Huh boy. I think books that could fall into this category are: any book that someone read and hated but has a lot of hype. So this is probably just a breeding ground for ranting. But I think we should have more respect for books that other people liked and we didn't. I agree that it's really irking to find so much fault in something and then see other people adoring it, and I understand that, but can't we all just be a little nicer and less condescending about something someone loved?
Okay. Rant off. And here's my turn to call out the book I think is overrated, so let's see if I can do it without all the disdain I just mentioned.
The first book I thought of for this category was Mockingjay. I was disappointed with this book. I think Suzanne Collins had two options for this story: 1. She could have made Katniss into a glorious revenge underdog who wreaks havoc on the Capitol's society and ultimately changes the world for the better in a stunning finale, after which she finally recedes from the limelight to a peaceful end. 2. She could have shown that the scenario I just mentioned is hardly ever the actual situation we see in real life, she could have underlined the fact that any kind of rebellion will involve tragedy of some sort, and she will ultimately have written a commentary on the fact that no one is really the winner in that kind of situation, that war has a cost no matter what you're fighting for.
She did the latter.
And... that's okay, I guess. Obviously, I was hoping for the former. Give me glorious vengeance and a happy ending. Your comment on the true nature of war and revolution is okay. But for me, what could have been the most ultimate dystopian series ever turned out to be a pretty good dystopian series in which I like the first two books more than the last.
Didn't I say rant off? Oh well.
BUT! I'm not picking Mockingjay for this category. Because really, it was a cool book. Lots of people like it and I don't really fault them for liking it. The book that I'm picking for this category is A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray.
My biggest problem with this book is the relationships. Sometimes I hear that and I think, "But wasn't the story cool, didn't you like that?" Sometimes it seems like a sort of "wet blanket" comment when someone says, "I just didn't believe that a woman would really find that attractive in a man. And that ruined the whole book for me." Or, "I don't think any young person should act like that to their parents. And that ruined the book for me." Etc.
But I'm about to make that same kind of comment: There are four girls in this story who go on and on about how important and strong their friendship is, and the whole time they lie and back-bite and occasionally out someone from the group only to grudgingly take them back, and they're fake and insincere with each other. In the end they act like they're fighting for their awesome bond which completely confused me because they were all disingenuous frenemies. And that ruined the book for me.
Still, this has a decent enough plot, and the ending is exciting. I'm just one of those people who couldn't see past these relationship problems which were supposed to be motivating the action of the book. If that didn't bother other people: more power to you.
3 comments:
I don't really have a book for this one. I do want to apologize for venting my frustration about Crossed. Maybe I crossed the line.. sorry : )
Not at all! I think there is venting and then there is VENTING. I was honestly thinking of all the hot criticism of Twilight. I understand all the arguments that people make, but at the same time so many people obviously love it, do we have to belittle them?
One vote for Mockingjay. My runner up is Breaking Dawn.
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