perma-student, that Mrs. Bennet is a shopaholic etc.). However; I found the central romances to be seriously lacking in comparison to the original. Darcy and Elizabeth are such an iconic couple you have to be pretty ballsy to take on their story - and unfortunately I don't think the author hit the right chord with their romance. Not to give away spoilers, but I found the romance between Lizzie and Darcy completely unromantic, it almost cheapened their story. I get it was meant to be modernised, but, like I said above - I'm a hardcore Jane Austen fan and it wasn't my cup of tea. I also hated what they did to Bingley - they completely ruined his character and romance with Jane. However; I think the biggest problem I had with this novel was the way it dealt with the one trans character. The trans plot line didn't feel organic, but more like a shocking plot twist. It wasn't dealt with well and some pretty insensitive stuff was said - I just found it very transphobic and that really made me judge the book in a much more negative way.
I just think I might have to accept that Marissa Meyer’s writing and characters are not for me. This is the first book of hers I’ve completed (I've DNF'd others), and while I didn’t hate it… I didn’t love it the way I wanted too. Especially because of all the rave reviews and hype. And god, the UK cover was SO PRETTY (see above) that I had to buy it (it's still on my shelf because I have trouble getting rid of pretty things). Heartless is an Alice in Wonderland retelling, but with the twist of following the story of the Queen of Hearts, Cath, before she was Queen. Cath is simply a girl who wants to open a bakery, not run a kingdom, and more importantly she wants to fall in love. I know a lot of people loved this story but it really just didn't click with me - I found Cath to be a bit annoying overall, and I nearly rolled my eyes when she kept repeating that she wanted to "fall in love." It inevitably led to a very insta-lova story, that I just really didn't connect with - especially given that the love story is the centre of why Cath turns into the Queen of Hearts. I did love the descriptions of all the baked goods Cath made - they were absolutely delicious, and I think Meyer managed to keep the spirit of nonsense found in the original Alice novels. However, I found that this story was again a romance, and I think it could've been much more a character story about Cath and her descent into evil - here the descent happened in the last few chapters of the novel and I just didn't find it believable. I also hated the whole "pumpkin" plot in the novel - for those who've read the book you'll know what I'm talking about. It just seemed... absurd? But this is Wonderland. Overall, it was a fine book but definitely didn't convince me to pick up anything else by Meyer (I've already DNF'd Cinder a few times and just can't seem to get into it)
This is the third book in the Elemental Trilogy, which has been one of my favourite underrated series the last few years. The books follows the adventures of Ilothane Seabourne, the greatest elemental mage of her Realm and the prophesied chosen one to save the realm from the mysterious organisation Atlantis. Yes, it is a chosen one story - but the adventures of Ilothane and Prince Titus are absolutely magical and completely different from anything I have ever read. The setting is half-set in 1800s England at Eton College, just to give an idea that this is a fantasy-historical hybrid unlike anything you've ever read. However; while I really enjoyed the first two book in the series (despite some common YA tropes) I found this third book a bit of a letdown. It wasn't bad - it wrapped everything up nicely - but it just didn't have the magic that drew me into the story initially. I found the story a bit rushed, and the plotting of this novel confusing - I particularly found the opening chapters so confusing I had to go back and re-read the second novel to remember how it ended so I could keep track. I feel like overall, this book was a lot of filler and then a conclusion - and it removed the magic that was Ilothane and Titus' story. I think this could've been a duology of two longer books rather than three, and I really wish publishers would stop pushing trilogies on everyone.
I bought this book while I was living in the Netherlands because it takes place in Amsterdam and it seemed perfect. I also bought it because the cover is amazing. However; this book did not live up to expectations - I was promised a historical mystery set in 17th Century Amsterdam... and it just did not deliver. This book was not a mystery - it was a series of revelations to a naive girl who didn't notice key signs. I just really didn't find it creepy or mysterious - and I was really disappointed about the character the miniaturist. Being the character the book is named for, I expected the miniaturist to be an engaging and creepy mystery, but it really wasn't - the whole identity of the miniaturist is almost an after thought in this novel. While the novel deals with issues like homosexuality and racism in a puritan culture like 17th Century Amsterdam, I felt that these issues could've been written and dealt with on their own, rather than trying to combine them with this idea of a "mystery". The book was well written, but I found it slow and the characters not likable or engaging. I really wanted to like this more than I did, but unfortunately I think there is a disconnect between what I expected this book to be (based on the blurb) and what this book actually was, and my expectations were thus not met.
