the WORST books i read in 2023 (of the 200+ i read)

we're back for the worst video of the year
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[@graeson3317]

I love Hater Jack. It's refreshing seeing harsh reviews from popular book tubers. So many want brand deals and want to be popular so they pretend to like popular books and authors.

[@zelpazz]

Ikr it's hard to know who to trust if a book or book series is worth it or not

[@DeluluSwiftie]

For real. I'm so sick of people gushing about Fourth Wing. And there's nothing wrong with that, if you really enjoyed it. But I see so many booktubers who *clearly* did not like it, and in their reviews it's like they're walking on eggshells, trying so hard to not sound too negative. Like girl, it's okay to say that book is trash if that's how you really felt about it. 😂😂

[@wolflover306]

​@@DeluluSwiftiefr. I joined a bookclub server and I said I wont read Fourth Wing, cuz its not my cup of tea. And 90% of the server went: wdym u dont like Fourth Wing??? 👁👄👁

[@opheliawinfrey9501]

Agreed, refreshing to see this kind of video

[@19Rena96]

how exactly do you know they pretend?

[@olivercoulthard5468]

Jack: I can be a hater for like 15 mins Also Jack: makes a 30 min video that is most certainly edited down

[@NobodyCares......]

That, and he chose books literally no has heard of.

[@Imbogurkus]

I admire you for actually finishing books you don’t like 😫

[@1997Rozey]

trust me it's a curse. i cannot dnf to save my life

[@yh0o]

bro im literally the opposite 😭 no matter how much i likke a book, u literally have to force me to finish reading it. ive only ever been able to finish books by reading the whole thing in one day and it sucks

[@Nate1975]

Yeh it’s nuts. Such a waste of time but guess it’s his job

[@gabrielametodieva8360]

@@Nate1975I’d be permanently jobless if I had to finish every book I start 😂 there’s no force in this world to make me finish books that annoy me or are terribly boring. That, or id be reading 10 books a year lol. It takes such a skill and will power.

[@sturna44]

@@1997Rozeysame

[@virginiaromanato]

Fun fact: the word cringe has actually been introduced into the Italian dictionary, so cringissimo is not only Italian for cringe, it's actually the absolute superlative for cringe😂 3:26

[@arc7200]

The dad jokes + puns + hate = Extremely entertaining video

[@emrald_]

Aren't dad jokes puns? (I'm genuinely asking, english isn't my first language)

[@leahmcminn7180]

Not necessarily :⁠-⁠) puns are always word play whereas dad jokes are cringe jokes you can imagine your dad making

[@justatinyhalfling]

Cruel Prince is like a glazed sugar cookie. Nobody would call it "great food", but if you're in the mood for it, it's amazing.

[@asmitamaiti861]

Seriously the first book is hard to get through but the series becomes so good as it goes on. Please give the sequels a try

[@BlairBoggletrot]

​@wallacegromit41 currently reading it too and also struggling!

[@justatinyhalfling]

@@asmitamaiti861 Yes!! It's ridiculous and over the top, but that's also what makes it so fun. ✨😄

[@asmitamaiti861]

​@@justatinyhalflingalso call me corny but Jurdan makes my heart flutter. Also Cardan's letters🤌

[@justatinyhalfling]

@@asmitamaiti861 boy oh boy, those letters were SOMETHING.😄 The drama of it all. 🤌🤌🤌

[@elinab2213]

I loved the Cruel Prince but as someone said in the comments, if you're in the mood for it, it's amazing. Honestly a few years back there was so much hyper over the ACOTAR series and I've read it and loved it. And then A Court of Mist and Fury got published, a few months later and I LOATHED the writing style. I just think sometimes books come to us during a good time and we love them and some other times we've just read the most amazing book and when we come back to that author we kinda liked, it's just not the same anymore. And sometimes they're just bad.

[@ishwariekaranjikar536]

that makes so much sense!! you're right :))

[@tosiek444]

Yea no acotar is objective bad

[@emmaj8337]

i started Divine Rivals right after finishing Jane Eyre… needless to say it took me a while to adjust to the style. to be honest i cringed so much at the writing and tropes when i began, but once i got used to it i could enjoy it for what it was, and i got the sequel as soon as it was released:))

[@elinab2213]

@@tosiek444 it was good to me back then, but that was because I hadn't picked an actual book in literal years 😭 it was good to start reading again, very easy read. Then my brain started functioning again and oh God the writing style....... I can't count how many times in one page she writes some variation of "curl" being either his lips curled, her toes curled, curl this and curl that, I could only read that and it ruined it for me 😭 I am still thankful it did get me back into reading. I'm in a sort of reading slump right now, maybe I should get back to it 😂😂 but in all honesty, what matters is the enjoyment you get out of reading. I love watching bad cheesy teen drama shows, and I know it's bad, and I still like it and I consider those types of books the same way. Is it good ? From an objective point, no. But people do enjoy them and that's what matters. But you also shouldn't force yourself to read something you don't like just because other people like it.

[@LeapThroughTheSky]

When I was in high school, that's what happened to me with YA. Like I loved Gossip Girl, IT Girl, and City of Bones. Then I read To Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby and it just changed me. It wasn't just the writing style, but To Kill a Mockingbird made me feel seen. I'm Mixed and I just hadn't read a book that even really mentioned someone like me before that. I think after that I also picked up The Color Purple and The Bluest Eye. And then The Great Gatsby had everything I liked about the Gossip Girl series, but was significantly better written and had symbolism. When I went back to read the books I had liked I was massively disappointed. For a long time I only read classics because I knew then at least it had to be well written, but eventually through KZbin and randomly grabbing some books in the book recommendation sections of bookstores, I started getting exposed to more books that I genuinely love, as opposed to just admiring the writing.

