Top Ten Tuesday is here, and that means it’s time for another list. This week, I am discussing the top ten slow-paced books that I struggle(d) to read. Some of these books, I want to give them another try. Perhaps I will write more on why I want to do that. I marked those books with an asterisk * to denote that I will be revisiting them at some point and won’t unhaul them.
*10. The girl of fire and thorns by rae carson
At first, I was trying to follow a slow moving plot in the story. I don’t really read a lot of political intrigue, so I think this series will take some getting used to. I was annoyed by how Elisa was repeatedly presented as a food-loving girl, which is fine. But, it gets kind of redundant. I keep comparing this portrayal with someone like Nina Zenik, who is a bit more well-rounded as a person (at least her portrayal didn’t reduce her to simplistic stereotypes).
Still, I think it was nice to see Elisa grow in book 1, and now I need to keep going and read the rest of the series.
9. breaking dawn by stephanie meyer
Oh my goodness, this was so freaking boring. I struggled to finish it, and when I was done, I regretted ever having read those books. A vampire baby? Imprint? No, thanks. Also, the story dragged on and on. The things that made Bella relatable were suddenly taken away; she was transformed into a completely strange person with wind chimes for vocal cords.
No thanks.
8. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
An oversimplified discussion of appearances and plastic surgery. It strongly reminds me of Twilight in its approach towards issues traditionally linked to women. Where is the exploration of the human psyche in congruence with living a seemingly utopian society?
(Not rereading this at all. So much dislike for it)
7. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
At the height of the dystopian craze, this book series was released. I had given it a try, just to see what the hype was about. Big mistake. A group of boys living in a simulated arena. Lots of running in mazes. Girl shows up.
Betrayals and a sense of flight or fight aren’t fully explored. I spent my entire reading experience bored, even though all these “shocking” things were happening. Mainly, the cause of this boredom was a sense of disconnect from the characters. Also: there is this zombie element presented in the story. I didn’t like that.
*6. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Katsa is one of the most dull characters I had ever encountered. For a long time in the book, I was not sure how old she was because of the monotonous way she presented herself to the world. Even Po, who is meant to be a charming person, is equally as flat. I am giving this series another shot. I don’t know why. But, I feel like perhaps I was just not in the right mood for it?
5. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Actually, this first book was not as bad as some may say it was. However, Allegiant is so bad. Let’s not talk about that ending, either, because it made me so angry.
4. The iron daughter by julie kagawa
Nope. A character who is whining the whole time here, too, and not for reasons that are compelling. Fairies and tricksters have such potential. But, not this series. Totally was not for me at all.
3. The sisterhood of traveling pants by ann brashers
A paper thin group of friends who mostly talk about boys for four (ugh, five) books.
*2. The wrath and the dawn by renee ahdieh
Shahrazad and Khalid’s story was so dull that I didn’t even bother reading the next book in the duology. The misunderstood tyrant trope falls flat in Khalid’s back-story. Why can’t we have a bad person, just be bad, without being “cursed”? I may keep on reading, though, because I am starting to get curious about the ending of the story. Maybe Shahrazad can grow on me a bit more.
Deep breaths.
*1. the narnia books by c.s. lewis
Oh man, those books are frustrating and overly descriptive. In addition, the author is so driven to get his biblical messages across, that it feels forced and aggressive. While I do like the characters, the pacing is exhausting.
Sigh.
I still think these books have such a high value. To me, they certainly drove me to reconnect with my faith.
Your Turn
Did you DNF or dislike a book because of its pacing lately? Share in the comments, so I know what to avoid! Save us from boring plot-lines.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who has trouble with Narnia, haha. Everyone else seems to love them. With Graceling, the other two books are more companion books as they focus on different characters. I haven’t read the next two either yet though.