There are a lot of Beauty and the Beast retellings out there, but I heard such rave reviews of Goodreads regarding this one - because of its dark and twisted retelling of the traditional fairytale, with a Russian fantasy twist. However; I was very disappointed with what I read - I found this story to be nothing special. In fact, in some parts, I found the plot to be rather dull. I liked the Russian setting, I liked our title character of Yeva and I especially liked the healthy and loving relationships between Yeva and her sisters (so seldom shown in fairy tales or YA in general). I also found the story to be beautifully written - it really did read like a fairy tale. However; I found the magic system to be vague and poorly explained (Particularly at the end when the Beast is "cured"), I also really didn't buy the love story between Yeva and the Beast. I found that there was no build up between hate to love, and that it sort of happened one day without any explanation. I think this book is one a lot of people would really love (and do really love, based on Goodreads), but sadly I don't think it was the type of fairy tale retelling I enjoy.
There are so few fantasy standalones that I was really excited for this tale which follows Agnieszka - a plain girl who lives on on a village that borders a corrupted and malevolent forest. To protect themselves from the creatures of the wood the villagers rely on a wizard known only as the Dragon, but his protection comes at a terrible cost - one woman must be handed over into his service for ten years - and no woman has emerged from this unchanged. Obviously, Agnieszka is chosen, rather unexpectedly, to be the Dragon's latest ward - and it is here she begins to learn about the magic with which he works. The first half of this book was absolutely amazing and I sped through it - Agnieszka was a great heroine, she was clumsy and fiery, and was someone who was really and truly okay with herself. I also really enjoyed the magic system - which is all based on earth magic. It is described in a way that you can feel and touch and taste what the magic is like - and it is described in a wonderfully earthy way - since the magic is intrinsically tied to the forest. Likewise, the villain in the story is the Woods itself - and much like The Queen of The Blood (in my Best Books of 2017) the idea of killer plants and a killer forest was absolutely captivating. However; the second half of the book completely ruined the build-up of the first half. Agnieszka is removed from the castle, the dragon and the Woods and is sent to the Kingdom - and once we reach the Kingdom I completely lost interest in the story. I am talking SNOOZEFEST. It took me almost a month to read the second half of the book. My only other complaint was the romance - I felt that the romance wasn't believable and came a bit out of left field - I would have preferred the relationship between Agnieszka and the Dragon remain that of a mentorship and I didn't find the relationship a necessary part of the book. I really did like the story overall, and I do plan to read Naomi Novik's next companion novel in this series but after hearing such rave reviews I have to admit that it wasn't as good as I was expecting.
10. Queen of Shadows by Sara J. Mass
God I have such a love/ hate relationship with Sara J. Mass. I absolutely loved the Throne of Glass series when it first came out - I was obsessed with Caelena and Chaol especially. And then Heir of Fire happened... and then Queen of Shadows.. and I read spoilers and couldn't bring myself to read it. I finally did in 2017 and boy, I was just as disappointed as I expected to be. For those of you who haven't read the Throne of Glass series, we follow the tale of Caelena - an assassin - who is brought out of a labour camp where she has been imprisoned for a year to compete in a competition to become the new royal assassin. From here the story takes a lot of twists and turns - and introduces a broad and well-crafted fantasy world. That being said, Queen of Shadows, while well-written and bursting with strong (and lovable) female characters, is a book that is a character assassination of Chaol in favour of new hunky fae warrior Rowan. And I absolutely despised that. I hate when authors try to force readers into liking one character over another - let it happen organically, or realise that you shouldn't change the direction of the story mid-series (I feel this way about books series like Shatter Me as well). Reading this just felt like a betrayal of the earlier characters i had come to love and care about. While there is a lot of good in this book, the way Maas seems to be proceeding with the series left a bad taste in my mouth and I am unsure if I plan to continue with the series overall. Read my review here for a detailed look (aka. a long rant) about my feelings on this book.