[@androidsentbycyberl1fe]

“I’m allergic to bad literature, it’s not my fault” I love you, Jack

[@themindlessmess]

I honestly have no bad reading experience for this year, because 80% of my reading list comes from Jack’s recommendations !

[@itsGabrielaCristina]

Yeah honestly, all my disappointments have come from when i've deviated from Jack's recs hahaha

[@phyycxis1159]

one let down and a dnf to be honest was "what do we talk about when we talk about love". he described it very differently idk it shocked me that this book is still being recommended at all

[@s0ggywaffles338]

Same! I listen to Jack and maybe 2 other booktubers and have an amazing time 🥰

[@leahfanshaw1845]

i love these type of videos because they help to shorten my tbr list so much quicker HAHA

[@juliarosetwamley]

This is hilarious and also completely true 😂

[@annefloorlanting5147]

Haha, so true. Just removed three books by Curtis Sittenfeld from my TBR..😅

[@kicica13212]

my worst of the year was probably Murder at the Book Club. a direct quote from the book: 'He was used to having Barrett shut down his ideas, but he still hadn't got used to it.' I am perplexed how it even got published

[@mandy22f]

Omg I'm reading it now. I'm half way and I'm struggling! It's so bad 😩 I don't know if i should just stop or finish it 🤔

[@mandy22f]

Also on the back it says "Fans of Agatha Christie will be hooked from the very 1st page" That just blows my mind. Comparing it to Agatha Christie?! 🤯😭

[@bahjathanif]

I was going to read, guess what now I'm not

[@Nate1975]

😮😮😮

[@midnght.rainnn]

I don't really see anything wrong with that?? Well I mean it's not brilliant writing but that's just like an average sentence in my opinion

[@ellenlovre2642]

Here’s the thing Jack… when you are a fourteen year old girl and you read the cruel prince right after it came out… it hits different!! (I realize this is an experience you will never have so no shade also your impression was SPOT ON 😂)

[@asmitamaiti861]

The first book is a little clunky but the series as a whole is❤😘

[@kgal1298]

Some people are mood readers too so the quality absolutely doesn't matter. Notice how a lot of men either read intense lit fic or high fantasy, but women love crime/mystery and romance and book sales general are higher in the crime/mystery/romance categories. Thanks to women buying books men get their fantasies and frankly they should have some respect for it because those genre's are allowing imprints to take on really good passion projects.

[@straww_berryyy]

I read the first book when I was 14, hated it Then my friend forced me to give the second book a try 3 years later, and what can I say, I LOVE ITTT

[@Solip_i]

Ive read this book last year at 28yrs old and it was a good one, tho. You don’t have to be a teen to enjoy this book. It wasn’t amazing, but it was good and enjoyable.

[@readwithpattie4804]

I read this book when I was 22 and it was amazing. You don’t have to justify or belittle the things you like for anyone by saying “I liked it when I was 14”, it’s okay to like it now still.

[@stquatro]

My book “How I Saved a Planet!” was deemed by one blogger The Worst Book They’d Read in 2020. They hated it so much that they wrote a multi-part blog series on why they disliked it so much. It was fascinating 😂

[@thats_suber]

I kinda want to read it now lol.

[@small_and_dangerous2068]

I feel like I’d be honored rather than offended if this happened to me 😂

[@small_and_dangerous2068]

At least it was engaging enough for them to have so much to say about it! I’m not going to stand here and compare your writing to this whole online cluster heck of a debate, I’ve never read your work. But it’s like how there are fans of the cartoon Miraculous Ladybug (of which I am one). And majority of us are in our late teens to early 20’s and we actually despise the writing to the point where it’s genuinely comedic. But the concept and the potential for good characters is so amazing its like literal crack so the fanbase hate watches everything related to the property and then we go online and chat about everything we hated about a new episode or special and then sprinkle in “but I guess this part was kinda cool or good ig” and then we all go back into our caves and wait for another episode to drop 😂😂😂 That’s an extreme version of what I feel this person did to your book

[@stquatro]

@@small_and_dangerous2068 Yep, at the end of the day, it’s someone bringing attention to my book for free. I may or may not have used some of the negative review quotes in one of my book ads 😆

[@moonriversou]

Oh wow! Who's the blogger? And I love your attitude towards critic (hate) lmao

[@deathbychai]

"this would kill a victorian child" is just a phenomenal line

[@catherineroberts5239]

Thank you so much for talking about authors needing to build emotion before a significant event. People tell me I sound like a sociopath when I say things like “they died but it wasn’t sad.” The point of a good novel for me is that you’re invested in characters and their lives.

[@mariahnorton]

I honestly loved The Cruel Prince because it was so easy to read. I'm not typically into fantasy novels because of the immense world building and having to remember so many characters. It is YA, so it is written for a younger audience, which may be another reason why you wouldn't like it as much as another book catered to an older audience. But either way, a simple and enjoyable read for me. Unfortunate that you didn't like it. Loved this video though, I always appreciate your content

[@t.berger]

Me 2! I also found Jude to be a morally-grey, flawed character and i loved that so much about her!

[@biohazardg1rl]

i agree, it helped me get back into reading after having so much trouble trying and failing to get back into reading for years

[@PurpleLauren]

Couldn't have said it better myself!

