Overhyped Books

[@LisbethJimenez]

The best part of this video was how perplexed you looked throughout it. Your expressions made me giggle in a good way. And OMG A Discovery of Witches should go be mandatory reading for insomniacs. No matter how I tried to push through that book it would always end with me sleeping.

[@artjournalstories7313]

I DNFed DOW at 80% of it. My god, I couldn't take it anymore of how Diana takes her tea...

[@bookslikewhoa]

Haha, I am an open book - If I am perplexed, I look it!! :) And yeah - ADOW was so dull for me

[@TheGoofy1932]

I think a lot of the hype is due to the 📺 series which is good. People like the show so they like or want to like the book. I say watch the show, but leave the book in this case. 😂

[@sujathaks3772]

I agree that Night Circus is overhyped. Sure, the writing is beautiful. But I was bored most of the time. When I finished it, I felt like I wasted my time.

[@pancakejung4471]

I read the fault in our stars, we were liars and the book thief when i was young and just getting into books. At that time it was everything to me. But now that i've had more experience with books, loking back there really wasnt anything very special about it. I would not reread it now because i'd definitely see how standard they are.

[@vamps_rock]

Another great topic. I think that most hyped books are overhyped. And that is nothing to do with how good or bad the content is but everything to do with the devil that is the publicity wheel saturation and overexposure. And the biggest problem with overhyping is the levels of expectation set, which are almost never met let alone exceeded. I also get fed up with constantly seeing the same books being hauled, TBR'd, and reviewed over and over and sometimes it seems that some BTers in general (no-one in particular) only read some books to ensure they are involved in the hype train. I see it with all types of genres, including lit fic and across both YA and adult and it's why I love seeing books discussed that no one else I have come across has discussed, even if it doesn't seem like something I would be interested in. As a side note, I also didn't love A Discovery of Witches as a standalone book (the first half I think was painful to get through!) and especially found the MC's and their romance a tad bland (unpopular opinion, and I think the same of the TV counterparts even though the show is quite good), but found it a great build up to the supernatural world and the plot and the time-travelling that occurred later on and in book 2 (which I loved, despite having previously had zero interest in Elizabethan England and Europe!) and 3. I didn't realise it was hyped, especially when most reviews I've seen are similar to yours. But then I only discovered booktube and got involved in online reading discussions in the last 18 months-2 years so I probably missed it all when it happened. TFS :)

[@bookslikewhoa]

Very true about hype & the marketing machine of publishing... it's kind of a catch 22 because I get that they need to make the book sound appealing in order to sell it. The only time I find it truly frustrating is if the way they've hyped the book has little to no correspondence with the actual book once I read it

[@christyhw]

Totally agree about The Fault in Our Stars

[@racheldemain1940]

I found it too twee.

[@petrafadel2517]

The Night Circus was a huge disappointment for me. So was the Starless Sea, the author's second book unfortunately

[@racheldemain1940]

They were hyping up The Starless Sea at the Book shop but it didn't speak to me.

[@brookelackey6231]

Mara, you're killing me! You mentioned three of my faves - The Night Circus, The Book Thief, and The Cuckoo's Calling. I love those books so much because I am very much a character based reader. In each of those books, I fell absolutely in love with the cast of characters. I can see how if you're more of a plot based reader they may fall a little flat, though.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Haha, oh no! If it makes you feel better, I'm clearly in the minority on all 3 of those, so you can feel secure in being with the consensus :). For TCC, it was specifically the main character who drove me nuts - far too broody & typical loner PI for my tastes, which is why I usually avoid that genre

[@witchf4ce310]

Brooke Lackey I’m also a character driven reader but The Night Circus wasn’t exactly that character driven, it was atmosphere driven and that’s why it lacked imo. There was barely a plot, the characters weren’t fleshed out at all or interesting, it was just a magical atmosphere and beautiful writing 😄

[@Dee.provost]

Oh man Mara! I loved Children of Blood and Bone. I think with it being a African fantasy boosted this up more. It was different refreshing for diversity in my opinion. Everyone I recommended this book too enjoyed it. I think it was worth the hype my opinion. I hit the like I still love your videos. 😊

[@bookslikewhoa]

I definitely agree about the setting - I think that's what most excited people, myself included. And hey- you are in the consensus opinion, so don't listen to me! ;)

[@witchf4ce310]

Dee Provost but the characters and their relationships and their motivations etc were kind of messy and confusing. It should’ve been way more developed considering how much hype it gets. But the setting is amazing.

[@mastersal4644]

I love your videos. So excited by this topic. I find hype sets unrealistic expectations which ruin perfectly good books. I sometimes think I emotionally dislike hyped books because I expect to love them even though I am an older, generally crabby reader. For me most YA fantasy loved on booktube seems overhyped. I’ve realized I enjoy complexity in my fantasy and hype tends to create that for me. Sometimes unfairly - I read this girl pirates YA book (which I can’t remember the name of) last year which was serviceable and even enjoyable on parts but the hype sunk it for me.