Anyone who knows me will be surprised by this books inclusion on this list - but just as a heads up I STILL LOVE JANE AUSTEN OKAY? Don't come after me fellow Austen lovers. *runs and hides* Persuasion was one of my favourite books of the year! This book is probably the hardest to put on this list because I love Jane Austen so much - I love her books enough that I collect editions of Pride and Prejudice and have a Jane Austen shelf on my bookcase. However; this satirical take on the Gothic novel, which follows the misadventures of Catherine Morland on her first season in Bath, just wasn't up to the level of amazingness that I have come to expect from an Austen novel. The main character Catherine is painfully naive - and I find her trait of imposing Gothic novel qualities into reality not very well-depicted in the book. I understand this obsession with the Gothic novel is meant to be satire, but overall it just didn't have the regular wit and humour that Austen's other novels have. I also found the rest of the characters in the story to be quite... annoying. Jane Austen usually toes the line between endearingly eccentric and annoying (hello Bennet family) but here I found most everyone but the main love interest to be so annoying I wanted to skim pages when they spoke. It didn't have the charm of Pride and Prejudice, nor the annoying but endearing charm of Emma, nor even the angst of Persuasion. I didn't hate it (although you probably can't tell by this review) but I didn't love it.
I'm cheating a little bit because I'm putting this on my 2017 list even though I haven't technically finished it and it's 2018. However; I finished most of it in 2017 (70%) so I figure it's far enough for me to give a an accurate review of my thoughts. Sadly, my first Rick Riordan novel experience has not been the best. Over the years I've heard a lot of great things about Riordan's books and his expansive mythology built into his world. When I saw this on sale I decided to pick it up. The story follows Magnus Chase, who has a really bad day when he is killed by a mythological Norse monster and discovers after his death that he is the descent of the Norse God Frey and is in Valhalla to prepare for Ragnarok (aka. the end of the world). The emphasis on Norse mythology, a mythology I know little about outside the Thor movie, was definitely an enticing reason to pick up this book. I commend Riordan's unique take on Norse myths and his funny and clever ways to adapt such myths to the 21st century. However; I really don't like Riordan's writing style. I can't exactly explain why, maybe its the way he writes dialogue so that all his characters are snarky, or the way the story jumps around so much, but I found it very difficult to get through this story. Given it's short length and rather simplistic writing style it really shouldn't be taking me as long as it is to finish this book (its going on 3 months). Riordan's writing is definitely not for me, and I don't think I will be picking up any more of his works in the future. It isn't a terrible book, but I will say it's not my cup of tea.
