The Worst Book of 2013
I saw this book on a lot of people's lists on Friday. And I'm probably going to get some flack for saying this, but The 5th Wave is probably one of the worst books I read in 2013.
I fell for the hype and by the end of the book, I was mad. The book was big right around my birthday in August and I picked up a sampler and had to read more. So I got a copy of the book...from the local library thankfully. I was so disappointed. It was a totally predicable plot with revolving narrators that were barely distinguishable from each other. The 5th Wave took all the latest YA crazes and mashed them together unsuccessfully.
I've read The Passage (which I didn't like) and by the end of last year, I had finally read Ender's Game (which I did like). I can see how this book is like The Passage for teens, but I have no clue how the book is ANYTHING on the level of Ender's Game. I mean yes, there are some similarities (kids fighting aliens), but Orson Scott Card does a better job of showing the psychological games and its affects on young people than Yancey does.
Other books that didn't rank high on my list:
- Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
- Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke
- Free Four: Tobias Tells a Story by Veronica Roth
- Chick Unravel Time: Women Journey Through Every Season of Doctor Who Multiple Editors
- The Minute by Aaron Dietz (review posted last month).
What's the worst book you read in 2013?
I've never read The 5th Wave but I probably won't because of this post now! Hopefully next year brings better books for you :)
ReplyDelete- Farhana @ Digesting The Words
I've never read any of these books but I've wanted to read some of Veronica Roth's other books. Hopefully those are better.
ReplyDelete~April @ Once Upon a Coffin
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea was just weird. A lot of people really enjoyed it, but I didn't. I couldn't get over the fact that River's hips were called "panther hips" and Violet was just judgemental and stupid. I sort of liked The 5th Wave, but a lot of my friends didn't. I think it was the placebo effect: all the early reviews liked it, so I expected to.
ReplyDeleteNice list!
I agree with you on The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. It was weird. I liked the book blurb, but how everything shook out was odd. I finished it, but was sorely disappointed in the end.
DeleteAwe, different strokes, I liked me some 5th Wave. I have not read any of those other ones though.
ReplyDeleteHow funny - I really liked The 5th Wave. Just goes to show that everybody's different and that some books can strike someone one way and another person completely differently. :-)
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
The hype over The 5th Wave kind of turned me off so I don't really mind missing it. Of course, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea was a book I absolutely loved, but I haven't read any of the other worst of 2013 books on your list (except The Passage, but I read that when it came out, liked it quite a lot, but you only said you didn't like it, not that it was one of the worst).
ReplyDeleteAww no, not The 5th Wave, say it ain't so?! I bought that a while ago but haven't read it yet. Now I'm a little wary to start it.
ReplyDeleteMegan @ Books i View