[@Pajali]

Saleha S Same here. If I’ve decided to try a book, I usually avoid hype about it (as much as a person can) to avoid unrealistic expectations. I’ve also found that if I pick up a book BECAUSE of the hype, it’s usually a 3-star read, and I’m not sure if it’s because the book is just outside my interests or if the hype actively sabotaged my reading experience. :/

[@mastersal4644]

@@Pajali I know what you mean. I watch all these lovely booktubers - get excited by what they are reading and pick something up and then don't love it. Still, I guess it's fun to be part of the wider culture train.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yes, there is always a risk of hopping on the hype train that it is a train to no where :/

[@wendywesley7423]

Great Video! One of the things I like about your book reviews is that you are not afraid to give your true opinion. So many book tuber’s cave into the hype. I know enough about you voice to decide if I like book by your comments. There are some books I know I like even though you do not. You give enough background in your reviews for people to decide for themselves. Well done🤓

[@bookslikewhoa]

Thank you so much! That's always my goal - even if I don't like a book, I rarely feel like it's a situation where no one would like it or no one should read it, so I try to give enough info for people to gauge their own response to what I'm describing for themselves

[@danielleoliver1734]

I agree with most of these, I liked the ones I’ve read but have read a better version of it many times. V E Schwab was the one that disappointed me the most, Lila wasn’t badass, she just didn’t give a shit about anyone

[@penrynsdreams]

Your point about those bridging books, the books that everybody reads regardless of whether they like the genre or not, books that can be introductions to genres, hits home a lot to me and is the source of a lot of overhyping in my opinion. I felt that really strongly with Station Eleven. It's described as a post-apocalyptic book, but less than half of it is post-, with the rest pre- and during, and generally I just felt like it was a lovely literary novel but not a great piece of spec fic. Agree with you 100% on Killer of the Flower Moon, btw. Really struggled through it, even though I was always interested in the material.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yeah, I really do think the bridging aspect is what makes a lot of the genre crossovers get hyped so much. Which I appreciate, but if you're already a reader of the that genre, you can feel left out in the cold

[@rachelcole6438]

I am a huge Vonnegut fan but I can definitely see how his complete body of work could be reasonably argued to be over-hyped for his genre. However, I do want to make a case for Slaughterhouse 5 in particular, as I think it very artfully combines Vonnegut's first hand experience as a young POW in Dresden with a goofy sci-fi and his own special personal philosophy on life as he knows it. I'm definitely biased towards this subject, since it's probably my favorite book, and I have Billy Pilgrims epitaph tattooed on my arm, but I wanted to throw in my defense of Vonnegut for anyone considering reading his work. On a different note - I bought my husband Children of Blood and Bone and told him that everyone *loved* this book (YA fantasy is not my genre) and forced him to read it and he had the same exact opinion as you did!

[@mayarmahdy2263]

I read lots of these books and succumbed to peer pressure by giving them high ratings, and read a couple of them when I was 14 or something so I was in love with them. The C. B. Strike series does get better later, especially the last 2 books, and if you like the characters you'll love the books. If you have time you should give them a go. Same goes for the shadow of the wind book 2, some say it's more gripping (I misread something and ruined it to myself so bad, though). Great video!

[@debralavoie9095]

I love this video. Hearing thoughts about books is always interesting. Thanks for all your great videos!

[@bookwhimsy]

I love these kinds of videos! I personally liked A Discovery of Witches but I wasn’t around for the hype around it and I feel very lucky for that 😃

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yeah, I think missing the hype train can sometimes help a book stand on its own better! I'm glad you enjoyed it

[@ericawhite675]

I could listen to you hate on books all day. Bless this video

[@bookslikewhoa]

Haha, my salt well never runs dry, fear not ;)

[@jhart1127]

A Discovery of Witches... 2%: Yoga. Really? 18%: Phwoar Matthew 😍 10%: Okayyy pretty cool! 70% of the book: "Diana drank her tea.. Her hot, hot tea. She loved hot tea. The tea was hot and she loved the tea"

[@NatLli]

oh my god, i hated the night circus so much, regret reading it, i don't even know why i finished it. the passage was alright, nothing special really. the fall in our stars, don't get it either. haven't read the rest (because i have no interest and they sound way too hyped, and usually i end up disappointed)

[@thiadesg]

I've read 4 of those books (Night Circus, Book Thief, Shadow of the Wind and Cuckoo's Calling) and you're pretty spot on. Your comment on Cuckoo's Calling about the absence of editing is particularly true for the 4th book in that series, Lethal White. It did not need to be 600 pages. It was still mildly enjoyable, but it's definitely not ground-breaking and such.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yeah, watching Books & Lala try to read that fourth one was pretty entertaining - seems like it was pretty darn bloated

[@thiadesg]

Books & Lala tried Lethal White? That I've got to see! (And I just remember Spinster's Library too!)

[@eralonuva]

For the Magicians series, the first book *is* Narnia + (in my opinion) grown-up Harry Potter, and I understand people not liking it for various reasons, including the writing, but the second book in the series is about Julia and it's badass (and scary). I was pretty sold by the time I finished the third book. I think about this series all the time, and I've read them twice. I agree with you on some others I read: The Night Circus, A Gathering of Shadows (and the second one was worse- yes!), The Book Thief, and We Were Liars.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Spirited advocacy! I love it :)

[@Vickey982]

I had a hard time finishing the Book Thief, I found it so slow and not nearly as captivating as I thought it would be. I didn't get the hype for The Hating Game by Sally Thorne.