[@karolinak7140]

It’s such a fun entertaining read

[@notllikethat]

As a person whose first language is not English, I just wanna say that this book was torturing me with new words and the only reason I got through it was because I was very much into the plot To be fair, it was my fourth book in English (I’ve only read Hunger Games before this one) I get that for native speakers this might be an easy read, though hahahah

[@ratata5711]

May the book trial begin🍷✨

[@ethnolushx_thishouseisacircus]

There's no trial, it's going straight to the guillotine

[@milliebks]

🍷

[@sirralton]

🍷

[@absinthe8139]

🍷

[@katnaz_]

🍷🥖🧀🤌 ✨ yesh

[@mohammedarmanulhaq]

'Fourth Wing' and 'Iron Flame' got so much popular on TikTok with both these books having 4.4+ ratings on Goodreads but they were heavily criticised by most of the booktubers. I wonder why these books failed to garner much praise on booktube just like on TikTok.

[@ridaktedreal2326]

I’m convinced booktok is mostly just book influencers. They probably get paid to promote the book so they’re not always honest about the quality of it 😅

[@kacamalaseka]

I honestly liked the first one, i got the hype and finally convinced some friends who never read anything, because of the tiktok hype, (4th wing) ,but the second (iron flame) was so boring, annoying and so bad. On the bright side some friends have now read FINALLY my recommendations (thrillers(karin slaughter) east of edan etc..)

[@OhMyJoshy]

Booktubers tend to be older with an older audience and taste than Booktok. That likely contributes to most of the differences.

[@kacamalaseka]

So for some people it was mostly an opening to reading and how much fun it can be.... Booktok is for that.

[@jana787]

Speaking for myself, it’s a love hate relationship,it’s shit in so many ways and it made me angry in a way yet I love it. It’s a rare skill :D it’s one of those books where you really have to think what are you rating, the writing or the enjoyment you get out of it because the scores are VERY different.

[@guidoguido2245]

"It’s like the devil threw up in your mouth" sounds like the title of a book Jack would love.

[@shaunaesther5315]

I honestly need Jack to read and review six of crows but I’m scared 💀

[@lmaoriddz]

I was gonna say this too, but soc is so well written 😭

[@maddybx]

Surely it's an undisputable fact that six of crows is good, surely he'd have to love it 🙏

[@sabrinadoot]

and crooked kingdom they are both so good

[@noshoes1588]

I don't want him to ill start overthinking if it was even good and it's too good for me to do that

[@noshoes1588]

But also I'd watch it bc I love his videos so much....

[@lumreads]

I would love to see Jack do a video series where he reads every book published by an author in each video. (So like a different author per video). Great video as always

[@emislavkova5902]

i would love to see james baldwin and barbara kingsolver!

[@lumreads]

@@emislavkova5902 I have never read those authors but I will certainly check them out!! Thanks for recommending them!

[@cantspellrestaraunt]

Donna Tartt and Susanna Clarke 🙏

[@Mochistrying]

AMAZING PFP

[@arol1644]

He would definitely do Sally Rooney

[@nonelikekyu]

1:08am, curling up in bed under my covers listening to jack talk about his least fav books like a bedtime story 🍵

[@niannadsahmar832]

Lol, i was doing the same....after getting all cozy in the bed and putting up my earphone... it's just soo much fun haha!!!

[@Cinia18]

Hahaha! In bed with my hot water bottle watching on my phone Jack hating on books 😂

[@rebeccah9193]

I relate so much! I can’t sleep tonight due to a stressful situation I am in, but I am under the covers with my headphones on. And listening to Jack rant about how much he hates these books just makes me feel more at ease haha. It’s 04:54 am

[@lai_laurrrr]

Timestamps Iron flame 1:54 Really good, actually 4:02 The list 5:54 Chain gang all-stars 8:50 Fake account 11:09 Insatiable 12:14 Idol, burning 13:22 Fiona and jane 14:04 You exist too much 14:42 That one night & pucking around 17:01 The cruel prince 18:43 Dominoes 21:18 The novelist 21:56 I kissed shara wheeler 23:08 Daddy 25:07 Romantic comedy 25:57 Trust exercise 27:32

[@NobodyCares......]

I've never heard of any of these books.

[@lai_laurrrr]

@@NobodyCares...... Exactly 😂

[@NobodyCares......]

@unstable-jx2oc and I read a lot. I have no idea what Goodwill Bin he found these books in.

[@paularunslondon]

The hero we needed

[@mimorysmemory]

Idol, burning was given the best literary prize in Japan but it was for how beautifully it was written(in Japanese), which means plot and story matter little. As a Japanese I found it very beautiful but I understand it would feel pretty different to read it in English.

[@SarahFletcher12]

Ohh, that's interesting! No idea why they would bother translating a book that was given a prize for being well written >_< It sounds risky! Especially when Japanese and English are not very similar languages at all

[@abbyterrio7733]

This should be called a burn book for literature cause these books were burned like damn jack

[@isabellaperini8940]

hell yeah

[@birjisafroz8886]

Bringing the Fahrenheit 451 energy to the table

[@thomme8539]

A good old fashioned book burning?