Firstly, DON'T COME AFTER ME OKAY? I really do like this series - each book is 3.5 or 4 stars. I like almost everything about them. However; this series is on my list because I think it is over hyped. I went in thinking this would be a 5 star read. I expected the next Harry fricking Potter and it just really really isn't and it's hard not to be disappointed by that. It's a bit hard to summarise the books, but essentially, the story follows Kell - one of the few Antari - gifted with the ability to travel between the Four Londons (Red, Grey, White and Black). There's so much more to explain about these books, but seriously just go read a synopsis because I can't do it concisely. I love so much about this series - I love Kell and his brother Rhys. I love their relationship. I love the world that Schwab has created - from the Antari and their magic to the four separate Londons we learn about, which are each imbued with their own distinct atmosphere. It takes a skilled writer to be able to write four completely unique worlds and have each one be believable as an individual place. I loved that this magical world is connected to our own - and our glimpse into Regency London (or "Grey London" because we have no magic). I also loved our villain - Holland - who I think is just misunderstood, and tormented character (he really gives me Snape vibes). All of these elements kept me reading the first two books, and contributed to the high rating I eventually gave both A Darker Shade of Magic and A Gathering of Shadows. However; both books that I've read in the series do have a very slow plot, and the last 25% of the book is where the action occurs. V.E. Schwab seems to be really great at building up a world, but seems to rush the conclusions of her stories in a way that doesn't leave me feeling satisfied. These are just minor complaints though, compared to the real reason I found these books disappointing and that is DELILAH EFFING BARD. Delilah is my biggest grievance with this series. She is the Mary-Sueiest character (who would refuse to believe she's a Mary Sue), that I've read about in a long time. How do I know she's a Mary sue? Because multiple times in both books she (and other characters) say she's not like other girls. They literally say that and it is so MADDENING. WHAT IS WRONG WITH BEING LIKE OTHER GIRLS? My other problem with Delilah is the fact she discovers she has magic (because she's super SPESHUL) and within a few months she beats Kell using her newfound magic. REALLY?! You're telling me someone who has learned magic for oh... I don't know 2 months is better than someone who is considered the most powerful Antari in the FOUR FUCKING WORLDS THAT EXIST? I know Kell says he let her win, but she was still beating him at some parts and I don't get it. IT PISSES ME OFF. She should not be better. Also... Delilah is SUCH an asshole. And not an endearing one. She's just mean and cruel and self-centred and ugh, I hate her character so much and I skim her chapters. I literally love everything about this series except Lila. Seriously. I love it so much but I hate her and that is what is keeping it from becoming a favourite because she's way to prevalent. She's like that annoying minor character who suddenly becomes a main character and takes over the show and you're like BUT WHY. That is how she makes me feel. And because of her this series is a disappointment (if you can't tell by my above rant).
14. Siren's Song by Mary Weber
Much like my feelings for the Elemental Trilogy by Sherry Thomas mentioned above, The Storm Siren trilogy has been an underrated gem of a YA fantasy series. The books follow Nym, a slave and the last elemental, who is purchased by a court advisor to the King to be trained as a weapon in the upcoming wars her kingdom will soon be fighting. I absolutely ADORED the first book in the series - Storm Siren - I have read it multiple times and it was one of my favourite new series a few years ago. Nym was such an engaging and realistic character, and I loved her inner strength. There was a heart-pounding romance, and exciting political twists. The second book continued the series along a good path, with more court intrigue, and Nym learning to become politically savvy. However; this last book was disappointing in that it just felt like one long battle. After the delicious politics and plot twists of the first two novels, this book just felt like a slog of getting ready for war, then a lot of war. I am not someone who enjoys battle-heavy stories so the fact this book was ALL about the final battle made it very hard for me to get into and enjoy - and really took away from exploring the characters and the relationships and court politics I had come to enjoy in the first two books. I also just found that this third book felt tired - like the author had stopped caring about it. So much of the magic of the relationships was gone I found, and the secondary characters were practically non-existent. I still really like this series, and highly recommend the first book, but I expected a lot more so this 3-star read was a let-down for a conclusion
Much like my feelings for the Elemental Trilogy by Sherry Thomas mentioned above, The Storm Siren trilogy has been an underrated gem of a YA fantasy series. The books follow Nym, a slave and the last elemental, who is purchased by a court advisor to the King to be trained as a weapon in the upcoming wars her kingdom will soon be fighting. I absolutely ADORED the first book in the series - Storm Siren - I have read it multiple times and it was one of my favourite new series a few years ago. Nym was such an engaging and realistic character, and I loved her inner strength. There was a heart-pounding romance, and exciting political twists. The second book continued the series along a good path, with more court intrigue, and Nym learning to become politically savvy. However; this last book was disappointing in that it just felt like one long battle. After the delicious politics and plot twists of the first two novels, this book just felt like a slog of getting ready for war, then a lot of war. I am not someone who enjoys battle-heavy stories so the fact this book was ALL about the final battle made it very hard for me to get into and enjoy - and really took away from exploring the characters and the relationships and court politics I had come to enjoy in the first two books. I also just found that this third book felt tired - like the author had stopped caring about it. So much of the magic of the relationships was gone I found, and the secondary characters were practically non-existent. I still really like this series, and highly recommend the first book, but I expected a lot more so this 3-star read was a let-down for a conclusion