[@bookslikewhoa]

I haven't read The Hating Game, but I read 99% Mine earlier this year and really did not enjoy it. I think Sally Thorne is one that just doesn't work for me :/

[@ZwischenTausendZeilen]

Hi Mara, I was wondering if you had heard of "The Flatshare" by Beth O'Leary. The translation is pretty hyped here in Germany right now. It's Chicklit and also, I know, you prefer external conflict in romance books, which it kind of has/doesn't have. But!! It's one of the smartest romances I have read in a very long time and had me tear up many, many times over how it portrays loving relationships in general. I think you would enjoy it! :) All the best, Ruth

[@artjournalstories7313]

Oh I agree! I LOVED The Flatshare. What an uplifting book it was and I appreciated the writer's take on relationships.

[@ZwischenTausendZeilen]

@@artjournalstories7313 also, while it takes a bit to get into it, the voices of both characters are so distinct, right? 😍 I feel like that's become such a rare thing in dual POV type of books (sadly so!).

[@artjournalstories7313]

Zwischen Tausend Zeilen yes, different and equally charming :) also, after all this display of problematic relationships and naming them as ‘normal’, I was really glad that someone showed what’s actually normal.

[@ZwischenTausendZeilen]

@@artjournalstories7313 Yes yes yes 👏

[@bookslikewhoa]

It's actually in my cart right now! I've been hearing great things

[@Nastya-uj9bg]

yes!! same about the night circus! dnfed also. you are the first person I saw on youtube with this opinion. I fetlt so alone as if I missed something.

[@jimcowhand1749]

ADoW is overrated. It forced a Twilight/Da Vinci Code combo just bc both were very popular. I enjoyed parts, but it was very contrived. TFioS has a great first half, but falls off dramatically after that. Thankfully, I didn't read the rest of your mentions!! I bought "The Lost Queen" and "The Shadowy Horses" today. Hope they aren't over-hyped! Ha! 📚📚📚

[@bookslikewhoa]

Haha, good luck with them!! :)

[@eamongilligan3262]

Ooh, Vonnegut is overhyped to me too! I thought I was the only one who thought that! And I tried to read The Book Thief once, and honestly only got a little way in before backing out again. I seriously don't get the fuss either.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yeah... people love it, so I know there's an audience for it. I just don't get the hype - c'est la vie!

[@mereiriz]

I’ve tried to read The Book Thief 2 or 3 times. I give up. It’s not for me.

[@tartdarling]

I think a lot of these at least for me, are more that I connected to SOMETHING in the book. The writing, a particular quote or scene, a character I really identified with, etc. I have also realized from talking books with friends that I don't necessarily agree with on titles that I don't read books as critically as a lot of my friends. I tend to be more of an emotional reader so sure something may not be genre breaking or doing something unheard of but it was what I needed to read at that time or was just something that struck a chord with me. I do like hearing what people didn't like about things because it gives me something to think about for re-reads.

[@bookslikewhoa]

I think what you said about an emotional reaction to books is so true - a lot of hype probably comes from just an instinctual "I loved this!!" and that's honestly the best reaction someone could have for a book

[@stefaniacattaneo3802]

Oh noooooo, I have just bought the Shadow of the Wind in Spanish and was supposed to be my weekend read! I really trust your recommendations, but I guess I will read it and see for myself. Love your channel!

[@bookslikewhoa]

Haha, hopefully you love it! I'm definitely in the minority on my opinion

[@golivia8084]

I really enjoy these kinds of videos and love hearing the arguments for/against a book no matter what I think about it. It's always refreshing and sometimes eye-opening to hear the opposite side.

[@bookslikewhoa]

That's how I feel too- I appreciate folks who can take the spirit in which in was offered! :)

[@ThePunkykim]

Thank you for calling out The Book Thief. I couldn't even get through it. So overrated.

[@racheldemain1940]

Oh me neither, think it was the strange narrative.

[@thecompendium9607]

One of my favorites of all time. :-(

[@MarilynMayaMendoza]

Continued, if you are raised on Agatha Christie, Josephine Tey and Dorothy Sayer, you might be disappointed with a lot of the enthusiasm got a lot of new books are hype to be. Since my jam is Mystery and thrillers, I've been pretty disappointed in what's out there lately. Aloha Maya

[@Wats06071]

"The Night Circus" ..I strongly disliked it.

[@ndreader]

I was lost the whole time I read that book. My whole book club loved it and I just didn't get it...

[@TinyNDangerous]

Even when I disagree on your overall opinion of a book you exspress your opinion so well that I leave with something to think about. I really appreciate that about your reviews. Some books I avoid from hype, honestly, or at least wait until I'm not hearing it mentioned in everyone's wrap up. Because if not I find I want so badly to love it out of FOMO that I lead myself to disappointment. If that makes sense?

[@bookslikewhoa]

I appreciate that! I always try to make it clear that it's just my opinion and hopefully people can map their own opinions/preferences/experiences into that

[@sharonforbes162]

Ok, first off, very interesting topic here. You covered quite a few books here, which leads me to wonder, what similar books do you feel are NOT overhyped?? As for The Book Thief, I will offer my opinion as to why it initially recieved so much hype: the way it is narrated, that is, death being the narrator, to me, that was a big part of what drew me in to read the book to begin with, and what kept me reading it. Again, thank you for a great discussion on an interesting topic, I enjoyed it, even though I didn't agree with you on all of it!! 😊

[@bookslikewhoa]

Ooo, underhyped books. That's a great idea! I'll mull on that one

[@kevinmoore4237]

re: Cuckoo's Falling - I think I liked this one a bit more than you, but the next two got successively better - the third one is quite good, even though I had to fast forward through a bit of the gross serial killer stuff - the rest of it is quite funny and clever. I'm on book 4 now. And if you want it more edited, the TV version, which I'm watching immediately after finishing each book, is about as good as it gets in terms of staying completely faithful but cutting it back to the essence without losing the feel.