[@literarily]

wake up babe jack just posted his yearly hater arc

[@lacrima24]

I adored "Cruel Prince" but I have to agree with your points in this video. The first book was so hard to read and get into because there was just so much lore and many characters, I only got into it in the second half/maybe even the last third but then I just fell in love with the main character Jude and finally had a better understanding of the world the characters were living in. It was just so satisfying to see characters that wronged Jude to be frightened by her and realize that they underestimated her. :,) (I must say in the beginning of the book I honestly felt like Characters like Jude, Taryn, Cardan,... were like 12 years old and suddenly orgies were mentioned lol. Thank god there was a lot of character developement so I could fall in love with certain characters later on. (I also adore that the main character Jude wasnt just 100% good but kind of a character in the gray area and as a reader you realize at some point that basically all characters are in that gray area and do have their own motivation and reasoning for their actions)

[@asmitamaiti861]

Also Cardan's redemption arc was really nice. And the political intrigue was enjoyable

[@AstraeaAntiope]

Cardan had one of the few redemption arcs where they character was actually redeemed instead of just hand-waved or, "we'll tolerate it 'cuz he's SO hot."@@asmitamaiti861

[@lenayahoti]

Agreed 💯

[@bellag4013]

I died when he said “none of these words are in the Bible” 😂😂😂

[@andresbecerra1183]

RECOMMENDATION: If you were let down by The List, I strongly recommend Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake. It deals with a similar storyline, but it’s YA and it’s decidedly more serious than it is comedic. It follows this girl called Mara, whose twin brother Owen gets accused by his gf (and Mara’s friend) of sexually assaulting her. She knows her brother could never, but she also knows her friend wouldn’t lie about something like this. When i tell you i COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! Such a necessary story to tell about horrific experiences, but also about true female friendship, familial bonds and tensions, and how shared pain can be the strongest weapon against a world that discriminates and violates women so ruthlessly. It’s very short (like 220 pages) and has great bi and NB representation. It is YA, but it’s beautifully written. I don’t understand how it doesn’t get more attention.

[@kjackso4893]

i always feel so validated watching you destroy some of these terrible books that blow up on social media lmao

[@ramantinuwal1810]

The thing is, Jack is so intellectual and serious in critiquing that even when he insults a book, it's rather take notes on how to improve than woah that was harsh

[@joannemorris8657]

I tried reading The List...got so far as “her phone was lying near her like an abandoned lover” and noped out.

[@haydnmalyon7690]

I got about 2-thirds through "The Midnight Library" and just put it aside. It's just such a miserably repetitive book. The formula is basically just "Life sucks, have a vague and cryptic conversation with librarian, choose other life, seems okay, oh no it sucks, go back to library", which repeats every goddamn chapter. Also, apparently it's meant to be humorous, but it's just depressing. The only thing that made me laugh was something I don't think was really meant to be funny. She had sex that was so bad, she regressed back to the library. That made me chuckle, but in a "Wow, this is just terrible and stupid" kind of way. Also, I read Part 1 of "Fahrenheit 451", and I have NO energy to pick it back up. It's been about a month, and I just can't bring myself to continue reading it right now. The first of the three parts ends with a character meaninglessly ranting about "how the world works" for 10-fucking-pages! It felt like it would never end! 10 whole-ass pages of some dude I don't care about just saying how dull life is. Fuck.

[@birjisafroz8886]

Omg SAME!!! Well I did finish Fahrenheit 451, but by the end of it, I was ready to join the firefighters and chuck it into the flames. Bradbury apparently wrote it in a few weeks, and it shows

[@pennypie923]

I forced myself to finish Midnight Library, just to understand the hype. Worst book of the year for me, not just because of the content and characters but also the writing style.

[@ninkepie3764]

I freaking loved that book. But i also understand what you mean. I actually liked all the different lives though.

[@tiffaniejacob6455]

I read the cruel prince series when I was about 25, and I remember really enjoying it. Specifically the political scheming that took place in later books. Tbh I don’t recall much about the first one. If you ever feel like being cruel to yourself again, please read #2 and #3 and let us know if we just have bad taste 😂 Maybe youll like it!

[@neemagatumbu7850]

My two favourite moments from this were "I consciously breathed" and "I payed moNey". Watching one of the kindest and most considerate reviewers spew hate over the course of half and hour is actually the best thing to happen to me this week

[@martinadevita8342]

Chain-gang all-stars is AMAZING and for me it was heart-wrenching, I cried so much! I also don't think it's true that some characters are introduced and then dropped, every single one of them has a role in the story, a key role, even the scientist who is presented in one chapter and then unexpectedly returns later. It is so brilliantly constructed, wonderfully written and so devastating. Sure the purpose of the book it's not to make people cry or fall in love with the characters, but I think the books reminds us something that we so often forget: we don't need to be similar to others to feel empathy for them, even when they are so distant from what we are, we can't forget that we are all human and we deserve empathy. This book deeply moved me and changed me as a person.

[@Clueless721]

I agree! One of my top reads of the year. I get the impression that it's more of a thought-provoking piece than strictly narrative/plot focused with allegorical merit. Though I enjoyed the plot as well.

[@rachel5399]

I personally hate the idea of a book plot being centered around online "cancel culture." We have enough discussions about it in real time, and most of the people that get "cancelled," face no actual consequences besides media idolization death, and even then, give them a few years, and their die-hard fans will still come back, if they ever really left. A lot of the "cancellations" of an individual are usually very justifed. Abusers, literal rapists, just trash people. The interent offers information that gets stored and saved, so, if you don't want your image being tarnished by you saying slurs, cheating on your partners, abusing people, etc., then uh, don't do those things? A lot of people don't deserve a platform. It's just such a boring plot design.

