Hello everyone,
We all have authors whose storytelling is so consistently beautiful that we would read absolutely anything they write. Over the years I have found lots of favourite authors, but in some cases not every one of their books has hit the heights.
So for my post this week, I have a list of books by some of my favourite authors which fell well short of my expectations or I frankly did not like. Luckily, there are not too many!
Watching You by Lisa Jewell
I have read more Lisa Jewell books than any other author of fiction aimed at adults, which is testament to how much I enjoy her writing and ability to devise thrilling, mysterious plots.
However, one exception was Watching You, which compared to her other novels had a somewhat underwhelming concept, uninteresting characters, and twists that were easy to predict.
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
Over a year on from reading this book and I still cannot comprehend how the author of some of the most amazing, powerful young adult fiction out there was also responsible for the atrocity that was Family Lore.
Reading her earlier books The Poet X, With The Fire On High, and the poignant Clap When You Land filled me with joy and awe. By contrast, every time I picked this one up was like inflicting physical pain on myself – it was that bad and trust me, I do not say that lightly.
Ruin And Rising by Leigh Bardugo
This book was actually okay, but when you compare it to the other Grishaverse books across three different series, then it pales slightly in comparison. The pacing was off-key and the plot development disjointed until the end, while Bardugo made the surprising decision to sideline Nikolai for most of the piece.
Hydra by Matt Wesolowski
The Six Stories series is incredible. If you like crime and mystery stories and have not read it yet, then you really should. In my opinion five of the six books tick almost all the boxes, with the only exception being Hydra, the second instalment.
As ever the concept was fascinating, but it got really bogged down in the middle with too many unnecessary details.
One Year Later by Sanjida Kay
I read all of Sanjida Kay’s first three psychological thrillers in the space of just a few months back in 2018, so she quickly became a favourite of mine. However, her next book was not quite as good, mainly due to the fact I could not connect with the characters, and the choice of narrator was – in my opinion – a mistake.
The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh
After five mostly excellent standalones, Clare Mackintosh began a series with The Last Party about a impetuous police detective in the Welsh borders. The concept is very good, but the first book in the series was a letdown, partly because I found myself not caring about the mystery.
The main characters were interesting though, so the series does have potential and I look forward to reading the next one.
That Night by Gillian McAllister
Gillian McAllister is easily one of the outstanding and most innovative authors in her genre, with fantastic books including The Evidence Against You and the smash hit Wrong Place Wrong Time. She rarely allows her standards to slip, but That Night was a bit of a disappointment compared to the rest. It was by no means bad, just clearly not as good.
Let’s Chat
Can you think of any books by one of your favourite authors that left you disappointed? Have you read any of the books on my list? Let me know in the comments!
Happy reading 🙂