[@evanissioti7643]

I totally get your point that classics, in general, have contributed to the way we experience literature nowadays. But, I also think James Joyce is overhyped and I would like to hear your opinions on "not so great classics".

[@bookslikewhoa]

I think I'm going to do a video of classics I don't like/get to cover the classics that I think are overhyped but recognize that they were really influential so in that sense can't be overhyped

[@kirjakauris]

I agree on most of these judgements (if not all). I found it a little grating that on a few occasions you'd argue along the lines of "maybe people like this because they've never read anything else from this genre". Comes off pretty elitist / ignorant of your own subjectivity. However, I did very much enjoy this video on the whole! It so nice to listen to a person who's so well spoken and has clearly put thought into what she's talking about :)

[@Pajali]

Kirjakauris To be fair, if you’ve read a lot of a genre, you’re less likely to be blown away by a “generic” plot that is well-executed. If I had read Eragon BEFORE I read Lord of the Rings, I would have been much more impressed with Eragon than I was because I wouldn’t have read anything in that sort of fantasy world before. Since I read LotR first, Eragon seemed pretty derivative even though it was competently executed. That’s not to say the people who love Eragon (or any book) are wrong to love it, but if you have a wider pool of books to compare it to, you’re less likely to find something wholly new to you. I don’t think of it as a judgment on the quality of a person’s opinion but as a neutral statement that people with different experiences tend to react differently to the same media.

[@kirjakauris]

@@Pajali That's true enough. Maybe I paid less attention to what was said and more to how it was said :)

[@carole5648]

subscribed because the night circus is overhyped, i'm about a third of the way through, and i just don't get why people love it. It's ok but, thats it.

[@nonfictionfeminist]

I initially enjoyed Cuckoo's Calling, it's not great but I had fun with it. However, after the last book, and with waiting for the new one, I feel like I just have no desire to continue. Part of that could be my impatience with unfinished series, but I also get a lot more enjoyment out of mysteries that aren't from the detective/lawyer/reporter perspective. My favorite contemporary mystery right now is Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Ooo, hadn't heard of that Bookstore mystery, but it sounds intriguing! Thanks for the rec!

[@enlisty]

The Magicians is one of my all-time favourites but I definitely agree with A Discovery of Witches and The Book Thief.

[@Vanitas1131]

I'm trying to feel not attacked by the books you mentioned 🤣 but you can have your opinions and I agree with a lot of points you make. But Shadow in the Wind is the one and only book I will always gush about. I never hear of it, especially not in booktube, but it was a masterpiece for me.

[@bookslikewhoa]

LOL, yes, no attacking! I'm definitely in the minority on TSOTW - people love it

[@scarlet8078]

I agree but she's reading it in English and I notice it's a bit disjointed for some people when they read it in English

[@michellerever3564]

You mention JK Rowling's editors refusing to edit her. I think this is also Stephen King's issue. Video suggestion? Authors who are too big to be tamed? :)

[@MarilynMayaMendoza]

I'm new to the booktube community, so I missed the hype on a lot of these books. I also don't read a lot of the genres mentioned. I'm 70 so pretty set in my ways, although I find myself reading more widely than I did before becoming a creator. As for Mysteries

[@TracySmith-xy9tq]

The Magician was a DNF for me One of my most overhyped books was The Lovely Bones. It wasn't at all what I expected and my rating is decidedly lukewarm.

[@shaelynp7630]

I'm wondering if you've read The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood- mystery ? I don't think you have or we probably would've seen a review or mention of it. I'm curious to know what you think of it if you do. I liked it quite a bit- but my 2nd fave jam or trope is a book within a book I love those -that was definitely my draw to the Magpie Murders.

[@bookslikewhoa]

I did read it back in the day, but it's been years!

[@dlkm0309]

I think I wasted my time on The Night Circus. It’s beautifully written but plotwise, it’s just underwhelming.

[@outi3852]

Totally agree with The book thief and the shadow of the wind. To me, book thief felt gimmicky and death as a narrator didn't really bring anything special to it. Can barely even remember that I read the shadow of, so clearly not my favourite 😁 Loved Night circus and Evelyn Hardcastle, but agree that they're overhyped. Eat pray love is very overhyped for me, book and film. Ended up DNFing both, I was so bored. The alchemist is another one, I did enjoy it & thought it was ok, but it was more like a light summer fable than a mind-blowing life-changer.

[@bookslikewhoa]

OMG, I should have put The Alchemist on this list. Lord, what a snooze... I found it very "faux deep." I'm happy if it was insightful for other people, but it didn't work for me :(

[@outi3852]

bookslikewhoa Faux deep indeed. Reminded me of some of the fairy tales I read as a kid, where hero/heroine learns riches aren't everything etc. Maybe's why I still was able to enjoy it, got a kind of nostalgic feeling?

[@sandy-bp5el]

Hi Mara - new subscriber here. Love your channel. Not sure I'd enjoy physically reading The Night Circus nearly as much as I'm enjoying listening to Jim Dale narrate it! :-)

[@bookslikewhoa]

Haha, it was actually that very audiobook that I DNFed! :D Just wasn't clicking for me

[@sandy-bp5el]

@@bookslikewhoa - You DNFed a narration by Jim Dale?? Say it isn't so! ;-) While on the subject, do you have a favorite narrator?