[@rachel5399]

Also, you could go the route with the false accusation plot, but is that really interesting? I feel like your side characters and subplots would have to be extremely engaging. & then, like Jack said, you now have a story that is more so giving attention to someone who had an annoying blip in their life where their reputation might've been slightly ruined, but is easily buildable to it's former glory, if not restored in a more pristine condition due to that individual being falsely accused, and that element takes away from actual victims. It indulges into that cringey theme of "don't believe everything you see on the internet" while ignoring how a lot of what we see on the internet of these cancellations of famous people, is actual damning evidence of them being terrible people. We can see their trial documents, and the actual trial itself being livestreamed in some instances(Depp v Heard, last year!). We can see the old posts of those individuals saying slurs comfortably and making gross comments in messages, posts, and video footage. It takes away so much substance to real problems and it's just honestly, a lacking and unoriginal plot imo.

[@sercemwksiazkach3446]

I totally agree! I'm convinced that people who write these kinds of stories either have been cancelled or are afraid of it. And if they are, there's probably a reason in their behavior which is actually a problem. Not giving such people a platform is very important bc it can lessen their impact on the world, but as you said - it hardly happens. A great example of it is J.K. Rowling. Definitely cancelled, most people know that there's 'some kind of drama' around her, but it seems like she's only getting more money from it. She's writing new books under her pen name and there's SO MUCH Harry Potter merch it's insane. And the cancellation doesn't stop anyone from buying it. So really, what's the point? And why are people so afraid of being cancelled? It really just takes not being an asshole or a literal abuser.

[@888999gogo]

I think that's a pretty simplistic take on 'cancelling'. Like the idea of mob/societal judgement is a very interesting and slippery one that connects to questions around justice and technology and forgiveness, truth, credibility etc. I've read some very interesting books on it - 'so you've been publicly shamed' by Jon Ronson is a very good one

[@mittag983]

Goth chicks are always so based I love you bby

[@aubreezily13]

*Sits back with popcorn in the comments section* I love seeing booktok and book tubers start fights with any contentious book opinions they have! 😂

[@deendrew36]

I haven’t seen one fight yet, but this vid sure is entertaining!

[@siiri8902]

My least favorite read of the year was Before the Coffee Gets Cold, which I know is super loved and also a favorite of Jack's 😭 I just really disliked the writing style, which felt repetitive and emotionless to me, and I also felt that the characters were oddly one-dimensional and uninteresting. Another one I disliked was The Alchemist, which I know is kind of a classic, but I just found the message it was preaching quite obvious and not revelational at all to me. I'm sure there are people who really needed to hear that message, though, so it does make sense to me why some people would love it!

[@jentan4531]

Me too. I disliked both those books!

[@user-uu8nm7rs2b]

Same here! I didn't like those books, I really tried liking them since I heard so many good reviews about them but hard no for me.

[@samspam1788]

Omg I'm so happy other people didn't like before the coffee gets cold! What a pile of 💩 honestly. I gave it 0.25 stars

[@Nate1975]

Can’t stand Alchemist and other of his books. Patronising, dull and just weird. Not great

[@charu2774]

You are probably the first person I came across who did not like it and am glad. Both the books you mentioned were dry and boring to me

[@Yasaman728]

fun fact: in my native tongue we can remove the subject of the sentence because the verb tells you what the subject is. When I moved abroad and had to speak English 24/7 for a veryyy long time I felt so self-conscious and self-centered, like I'm constantly talking about myself. Later realized it's just that I had to say I constantly where in my mother tongue I wouldn't. The Holly Black section reminded me of this :))

[@oritsafrir7067]

Me too I red The cruel prince in Hebrew and really liked it, you don't have to say I at the start of every sentence in Hebrew it's just a oart of the verb.

[@heatherbocks]

I read Conversations with Friends this year and gave it one star. Sorry to the Sally Rooney stans, guess I’m one of the girls that just doesn’t get it. I was really sad about it because I’d heard such great things. Oh well.

[@marloeslovestea]

I felt this with normal people

[@AsuraSantosha]

It's ok. I didn't get it or like it either, but I did think that the way Sally Rooney writes sentences is wonderful. That book has some beautiful quotes. I just didn't care about the characters or the relationships AT ALL. It was hard for me to get invested, and I felt like the drama just wasn't dramatic. The stakes felt so low. Also, maybe I missed it, but I didn't think the story was telling us anything new or interesting. 🤷‍♀️ To each their own I geuss.

[@heyitsdaliiii]

Really? It’s my favourite book of all time haha 😂

[@AmayaKisu]

Same! I also read that one and just didn’t understand the hype. I have normal people lying around but I think I won’t waste my time reading it.

[@1997Rozey]

i said the same thing when i finished normal people. the show helped me understand it. her books i believe are more character driven than plot driven. not everyone's cup of tea, but you gotta admit she's doing something different, objectively they're not bad for what they are (i think) just a little underwhelming to some, including myself haha. maybe i am biased because i fell head over heels in love with paul mescal

[@julianajaureguisuarez9968]

Your humor is just top tier. Absolutely love how you shred them to pieces 😂

[@anitawaris3850]

Cruel prince is my MOST FAVORITE book of all time. That being said, i love hearing other's differing opinion about it.

[@manuela0986]

Jack, if you wanna read a good conflict between believing the victim or a man whom everyone adores, I recommend Beartown - really well done! It’s a slow read but very immersive as the pages go on. I also would read without knowing much about it - just go straight into it so you don’t get any spoilers. Overall, it’s about a small town and focuses heavily on what it means to be human and how our actions can impact those around us. It left me speechless. It’s a series and the last one made me CRY so hard. But it can be read as a stand alone!!

