I’ve set myself a little challenge today. I started reading Siege and Storm yesterday, and got just under halfway through…so now today, I’m going to attempt to finish reading it, so I can upload a review tomorrow and start reading Ruin and Rising immediately after. We’ll see how that goes.
Anyway, that’s not what we’re here for.
Now, I’ve seen a lot of these tags floating around, and I love reading them, so when I saw this book tag on Olivia @ Heir of Glitter’s blog, and decided I would give it a go myself!
So let’s do the unpopular opinions tag!
1. A popular book or series that you didn’t like?
The Maze Runner series by James Dashner. Now, I DID originally like this series. As you can see in the photo above, I even rated it 4/5 stars. But I’ve left it too long, and I didn’t enjoy The Scorch Trials as much…and I actually liked the film of it more. Now I feel like I’ve grow out of it and won’t be finishing the series.
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2. A book or series that everyone seems to hate, but you love?
I actually can’t think of any. The only one that comes to mind is Queen of Shadows, which I don’t think counts because a HUGE amount of people love it, like I do. But there’s been SO SO SO many times where, on twitter especially, I’ve seen people hating on Queen of Shadows because they story moved quickly compared to the previous books. But I adored it more than anything.
3. A love triangle where the main character ended up with the person you didn’t want the to end up with?
I don’t really think it classes as a love triangle, but the love story in Shadow and Bone. Now, I’m currently reading the second book and will be going straight on with the third, so this might change soon. But in Shadow and Bone, I really don’t like the guy our main character – Alina – was with at the end of the first book (and still with, where I am at the moment).
4. A popular genre you hardly reach for?
This is easy. Contemporary. I do try reading them every so often, but I don’t tend to enjoy them as much as my fantasy books. I’m one of those people that can’t stand cheesy love stories, so I’ll do without, thanks.
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5. A popular or beloved character you didn’t like?
Ohhhh here we go. Mal from The Grisha Trilogy. This will explain my answer for question 3 a bit more. I just think he so boring. Plus now that I’m halfway through the second book, he seems to only be thinking of himself. Oh I just find him annoying.
Secondly we have Alaska, from Looking for Alaska. I didn’t enjoy the book as much as everyone else, and I didn’t understand why Alaska is so loved. She just seemed to strop around a lot and not let anyone now personal things to remain this “mystery”. Ugh.
This one hurts me to say, but Chaol from the Throne of Glass series. HEAR ME OUT PLEASE. Now, I did like Chaol A LOT until Queen of Shadows. Totoally used to ship Chaoleana. But here’s the thing – Aelin is one of my favourite characters of all time, and I sort of have a defensive stance for her. So when Chaol started acting the way he did in QoS, acting like he was repulsed and she was a monster…oh boy did I get mad at him. And now I’m still holding that grudge.
And finally, Snape. I don’t care how “redeemed” he was in the end. He held a childhood grudge for a dead man and took it out on his only son. He made Harry’s life – and most Hogwarts student’s lives actually – a living hell.
6. A popular author you can’t seem to get into?
I struggled to think of an answer for this. I’ll have to go with John Green, which is a bit strange because I used to love The Fault in Our Stars, and I’ve read 4 of his books. But that was all a couple of years ago, apart from when I read Looking For Alaska last year…and ended up not liking it that much. Plus, as I remember, I only read those 4 books because I felt pressured into it slightly, like I needed to give my own thoughts on them. I know that if I read his books now, I’d just be like “…meh…it’s alright I guess…nothing special.”
7. A popular book trope you’re tired of seeing?
I tried thinking of some different ones rather than the usual answers. Of course love triangles can get annoying. No doubt about that. But I’ve noticed a few others popping up in a lot of books I’ve read lately.
Marriage for alliance. Somehow this is becoming a bigger thing. A girl having to marry a guy with a big title (prince etc.) in order to create an alliance. And most of the time the girl isn’t happy about this. And most of the time they do actually end up falling in love.
Another one – the main character not realizing they had powers, then becoming the strongest there is. There’s LOADS of stories where the main character doesn’t actually know they have magical powers etc. in the beginning. But the leap from having no idea to becoming the strongest/most talented there is, is now becoming a trope I think.