[@elvennthegrey2678]

After disliking so many, I tend to avoid hyped books with raving reviews, at least until I'm really convinced. I still end buying some books I end thinking as overhyped (the last one, The Little Book of Hygge), but only once in a while and it feels nice knowing I'm supporting authors whose books I've really enjoyed.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yeah, avoiding the hype machine generally leads to better reading results, but I still liking jumping onboard from time to time to enjoy the collective excitement around those titles

[@MacSusi10]

I haven't finished any of John Green's books. I've tried reading them but just can't do it. And it surprises me every time when somebody says how good they are. I adore The Shadow of the Wind. I read it in my mother tongue not knowing anything about the story. I saw the cover in the library, decided to give it a go and fell in love. In my opinion The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins is totally overhyped. It's just an average mystery.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Oh, that's a good one to add for me, for me too! I DNFed The Girl on the Train because I was bored

[@BookmarksandBookshelves]

I could not agree with you more about The Night Circus. I struggled so hard to get through it and I just never understood all the waxing poetic about how magical it is. I felt like I was the only person who didn't get all the hype. P.S. - I'm just going to say Stephen King in general is overhyped. I have given him chance after chance after chance and he disappoints me every time. I don't get his appeal and cult-like following in the least.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Ooo, them's is fighting words! People adore Stephen King. I think I'd probably tend to agree with you, in the sense that I've never read a Stephen King novel that "stuck the landing" for me. It always goes off the rail at the end. I did consider putting him on this list, but I think he falls into the category of genre classic, so in that sense I feel like I can't judge if he's overhyped because he's shaped the modern horror genre so profoundly

[@quillpennews]

Many people probably liked The Night Circus because of the audio book. In my opinion, the narrator was wonderful. Yes, it’s in you DNF pile, but you might enjoy the audio book. Love that you read so much. Wish I could read as quickly as you do. Looking forward to your next post.😊

[@bookslikewhoa]

Oh that's so interesting, because I actually DNFed the audio! Maybe I need to try again some day

[@quillpennews]

@@bookslikewhoa The fact that Celia's father is absolutely terrible could turn a lot of people off, but what happens to him during the story is very interesting.

[@imperatrice211]

I have read A Gathering of Shadows, the whole Magicians trilogy, The Passage, The Fault in our Stars, The Book Thief, We Were Liars and One of Us is Lying ; I agree that all of them are overhyped except The Bookthief and The Passage. The thing that a lot of people including me love about The Bookthief more than any other book about the same topic is that it is narrated by death plus I quite like Markus Zusak's writing. The Passage isn't the best book I've ever read, I thought it dragged a bit in the middle but the second book in the series, The Twelve, is amazing, imo, I still have yet to finish on with the series though :) Also, I think it's talked about as a vampire story as people get infected through biting/blood but I too think it's more of a post-apocalyptic/dystopian kind of book :) I tried reading The Cuckoo's Calling a few years ago not knowing J. K. Rowling had written it, I couldn't even get halfway, I did not like it at all x)

[@bookslikewhoa]

Haha, see, your blind reading of The Cuckoo's Calling proves my theory!! :D And yes, I think you're probably right on what makes The Book Thief something that stands out for people in that genre

[@lucyskyler21]

Really enjoyed this video! I, apparently, have very unusual taste in that I have disliked so many of the books booktube and goodreads has recommended me. I just started Children of Blood and Bone, so it's too early for me to judge it yet (though I'm not wowed by it), but I think every John Green book is deeply overrated and TFIOS really hits my rant button. Books about illness in general are often really, really poorly done, in my opinion. I think it would be interesting to reread The Book Thief now that I'm not 13 and have done too many historiography courses. I remember always thinking the ending was overly manipulative, but I still preferred it to books like Once. In hindsight I have a bit of a problem with the sort of 'Holocaust literature', especially now that I've actually read Anne Frank and think she's probably the best introduction to the topic someone could get.

[@bookslikewhoa]

I mean... your Anne Frank comment is spot on. I personally have other YA holocaust lit favs (I loved Number the Stars when I was a kid), but reading the real deal from an actual young adult is the best introduction to this period of history

[@saranevano4485]

I hated "we were liars" but I quite liked "one of us is lying". honestly, I dont know why but I liked it. perhaps because I've listened to the audiobook?

[@bookslikewhoa]

Could be - audiobook quality/performance can definitely tilt my ratings up or down, depending on how it goes

[@jennifermanian1420]

I loved a Discovery of Witches. I hate paranormal. I liked the history parts of it. Especially the 2nd book. The nurses in the hospital I was in recommended it to me. I'm happy that they did. Nora Roberts should stick to contemporary and romance.

[@amyflowers8052]

I am so relieved I am not the only reader who doesn't love The Shadow of the Wind!

[@TheMarionetteKitty]

I completely get what you mean about Discovery of Witches. My mother isn’t a reader and she absolutely loved the series. I couldn’t finish it. I read the first book and stopped.

[@KrisKrisKrissy]

I love The Passage, but I went into it completely blind. I don't necessarily think it's "over" hyped but it's definitely hyped in the wrong way. It's great for how all encompassing the story is about the end (kinda) of the world. I've read a decent amount of post apocalypse books, but none were nearly as interesting or developed.