[@JanetsThingamajigs]

Currently reading Chain Gang All-Stars - it feels almost more of a commentary on our absolutely unhealthy obsession with reality TV, and the lengths we might go to in order to be entertained. It reminds me of the current day Angola rodeo, where men on death row throw themselves in dangerous situations in order to win a little commissary money for the enjoyment of people who can walk away when the games are over. Or like the Squid Game reality show - enjoying this COMPLETELY missed the point of the original show, we didn't learn anything.

[@lesbiangoddess290]

Terrifying.

[@Yolkgurt]

I was surprised to see it on this list because I agree that it had a lot of insights. I think it could have been executed differently but certainly not in the class of worst books I read this year

[@lalaland5918]

Agreed. This book was SO good. Ambitious and well executed

[@pollymack]

yes I really enjoyed this book

[@franciscocarranza4260]

I mean this is what happens when white reviewers be reviewing books they know nothing about especially about the exhausting prison system and racism in America. 👏🏼

[@emmelineysun]

I got a few pages into You Exist Too Much. When she used a whole paragraph to describe making toast and checking her email I threw it across the room and didn’t pick it up again. (Not literally). It was so detailed, she literally described pressing “gm” and “gmail” popping up in the address bar.

[@Nate1975]

Cringe

[@gabrielametodieva8360]

Oh dear 😂I just read the description of the book and it would’ve been something I’d be interested in reading, glad Ive been warned now haha

[@DrWHO-jv5qi]

Jack is like a warm cup of coffee you sip wearing your grandma's handmade cozy sweater. I was saving these videos until after my exams ended just as a treat :)

[@allesaufanfang-sarah]

yes it's so relaxing

[@rainclouds-xt7ez]

oh noo hahaashaj I saw the cruel prince on the cover and I was like oh no :( I really liked the cruel prince but because it’s very much written in a young adult-fantasy style and also has a childishness about it It’s definitely not for everybody. I actually really liked that the politics weren’t super specific and complicated to follow, and that not everything had to be explained and why this court exists and why that does, etc Sooo yeah personally I thought it was a fun book and an enjoyable series as a whole, but we all like different books :)

[@katgreer6113]

I think the "childishness" is done om purpose because it really contributes to the feeling of The Cruel Prince being a dark children's tale in some way. I don't know how to explain it, but the entire series feels like a creepy, mature folk story that elders would tell at a fireplace.

[@rainclouds-xt7ez]

@@katgreer6113 yeah, that weirdly makes sense

[@Anne.e.]

Jack critiquing/hating Pucking Around is the redemption arc for it even being an option in the goodreads awards

[@MADKC4Ever]

I totally agree with your views on Casey McQuiston - I read both One Last Stop and Red White and Royal Blue and they build such a safe utopia for young LGBTQ adults looking for representation and hope but I think sometimes they spend so much time trying to cram every single minority, social situation, etc. into one book that the stories ultimately suffer in the end and a great story turns into just a good one. I hope that they continue to work on those things as they continue to write!!

[@Adreenarizal]

the way i agree w everything jack said about the cruel prince cuz i felt the same way about the first book n i almost dnf it but im so glad that i pushed thru cuz i love the 2nd and 3rd book so much

[@asmitamaiti861]

True. The first book was hard to get through but the second and third books were so hard to put down

[@elishahdavis]

As a queer person that grew up at a private Christian school, I Kissed Shara Wheeler really was important to me. There are so many little things that made that book beautiful and special to me and just being able to read a book where someone even kind of went through what I did was actually kind of life changing for me. I have since ben searching for similar books, but have come up rather empty handed. I really hate to pull this card, but that book's intended audience was not adult men, so it's understandable why you wouldn't like it as much, but I don't think that makes the book itself bad. (I'm neurodivergent and anxiety ridden so just to be crystal clear: I mean absolutely no negative intent with this comment at all!!)

[@avanithebookgirl]

I love fantasy so much, especially The Cruel Prince but you're not wrong 😅

[@mindingpeople]

I can't imagine how hard this year has been. Losing people to life and death and losing yourself is a lot on it's own and you had it all together. Also, if you are anxious now you have the added layer of 'what if so and so will happen' and now you can't think yourself out of that, because the worse things you could imagined happened. I send you so much love, strength and light and I hope that you know that you are doing a lot by just talking about yourself, because I am sure that other people really will feel less alone, no schedule needed. You are enough❤.

[@shrutichaturvedi3837]

wishing you good life ahead. May god give you strength to bear everything.♥

[@skyelar__]

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is my favorite book by Casey McQuiston, but I totally agree with all of your points haha. I had to turn off my logical brain in favor of ✨the romance✨.

[@millieb3823]

I loved the folk of the air series (might be my favourite series) as it just fits my taste so wonderfully and also my mood at the time and so it resinated with me a lot...I also love the fantasy world it was built in and the style as it was such a great escape which is what I am always looking for especially as a uni student in the science field..an escape sometimes is so good but I do understand why you didnt enjoy it, not everything is for everyone and thats why its brilliant! Brill vid as always Jack!

[@Sayantika_Sarkar]

I appreciate these videos a lot since it makes me feel less alone in struggling with books that don't resonate with me. My friends and I have completely different tastes, and I can't openly criticize the books they enjoy. This video is like a welcomed break, providing a space to share frustrations about "challenging" reads.