Now, although I’ve pointed these out, I’m not too tired of seeing them yet. I’ve just noticed them because it keeps happening. But that’s probably because I keep reading fantasy all the time, where they do tend to happen. I’ll try and change my books up a bit I think.
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8. A popular series you have no interest in reading?
The Vampire Academy series. I don’t like vampire stories. They usually end up making me cringe with how cheesy and unrealistic they are. I know a lot of people love this series – one of my best friends love it too. I even own the 1st book in the series because said friend had two copies so she gave me one. But I doubt I’ll read it. I’ve had it years now. Plus I saw part of the film and it made me cringe so so much I couldn’t bare to watch it.
9. The saying is, “The book is always better than the movie,” but what movie or tv adaptation do you prefer rather than the book?
The Scorch trials. I’ve already mentioned how I’ve gone of the books now. When I went to see the movie I remember enjoying it a lot more than the book.
So there we have it! The unpopular opinions book tag!
Let me know in the comments if you agree or disagree with anything I’ve mentioned. I’d be interested to know!
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Come and visit me!
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I don’t like Mal either! I haven’t started Ruin and Rising yet but at the moment I don’t ship Alina with anyone. XD And I agree with what you said about Chaol. I love him but he was a total jerk to Aelin.
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I’m thinking of starting Ruin and Rising tomorrow, but I’m the same as you and don’t really ship her with anyone…we’ll see if that changes though. And I hope Chaol is better in the next books!
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Did you want to buddy read Ruin and Rising? 🙂
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I don’t know how buddy reads work, I’ve never done one before. Is it just starting the book at the same time, or do you read a certain amount a day etc.?
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I don’t know, I’ve never done one either. XD How do you want to do it?
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I’m not entirely sure. It’s hard for me to judge how much I’ll read each day because I’m usually too tired to read when I’m at college on those days, all I know is I should finish it by next weekend
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I don’t know how much I’d read a day either. I can finish it by next weekend too I think.
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Well that could be our deadline sort of thing. I don’t know if anything else happens?
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Yeah. And we can talk about it while we read, maybe. Or at least after we both finish..? 🙂
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Sure, either is fine!
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Okay. 😀
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100% agree on Snape! Not only did he bully Harry but also Neville just because he wasn’t the chosen one. He pretty much blamed Neville for Lily dying! Also his relationship with Lily = creepy!
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Too right! There’s a good reason Neville was terrified of him and that’s because he was a horrible man all in all
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Oh my.. Gotta do this tag.. Love this post Ash ♥ I didn’t get to finish The Grisha and Maze Runners too..
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You should, it’s great fun to be able to rant haha!
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bahaha! My point exactly ♥
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I 100% agree with The Maze Runner. It was only the second YA trilogy I ever read (The Hunger Games being the first), so I LOVED it at first. Over the years, and after a re-read and the release of the movies, I’ve come to realization that it’s pretty mediocre. I personally thought the Scorch Trials movie was a thousand times better than the book. 🙂
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It’s just taken me too long to read them…I’m not even bothered about the last book anymore, but might end up seeing the film – which seems really odd because I always like the book more!
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I totally agree with you on Alaska and Snape. Alaska seemed to whine and groan a lot — an unrealistic, unnecessary amount, just to add some sort of mystery to the plot. And Snape was such a jerk. Like okay, he doesn’t like Harry’s dad, but in no way does that excuse his torturing Harry and EVERYONE ELSE AT HOGWARTS. What did they do to him?. (But I’m still devastated about Alan Rickman, since he did such an amazing as Snape)
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Glad someone agrees with me about Alaska! And Alan Rickman being such a great actor is what makes Snape such a good character – a bad one, yes, but great for the story!
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So true. I think Snape is an amazing, deep character, but he’s also despicable and totally un-likable
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I’ve always found these posts so interesting and yours is no exception 🙂 I’ve got to agree about The Maze Runner. I’ve read all the books and they just kind of got worse and worse for me… the first movie was better and I’m yet to see the second. Also I’m a little in love with The Darkling and think that he and Alina could create all kinds of amazing mayhem (only one of the reasons I never particularly liked Mal). I don’t like Chaol anymore either, his attitude in QoS were the nails in his coffin – shame, because I used to love him!