[@caolila181]

This is very interesting list. I rather enjoy the Coromoran Strike books. They are nothing fancy, but they do what I want them to do when I need them to do it. However, I do think the Harry Potter books are extremely overhyped. 20 years ago they were fine, but not much more than that. I agree someone needs to edit her books more.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yeah, I think that's a really fair way to talk about the Strike books - perfectly good PI noirs but nothing super great

[@MarinaJohan]

One Of Us Is Lying was quite alright for me BUT it’s not one I’d run to the bookstore for. I didn’t like The Cuckoo’s Calling. I thought it was just me being excited that she wrote it but I was a little disappointed. 🤷🏾‍♀️🤷🏾‍♀️

[@anne-kathrineporsbl4964]

Great video and I liked the way you explained your feelings on the books. (eventhough I love the Commoran Strike series and you don't) :D

[@eleanor7]

The tv show of the Magicians from what I have heard and seen is horrible. Something that I find annoying is when books are grouped in with another big hit like fans who love Harry Potter will love this, or Games of Thrones, or Downton Abbey, and so on. Because usually the books are not even familiar are similar. All it does is let overselll something and then it takes a on a life of it's own. I've tried a sample of the Night Circus, it's ok, but it does seem kinda flowery, which I'm not the biggest fan of. I do find it funny JKR writing a PI mystery, cause from what I remember of HP, she used a lot of clichés and plot holes, which aren't the best in a mystery.

[@sephestra.]

Of the ones on your list that I have read and I agree with (not only on the hype but on the content) are The Magicians (DNFed), The Night Circus (DNFed), and The Fault in Our Stars. Conversely, I loved the Circle Trilogy...and it is probably my favorite Nora Roberts paranormal. I don't recall the hype around it, to be honest. I picked up the first book because at the time I was heavily into vampire supernatural romances. And though I don't think that The Cuckoo's Calling lived up to the hype around it, I super-enjoyed the book and the subsequent sequels. I am a sucker for the noir PI type of mysteries. But you know what lived up to YOUR hypeness (hypenity? hyper-inflation?)...MURDERBOT!! I.LOVE.MURDERBOT.

[@bookslikewhoa]

YAY!! I'm so glad you loved Murderbot -- totally lived up to the hype for me!

[@kinczyta]

I agree about all the books on your list I've read. Although I have yet to find a person who disliked Evelyn Hardcastle as much as I did. I spent most of the book waiting for the protagonist to catch up and I hate that. I think Agatha Christie spoiled me for most modern mystery and crime novels.

[@srnc]

I know right? After reading Agatha Christie, you become more... attuned to hints and clues, and kinda figure it out or expect it.

[@bookslikewhoa]

LOL yes Agatha does make it hard for her imitators to truly surprise us

[@bonChic20]

so brave to put this list. kudos

[@teacheraprilrogers]

I will agree that most of the books you mentioned are overhyped. But I take exception with The Discovery of Witches. In my opinion that series of books doesn't get enough hype. The All Souls Trilogy and Times Convert are fantastic books. Deborah Harkness does an amzing job intertwining her magical mythical world with true and accurate history. As a history professor I am incredibly impressed.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Oh that's interesting - yeah, I haven't heard someone defend it from the historical accuracy angle. Good to know!

[@laurenab]

The second book in the all souls trilogy, Shadow of Night is one of my favourite books. But a Discovery of Witches and the Book of Life were hard to read. They took ages to get going, whereas SON was great from the start. I read the books in the wrong order (2,1,3), so I probably wouldn't have read SON had I picked up ADOW first.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Oh that's so interesting! Yeah, the first one definitely did not entice me to read the second one

[@AlexiaM]

Evelyn Hardcastle was the most convoluted and repetitive slog of a book I’ve ever read 😩 the premise was so exciting and the execution was terrible for me.

[@elithefinebookslover1467]

The US covers are horrible (in my country they're the same as the original UK ones) and I still love Roberth Galbraith aka JK Rowling's books... but it's mostly because the characters grow on you book by book so you empathize and want to know what happens to them and in their lives, the mystery is just 40% of what makes them enjoyable, to me.

[@GinaBlythe]

With The Book Thief, I think it was hyped because it was written from Death's point of view. The book I found overhyped was The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. Great premise. Unique idea. Just poor execution. I could not care for any of the characters. Barely finished it and will not be continuing the series (even if I am a little late to the game.) With We Were Liars, I saw the twist from the beginning, true, but enjoyed the book regardless. But, everyone sees the same book different ways. 😊

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yeah, I agree on We Were Liars - not the most original, but I mostly enjoyed it while I was reading it. And I haven't read Red Queen, but I agree that it is very hyped, so if you don't like it, it would def qualify as over-hyped

[@catherinethom2128]

Good list. Even the ones I liked, I still understand their overhypitude. Can books be underhyped?

[@bookslikewhoa]

If you can just be whelmed, you can definitely just be hyped :)

[@goldeneddie]

What about 'The Girl on the Train'? For me it was like being trapped on a train by a drunk who insists that they tell you a muddled up story that just drones on and on and is impossible to follow. Absolutely awful. How did this book become so hyped up that it became a film? The 'Unreliable Narrator' is so unreliable that by the end you'll wish someone would murder her instead - just to make it stop.

[@carissa1446]

I feel like JK Rowling's books weren't selling under her pen name so they "leaked" her name. I dislike Nicholas Sparks I think he is completely overhyped.

[@racheldemain1940]

I loved 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. Very clever idea .