[@elliemayride760]

I'm so glad you have this video and even though you described it as "hate", the explanations validate it and make It constructive. I'm also glad chain gang all stars was on this list because yes the blurb and concept sounded fascinating, but I dnf'd because I struggled to follow along and connect with the characters

[@alexane182]

I kissed Shara Wheeler was one of my favourites books of this year. I 100% agree with Jack on the critique but sometimes that type of book is just what you need & want at that specific moment and it works.

[@cupcakemisty9462]

I loved Cruel Prince so much 💖 - it was my favorite series of 2023 😭

[@lenayahoti]

It's the book/series that's gotten me back into reading 😭

[@timeea.i19]

it got me in a reading slump personally but i still finished the series. I still agree with Jack tho but yeah, he reads books that stimulate your mind more than that and books that are actually witty,something to learn from, that's probably the reason he didn't like it. I loved Shara Wheeler and was so confused when he said he didn't but ngl he has valid arguments

[@lomalinke5042]

He must have a slow and patient brain for all the reading he does and one that’s constantly on speed for the sheer brilliance and the quick wit of his reviews. For me, this channel was THE find of 2023.

[@emmad1224]

My friend suggested a cruel prince to me months ago because she LOVED it. I’m not a huge fan of fantasy, because they take me a really long time to read since I take time visualize every aspect in great detail, but this book just confused me on so many different levels. I felt bad for hating it because she loved it so much but for me the main “love story” fell so flat and the enemies part of it was excessively dragged out needlessly. There’s also like 2 other books and I’ve heard it doesn’t get much better. I love a good enemies to lovers, but this book was just enemies painted as lovers and it made me uncomfortable

[@loganbrooks1663]

I read the whole series in a blitz about two years ago. HATED the first one in retrospect, but felt the third shined more. However, it should not take until the end of an entire series for it to get good. I cannot get over the Tumblr-esque human world (I say that due to the mention of a once popular anime series being watched in the background which dates the book significantly and constantly stale dialogue)

[@darrowofyomama]

the cruel prince isn’t usually my cup of tea so i didn’t get why i enjoyed it so much until i realised i enjoyed the character dynamics jude had with the rest of the characters the most: jude and madoc’s father-daughter relationship, jude and cardan’s obsession with one another, oriana and jude’s mutual understanding.

[@charlottemorgan1573]

What’s so upsetting is that I hear you describe them and am like, “I wanna read this it sounds so good” then remember the name of the video…

[@susanbiggart7027]

I found Chain Gang All-Stars to be pretty powerful. But I can understand how if you don’t have much exposure to the prison industrial complex in the US, you might just not get the satire.

[@acchikan5892]

I've never used "cringissimo" in Italian, but it would definitely work 😂

[@justwonder1404]

The Cruel Prince review is the reason why I love Jack's videos, but don't follow his recommendations😂 Just different tastes, which happens. Also, isn't using "I" often inevitable when you write in the first person in English?

[@asmitamaiti861]

True. I really enjoy Jack's recommendations but sometimes girls just want to have fun😅

[@DanielaLopez-pn1sy]

Yeah I didn't understand the hate because I'm a native spanish speaker so i read the cruel prince in spanish and you obviously can't notice that 😂😂

[@justwonder1404]

@@DanielaLopez-pn1sy I read it in English as a non-native speaker and it didn't bother me. Maybe Jack's degree in English makes him pay extra attention to such things, who knows:)

[@asf8648]

There's definitely a way to write from first person without repetitive use of "I"

[@AnnaMastorou]

Jackkk! Will u do a tier ranking of all ur 2023 books? Plz do, I wanna have a laugh and be informed at the same time :)

[@shesjustbeinemily]

Confirming that I actually read Chain-Gang All-Stars (not just the blurb) and I would still include it on a best-of list. But I love hearing your opinion! :)

[@francescatelari]

We need a wrap up every month from you. It’s a need

[@lauradmai]

LOVE the energy!!!! Yesss!!!!✨

[@mohammedarmanulhaq]

I'm so glad that none of the books mentioned in this video are in my TBR. I prefer picking books based on my taste rather than choosing the ones which are getting hyped everywhere😂

[@Nate1975]

The only way to do it. Everything is so false and superficial these days on dull topics and yes, all of it is hyped up. Says a lot about the world we live in

[@lapeace_8362]

Amazing takes as always. ❤ Jack, I hope this isn't presumptuous of me, but I wish you'd put captions that are not auto-generated. I sometimes share your vids with my deaf students and with proper captions, I'm sure they'd have more of a great time watching and learning from you.

[@Queenjadegemforever]

STOP RIGHT NOW, I literally just downloaded the free version of pucking around out of curiosity thinking it sounds like a fanfiction plot AND OH MY GOD,, THE AUTHOR’S NOTES AND THE TAGS IN THE FIRST PAGES ??? LITERALLY AO3 HWISJIWJS

[@redditchrulesxx]

My worst book of this year was The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz. It's about an author who steals the plot of a book from a dead student of his and the book becomes a huge hit but then the author starts being harassed because someone knows the plot wasn't his. It was awful! I wish we'd got the book that is talked about within the book rather than the book itself. The only reason I didn't DNF it was because I was reading it for a book club and no one else in the club enjoyed it either. Loved the video Jack!! It's good to be able to air out negative feelings every so often!

[@Olivia-pf4dc]

That's a really similar plot to the Yellowface that I think got the goodreads award for fiction? I remember Jack spoke about it, I just don't remember which video. For me the idea was fine but it would feel much better if it wasn't going for soooo long

[@redditchrulesxx]

@@Olivia-pf4dc yeah I've heard about Yellowface and it does sound quite similar. I've heard good things about it though. You've read it? Did you finish it?

