It’s not hard to find books where we see people loving or disliking them. I believe that’s the magic of reading: it helps you understand your taste and accept what you like isn’t liked by everyone and that’s okay because, what would happen to the book world, if we all liked the same, right? This way authors can explore multiple scenarios and tropes and look for a niche.
Still, there are some books that can divide the book community to an extreme: You either love them or hate them. Sometimes the middle ground is difficult to find.
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All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover
Not long ago I saw the author mention this is one of her lowest-selling books (not saying it doesn’t sell but maybe there’s a difference between it and the others). The “problem” with this book is that people are afraid to read it due to the reviews so far. I’m not going to spoil the book for you but it handles a really heavy situation throughout the book and the main character is very depressed. This leads to miscommunication or the lack of it at all for the most part of the book which leads to consequences that can anger the reader.
Personally, I liked the book. It’s not my favourite by the author but it isn’t bad either. I just felt very tired and depressed after reading it. The negative moods can definitely lead to dislike for most people.
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Pestilence by Laura Thalassa
I’m singling this one out but the whole series can be loved or hated. The book features the Four Horsemen that come to our world to destroy humanity. The author doesn’t shy away from showing the brutal reality of such merciless characters.
Readers struggle to accept the actions and many times don’t find the heroes redeemed at all which eventually gets them a general dislike and low rating. Meanwhile, if you’re like me, while you don’t agree with their actions, you love a good raw dose of reality and understand their multiple layers and why it’s so hard for them to be someone else.
Do I think they found redemption? Maybe. Maybe not. To me, it matters how they learn to be someone better even if they don’t regret it. We are here to evolve as humans, they also did at some point.
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A Thousand Boys Kisses by Tillie Cole
I can’t talk much about this book due to spoilers but it’s a tearjerker that will break your heart. To many, the whole book is the perfect dose of multiple emotions, from the sad moments to the sweet young love. To others, they don’t like the direction the story takes and don’t feel satisfied at all. Plus, the fact it’s young first love, can feel a bit immature to the reader.
Buy some Kleenex and find out if this book is an 8 or an 80 to you.
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A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
The first book in a fantasy series always suffers because most authors use it to build the world and dump information so the reader can understand the world they are getting into. This book is no different even if is part of an extremely famous fantasy series. The pace is very slow and the foreshadowing is very faded. Many love it because they get to see the story starting to get form. Others, especially those who aren’t that into fantasy, can feel very discouraged ending up not finishing the series or skipping the first book.
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Bound By Honor by Cora Reilly
It was my first mafia romance and the book that got me hooked on the trope. Featuring arranged marriage and a criminal organization, it has the ingredients to be a good book and is loved by many. The characters are likeable and the plot attractive. What makes people dislike it? The author created a world that to many are hard to love and accept: the girls are overprotected, virgins and oppressed by the older generation. They can’t do much besides stay at home and follow their husband’s lead. Each book in the series features different couples and we do see development in the characters and the women not being submissive. To many people, this isn’t enough, though, so they don’t continue forward with the series.
These are the five books that came to my mind when I gave some thought to this topic. Do you have any other book you believe divides the readers? If so, let us know.
See you next time!