[@jhart1127]

I genuinely disliked it so, so much and it took me 4 attempts to make myself get to the end. I found the ending deeply unsatisfying. 🤷‍♀️😭

[@chrisyoungberg3245]

I find The Cruel Prince/The Wicked King way overhyped. I didn't like them much and feel that I've read a totally different book than what many others experienced. I am also over Caraval/Legendary/Finale - although I think Caraval was great, the sequel fell flat and I haven't read book 3.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yeah, those were 2 series that I listened to the reviews on & realized that they probably weren't going to be for me. There were enough rage-y reviews of them to make me gun shy :D

[@chrisyoungberg3245]

@@bookslikewhoa you're not missing much! I was disappointed because they are so well loved and everyone seems to talk about them but they didn't work for me. You should consider doing a video about books that deserved the praise/hype they received!

[@bookslikewhoa]

There have been a lot of requests for that in this comment section, so I'm going to add that one to the video list ;)

[@danecobain]

This is basically just a list of books that I get occasional abuse for disliking :D I'm talking The Night Circus, Shadow of the Wind and The Book Thief in particular. The Passage was overhyped too but I think by the time we read it, nobody cared anymore :D

[@Justin_WithThreeDots]

I'd agree about Vonnegut, even though I've liked most of his stuff that I've read

[@srnc]

The Cuckoo's Calling is okay, I went into it not expecting Dame Agatha, and I got exactly what I expect. AND YES, FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING, SOMEONE NEEDS EDIT JK ROWLING'S STUFF (meaning: the Fantastic Beasts scripts, they're all over the place). Agree with John Green's kind of YA being emotionally manipulative, and honestly never been drawn to The Book Thief-- then again, if it's holocaust/Second World War-related, I'd rather go with something like The Garden of the Finzi-Continis.

[@bookslikewhoa]

For YA holocaust lit, I will always be a Number the Stars kind of girl. But maybe that's just something that's based on when you grew up & which book was the most popular in that genre at the time?

[@coolerthanyoo]

I agree that the night circus was overrated. I think that the writing was beautiful but I didn’t really understand the magic system and I didn’t really understand the ending at all. I liked children of blood and bones but I think that it could have been fleshed out a little more. Also, I agree with you about the passage. The book after, the twelve, was better! Idk if you’ve read girls of paper and fire but I thought that was overrated too. I actually didn’t like it at all.

[@bookslikewhoa]

People seem really polarized on Girls of Paper & Fire -- seems like you either love it or hate it

[@joannoriol6444]

OK! Finally. I'm not a night circus fan at all, I dnf'd it also. 🤔

[@AP-ht1bv]

Could not even finish The Book Thief. I do not see the point of every ones praise.

[@racheldemain1940]

It was too weird for me.

[@RoseRamblesYT]

This may be an odd thing to latch onto, since you didn't review his books specifically here, but I think Nicholas Sparks is overhyped. To be fair I've read only one of his books, The Notebook, many moons ago. I know this part is on a different playing field, but I've seen 4 movie adaptations of his various books and... he's just not for me. The only movie/story I recall liking is A Walk to Remember. That one was fine.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yeah... I generally just can't stand him as a person, so the books don't even matter :D

[@MariasJournal__]

I totally agree with Shadow of the Wind, I also thought it was quite boring and I just couldn't understand how people love it so much! There is nothing to be excited about in this book whatsoever :)

[@thamill3826]

Anything by Steinbeck

[@rebelbelle1388]

Thank you, THANK YOU for calling out the Darker Shade of Magic Trilogy. The first was interesting, but nothing mind blowing, and the second was just a huge disappointment. I couldn't stand Mary Sue Lila Bard who "isn't like other girls". She alone made me not want to continue with the series. Why do people love this trilogy so much? I just don't get it.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yeah, not sure why people love this series in particular so much. I think that maybe it's because it's a bridging series for a lot of people from YA into adult novels?

[@antaratasmeen4765]

I completely agree about the emotional manipulative aspects of the Fault in Our Stars and this particular male author contemporary genre of emotional romance dramas that are hyped on the internet. I have read two of John Green's books (TFIOS and An Abundance of Katherines), which I found portrayed teenagers in the most unrealistic fashion, and two of Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook and A Walk to Remember), which frankly are mediocre romance books at best, for my taste anyway. I've read better books in the genre. I DNF'd Night Circus and Gathering of Shadows too! I've always found Night Circus quite average and cannot understand the strong feelings people have for the story, though I get if you like ornamental writing you'd like it, the book is written beautifully. For the Shades of London series, the first book was fine, mostly I liked the idea of different 'Londons' given I love London, but the second book was not good (specially Lila was ANNOYING). Of course to each their own, I like a lot of different crap that people probably do not get why at ALL :P

[@bookslikewhoa]

Exactly- while it sounds like you and I have pretty similar opinions, different strokes for different folks! I love books that plenty of people hate :D

[@WomanVsBooks]

Great video, I always love these videos, for me The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was overhyped eeeekkk!! *hides under rock*

[@bookslikewhoa]

Haha I haven't read it yet, and I'm honestly kind of scared to in case I don't like it!! :D

[@scarlet8078]