Enchanted by YA
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Aw thank you 😀 I think a lot of people have gone off The Maze Runner series now, so I’m not exactly encouraged to read the last book haha! I love The Darkling too, Mal just seems boring compared. And Chaol either needs to redeem himself in the next books, or he will stay on my bad side, even if I did like him a lot in the start!
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great post! I’ve always loved this tag. I also really didn’t like Mal- and was annoyed when she ended up with him 😦 and I can’t get into John Green at all- I’ve read two of his books and I agree, they’re “meh, nothing special” books. Completely agree with your tropes list- I also like that you included the marriage for alliance thing. It’s cropped up really recently as super popular and it’s already got on my nerves. And I don’t recommend bothering with Vampire Academy, it’s far from a great book
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Thank you! 😀 I’m glad someone agrees about the John Green books, so many people love them. I’m not a huge fan of contemporary though so it was never a great combination for me I guess. And I only noticed it earlier today about the marriage for alliance trope – I’ve read 4 books so far this year, and THREE of them all had this trope! And they’re not even similar books/genres. It’s strange haha!
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Yeah, I’m not either, but a lot of the time I find John Green’s books cliché and a little bit pretentious
and I think his characters all turn out to be the same. yeah it’s getting ridiculous! it is strange!
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I’ve already had rants about how his characters are all unrealistic teenagers that talk like they’re highly qualified shakesperian poetry majors or something (totally just made that title up but you know what I mean)
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haha yes I do- exactly!! They’re all just basically John Green as a teenager- either as a boy or a girl. He doesn’t know how to write any other characters
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It can get very tedious to read about
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Def. agree w/ you on not liking Mal
When I read this trilogy I wasn’t the biggest fan of him either
Your def.right he was a pretty boring character.
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I’m starting to see that not many people actually like him haha! And here’s me thinking he was a beloved character
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I couldn’t even get to halfway of the maze runner. Just not good writing.
I just haven’t read enough John Green books for me to have a strong opinion on him to be honest. I’m going to try and read most of his books this year though to see if in a fan of his writing.
The Vampire Academy is just too long for me to care about finishing the series, but I can assure you that the vampires in the novel aren’t that cringe.
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Well I hope you like the John Green books more than I did, in any case! And the size of the Vampire Academy series is another thing that puts me off, since I’m not too interested in starting the series in the first place. I don’t know though. Maybe one day I might attempt the first book, since I already own it.
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I have too many series to finish in the first place! That’s kind of my resolution, to finish series this year or catch up, so Vampire Academy will have to wait. The first book was definitely good, it could of been wrapped up into a duology if I was honest.
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I’m trying to finish a lot of series this year too! It’s going to be hard to get myself to buy the last books in series’ though instead of all the new ones I want haha!
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I know right! I just want to keep buying the new ones, but I need to catch up on the series! A bookworm’s dilemma.
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So much yes to Q5 on Mal and Snape. Yes. Just yes. Mal is boring and Snape was a bully–he didn’t mature and his obsession with Lily was creepy and unhealthy (aka, the obsession with “always” is a little upsetting).
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Yeah it is a little creepy. Like I get that he loved her but to obsess over her for years on end…that’s just odd
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Especially when he was the one to actively push her away and joined a cause that would negatively affect her. It doesn’t come across like love to me.
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Not at all
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Awesome post! I need to do this tag one of these days!
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Thank you! And you should 🙂
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Thanks! I will!
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I love reading this type of tag! 🙂
Definitely agree with you on the book tropes you mentioned. So many YA books follow the same theme and it does get a bit repetitive, that’s why I might read some more classics this year, so I’m not reading similar books all the time.
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Seems like a good idea 🙂
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I couldn’t stand Alaska either 😠
And you should give Vampire Academy a go, the movie was terrible so ignore that. Richelle Meads characters are so unique and once you get past the first book I think most people would like it.
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I might do at some point since I already have the first book
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