15. The Stoker & Holmes Series by Colleen Gleason (Books #1-3)
I absolutely love Colleen Gleason's Gardella Vampire Hunters series so I had very high hopes going in to this series. However; while I really love the concept of the series I don't necessarily love the execution - which is upsetting because I really want to love this series more than I do. The story follows Mina Holmes and Evaline Stoker - the relatives of Sherlock Holmes and Bram Stoker - as they are brought into the service of the Queen to solve supernatural mysteries in London. This book has a bit of a steampunk twist to it, and also brings in supernatural elements from the Gardella Vampire Hunters series which I really enjoyed as a long-time fan. However; while each book has gotten progressively better I do find that the mysteries in the plot of the books tends to be rather mediocre - the mysteries not very mysterious, nor the plot twists that thrilling. I also really dislike one of our main characters - Mina Holmes - who I find insufferable, and I absolutely despise the time travel storyline that was present in the first three books. Another thing I disliked is the nastiness between Mina and Evaline - while I understand that partners don't necessarily always like each other I found the snipes about each others appearances and intelligence to be a turn-off from a series meant for young girls. One thing I love about this series is the romance between Evaline and Pix - I find both of these characters much more engaging that the rest, and a large part of why I have continued the series has been because of my interest in learning what happens to these two characters. I will probably continue reading this series, but I did expect to love it as much as the Gardella Vampire Hunters and instead I found it just okay.
I absolutely love Colleen Gleason's Gardella Vampire Hunters series so I had very high hopes going in to this series. However; while I really love the concept of the series I don't necessarily love the execution - which is upsetting because I really want to love this series more than I do. The story follows Mina Holmes and Evaline Stoker - the relatives of Sherlock Holmes and Bram Stoker - as they are brought into the service of the Queen to solve supernatural mysteries in London. This book has a bit of a steampunk twist to it, and also brings in supernatural elements from the Gardella Vampire Hunters series which I really enjoyed as a long-time fan. However; while each book has gotten progressively better I do find that the mysteries in the plot of the books tends to be rather mediocre - the mysteries not very mysterious, nor the plot twists that thrilling. I also really dislike one of our main characters - Mina Holmes - who I find insufferable, and I absolutely despise the time travel storyline that was present in the first three books. Another thing I disliked is the nastiness between Mina and Evaline - while I understand that partners don't necessarily always like each other I found the snipes about each others appearances and intelligence to be a turn-off from a series meant for young girls. One thing I love about this series is the romance between Evaline and Pix - I find both of these characters much more engaging that the rest, and a large part of why I have continued the series has been because of my interest in learning what happens to these two characters. I will probably continue reading this series, but I did expect to love it as much as the Gardella Vampire Hunters and instead I found it just okay.
16. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
This was my first ever Agatha Christie novel, and while I liked it, I am sad to say that I was a bit let down by the big conclusion at the end. I found this book to be... implausible? The story follows the adventures of Hercule Poirot, famous detective, as he travels back from Baghdad on the Orient Express with 13 other passengers. During this 3 day trip however, a grisly murder occurs and it is up to Mr. Poirot to figure it out before the train reaches its final destination and a murderer escapes. Christie's writing is nothing special, but I did like the way she divided up the novel into "fact" "evidence" etc. It was a unique thing I had never come across in a mystery novel before and helped me to keep track of all the characters and facts - in fact I felt like I was solving the mystery as well. While the characters do draw on old stereotypes (I took personal offence to all the jabs at Italians), the characters and Poirot himself were well-written and each had their own traits for the most part (which is impressive when writing about 16 characters each with their own story to tell). However; I really didn't like the ending. Is it just me or was it ... a bit ridiculous? I know it's supposed to be so shocking but I really just found it too much. I don't know. Maybe I'm not good with mystery novels in general (I rarely like them) but I was hoping I would love Agatha Christie and have a whole new reason to buy all her works. I'll try again maybe someday. Unfortunately, the ending of this one just led to a disappointing reading experience overall.