I agree with these except Flower Moon. I'm not sure where you live but here in NYC it's not super hyped and I thought it was good. I liked Night Circus ok but the plot was weak. I see why folks love it- cool premise with pretty prose & cover. It's a premise I'd like to rewrite tbh. The book I hate most on here is Children of Blood & Bone. I def support representation. But the bigotry of low expectations with respect to this book borders on offensive to me. Do you think if it was written by a European author it would've been published? Doubtful. Heavy handed preaching, indulgent author's note, cringe-y romance, stilted dialogue, and weak "&-then-this-happened" plot. People saying Adeyemi is "as good as JK Rowling" are doing her a disservice. Seeing so many white women gush about it reminds me of being told "you speak so well!" No offense to Adeyemi bc I think she can grow into a great writer. I don't like seeing her used as a token & Band-Aid for white guilt

[@30dgal]

Discovery of Witches was total snorseville and I dnf'd Children of Blood of Bone, it was soooo bad. Good move on The Cukoo series, I wish I had stopped after the first mediocre affair. Can you also do a video asking us to suggest great books underhyped by booktube? I feel like so many books I love and enjoy are not mentioned on here and so many people do videos on the same books it's like one long loop!

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yes, one or two other people have asked for an underhyped video, so I'm going to mull on that and see what I can do :)

[@maries2768]

Oh noooo Mara, you said three non fictions and they were only two!! I haven't read any of those books. I'm mostly a classic reader and I feel the hype is very different for classics.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Haha I wondered if anyone would catch that! I didn't like how the 3rd one came out so I left it off. I think I may do a "Classics I don't like" video at some point because I agree - "hype" for those books works differently

[@maries2768]

@@bookslikewhoa Haha, I'm an avid non fiction reader, but as it's not a genre that is really discussed in other places than booktube (at least, nobody talks about non fiction IRL and I work in a library, so it's kind of sad). So when someone mention non fiction, I'm all ears. I hope you'll have time to make a video about classics that you didn't like!

[@MaryAmongStories]

oh no, i plan to read some of those xD great video!

[@bookslikewhoa]

Haha you may like them better than I did 😂

[@officialmkamzeemwatela]

I think the current political climate really prevents people from pointing out the obvious about children of blood and bone- but I will say it. It has a lot of inaccuracies as far as the mythology is concerned, it felt like a non African writing about what they think African mythology is- I keep saying, race is not culture- just because the author is black with Nigerian roots doesn’t mean as someone who wasn’t raised here, that she actually knows African culture. Second, it had so much borrowing from Harry Potter any other author would have been called out for it, it’s like the secret thing people think but feel like they can’t say because they would be called racist.

[@sfbirdclub]

I have only heard this up to a few minutes in, but having spent 3 years of my graduate school life on James Joyce, let me tell you....IT WAS A WASTE OF TIME!! The now 40 years on mature me knows pretentious. And, um..., I thought I did then,....um, but I guess not when it was staring me in the face. (Though I do still like Dubliners.)

[@madelynstrauss3764]

Do you mean C. S. Lewis, or His Dark Materials? The chronicles of Narnia is by C. S. Lewis, and His Dark Materials is by Phillip Pullman

[@bookslikewhoa]

Sorry, I was referencing both at different points. Lewis is the clear inspiration IMO for The Magicians, but I was contrasting The Magicians to Pullman in the sense that both are making a critique of the underlying philosophy of Narnia but Pullman is far more subtle & successful than Grossman IMO

[@JashanaC]

Ugh the Shades of Magic trilogy. It does NOT get better with every book! Lol. (In my opinion, of course-- and yours!) The Shadow of the Wind is def not a love letter to the written tome -- I wouldn't say that. Totally would be disappointing if that's what you were expecting! I do love that series though. :-)

[@bookslikewhoa]

I'm def in the minority on Shadow of the Wind :D

[@jmb8872]

I have to respectfully disagree about 2 books. I really loved The Discovery of Witches (I actually loved the whole trilogy) and The Killers of the Flower Moon. In all honesty I read The Discovery of Witches before all the hype. I read The Killers of the Flower Moon after the hype. As for The Killers of the Flower Moon I feel there are not enough books that exam the injustices perpetrated on the Native Americans!

[@bookslikewhoa]

Definitely agree on the representation of Native American stories! For me, it was just the writing that was a problem, but I'm definitely glad that story has been spotlighted through it. Looking forward to the movie!

[@LienesLibrary]

I recently gave away my copy, unread, of The Magicians cuz it just never called to me - I had no idea it was at all based on or ripping off Narnia though, dang I didn't see that coming at all! and yes Wicked Saints is a TOTAL rip off of grisha, omg it's absurd. like actually ridiculous. one of the saints in WS is a sun saint named ALINA like are you joking? sorry, I was triggered... CoBaB is soooo overhyped. I appreciate the rep and cultural whatnot, but it was very poorly executed imo. oh the irony that I treasure the AGoS that you gave to me XD I dnfed The Passage ages ago and have now and again considered returning, but also ain't nobody got time for that... (side note: that edition of 4:50 from paddington behind you is fucking gorgeous, like omg I can't even) re Shadow of the Wind, if you want a love letter to readers loving books....Strange the Dreamer...jusssayin

[@bookslikewhoa]

I've got the Strange the Dreamer audiobook, so I'm hoping I get to that one this year!! Backlist YA fantasy FTW ;)

[@thewildwomanofthewoods]

Couldn't agree more with the shades of magic being overhyped, I don't think the premise is that unique, and while it's better written than a lot of popular ya it's not anything special. I like most of her other books better than this series.

[@andrewannotates]

Yo i finally have read the night circus & the a gathering of shadows and they S U C K E D. I’m trusting your taste from now on