This was my first ever Agatha Christie novel, and while I liked it, I am sad to say that I was a bit let down by the big conclusion at the end. I found this book to be... implausible? The story follows the adventures of Hercule Poirot, famous detective, as he travels back from Baghdad on the Orient Express with 13 other passengers. During this 3 day trip however, a grisly murder occurs and it is up to Mr. Poirot to figure it out before the train reaches its final destination and a murderer escapes. Christie's writing is nothing special, but I did like the way she divided up the novel into "fact" "evidence" etc. It was a unique thing I had never come across in a mystery novel before and helped me to keep track of all the characters and facts - in fact I felt like I was solving the mystery as well. While the characters do draw on old stereotypes (I took personal offence to all the jabs at Italians), the characters and Poirot himself were well-written and each had their own traits for the most part (which is impressive when writing about 16 characters each with their own story to tell). However; I really didn't like the ending. Is it just me or was it ... a bit ridiculous? I know it's supposed to be so shocking but I really just found it too much. I don't know. Maybe I'm not good with mystery novels in general (I rarely like them) but I was hoping I would love Agatha Christie and have a whole new reason to buy all her works. I'll try again maybe someday. Unfortunately, the ending of this one just led to a disappointing reading experience overall.
17. Winterspell by Claire Legrand
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It is posited as a Nutcracker retelling and I love The Nucracker and see the ballet every year - so I went into this book with super high expectations. I really enjoyed the beginning of this story (a common theme amongst my most disappointing reads) - and I found this a unique, if loosely based, take on the Nutcracker tale. I've read some reviews that are concerned with the "sexualization" of Clara, but I found this didn't bother me as much - I simply read Clara as a girl beginning to explore her sexuality. I think the best part of the story was honestly the villain - Anise - I really enjoyed her, and her interactions with Clara. She had depth, and wasn't a caricature. Honestly, I really wish we had gotten more time between her and Clara, because the tension between the two characters was believable, and palpable enough that I wanted more. While I did have some weirdness over Clara being attracted to a "statute" (in this retelling the "Nutcracker" is a statute), my biggest gripe with the story is the romance. While I was fine with the insta-love aspect of the main love story, about half-way through the plot the main love interests betrays Clara in a huge way and I absolutely DESPISED their romance from that moment on. I found it to be unbelievable that Clara would go back to the main love interest after what happens. Overall, I did like this book, and found it to be a unique retelling but I was so turned-off by the romance in the book that it made me enjoy the story less - in fact I would've rather Clara ended up with the villain!
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It is posited as a Nutcracker retelling and I love The Nucracker and see the ballet every year - so I went into this book with super high expectations. I really enjoyed the beginning of this story (a common theme amongst my most disappointing reads) - and I found this a unique, if loosely based, take on the Nutcracker tale. I've read some reviews that are concerned with the "sexualization" of Clara, but I found this didn't bother me as much - I simply read Clara as a girl beginning to explore her sexuality. I think the best part of the story was honestly the villain - Anise - I really enjoyed her, and her interactions with Clara. She had depth, and wasn't a caricature. Honestly, I really wish we had gotten more time between her and Clara, because the tension between the two characters was believable, and palpable enough that I wanted more. While I did have some weirdness over Clara being attracted to a "statute" (in this retelling the "Nutcracker" is a statute), my biggest gripe with the story is the romance. While I was fine with the insta-love aspect of the main love story, about half-way through the plot the main love interests betrays Clara in a huge way and I absolutely DESPISED their romance from that moment on. I found it to be unbelievable that Clara would go back to the main love interest after what happens. Overall, I did like this book, and found it to be a unique retelling but I was so turned-off by the romance in the book that it made me enjoy the story less - in fact I would've rather Clara ended up with the villain!
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