[@theodarling5457]

Ahaha... The Plot was on my "worst" list in 2021 and I am STILL ranting about it to people

[@redditchrulesxx]

​@@theodarling5457 I don't blame you in the slightest!! It was so bad!

[@clemencenan]

I agree The Cruel Prince is quite hard to get into and a bit boring, but it serves as a sort of introduction, then the next two books are 🔥 Jude & Cardan characters evolve a lot and its a different take on faeries! I wouldn't say they're my favorite books but they're unique imo.

[@SophiePinetree]

I disagree lol, I read the whole series and the first book was good-ish (besides the non coherent plot) but everything went down hill after that. I was so mad when I finished the last book and realized it was nothing like what I was promised.

[@samanthagagnon325]

I’m with you it was such a good series book 2 onward

[@asmitamaiti861]

The third book is absolutely amazing

[@jenn9049]

i’m actually here for jack being in his hater era !!

[@strawberriestastegood]

Watching this in-between a hectic study session and a hectic dinner: my stomach is full of food and my heart is full of hate, thank you.

[@moonchild977]

hating the cruel prince hurts my soul 💔

[@stylethe8]

i really admire your perseverance bc when i dont like a book, i cant finish it, no matter what

[@gwen6140]

Jack your wordplay is ✨ delicious ✨, I swear. This really is your best so far.

[@ishwariekaranjikar536]

help thank u for ur perspective jack it's very very interesting and maybe even makes sense (because we might have different tastes :)), but but but i really loved iron flame so much 😭this is so sad, i thought it was such a thrilling read and the intensity really got through - also also i felt like the reason why they had to become "enemies" again made sense and brought out their own faults and flaws to the reader. that makes it more realistic in a way. also the ending oof i loved it i hated it it was so unneccessary but it was the perfect ending and i can't wait for book 3. i'd truly still recommend the book to people who like books with a lot of thrill, action, a heck lot of plot twists that really pull you into the book's universe!! :)) it was 10/10 for me and i think the author was successful in writing an equally un-put-downable sequel :D

[@anah6520]

Oh no! I just finished "you exist too much" and loved it 🥲 I thought the whole point was that we dislike the main character too see how bad she needed to change? Idk how to describe it but I think that finding her annoying was an important part and kind of necessary for the plot

[@jaimee-kate]

JACK I'm so SHOCKED that you hated Chain-Gang All-Stars so much 😩I loved it a lot, but his writing is kind of odd but I really felt every emotion in it. Completely agree with you on Romantic Comedy though. I despise that book lol

[@lalaland5918]

Also loved chain gang all stars!!

[@asahdo]

Hearing Jack describe the plots of these books and how they could have been written better makes me so mad that I can’t buy the alternate universe version of these books that were written by Jack 😂

[@samanthasherman6750]

i read the lovely bones this year and i’ve never been more genuinely upset by a book - not because the content was hard hitting, but because i was upset that it just WOULDN’T. END. OR. GET. BETTER.

[@lovisatroedsson5056]

Hearing why you don’t like books is so fascinating to me. Your videos have pulled me through some pretty rough patches in life, never stop making them❤❤❤

[@_bookish.aesthete_]

If I was to recommend you a book that's famous AND good, I'd ask you to please please please read the Six of Crows duology. It's fantasy, but mostly adventurous and the first book is about such a thrilling heist. I just completed the second book, and i am in love with Leigh Bardugo's writing. Both the books explore the past traumas of the characters and how they suffer because of it. Romance is a sub-plot snd its pretty clean. I really do hope you read and enjoy these two books; and if yoh like them, maybe more of Bardugo's writing!

[@salatkiel]

I have only DNF'd ONE book this year and it was Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. Much like your grievance with the use of "I" in the Cruel Prince, Cemetery Boys has the word "brujx" a million times, especially in the beginning. As a Spanish speaker, I would've much preferred "bruje" because it's still an inclusive term, but it flows so much better. The 'x' stops the writing flow. I have restarted this book several times and I even listened to the audiobook to help me get to at least 25% of it. The plot moves at a snail's pace, the writing is terrible, the characters and their relationship with their magic is stupid, and it's predictable af. I don't even have to finish the book to know exactly how it ends. **insert Tyra Banks' "I give you a one" meme**

[@sofiah44]

i feel so validated by ur takes on fake accounts lol that book drove me CRAZY. and i loved trust exercise when i read it like 3yrs ago but looking back i’m not sure if i was just impressed by how “smart” it was when it was rlly just confusing and doing to much, i’ve been meaning to re read it though

[@jani8959]

i keep getting the urge to rewrite these and make them deserving bestsellers. So many projects on my list omg

[@rachelcuddington4210]

Omg jack thank you so much for validating my thoughts on Iron Flame. Imo she rushed the second book to the point that it felt SO empty to me… she herself even said she probably shouldn’t have rushed it. Also I was screaming at Violet the entire time. The end makes sense for the story line but… absolutely felt empty…

[@whalien-BTS]

Aww The Cruel Prince is one of my all time faves!! 😂😂 I read Happy Place a couple of months ago and I really did not like it!! I keep feeling like I'm missing something though because everyone is raving about it. But I just...the characters felt so annoying! I couldn't connect with them at all so I didn't care about their issues.

[@Karentulla]

I am in the same situation 😂 love Emily Henry, liked the beginning but i could not even finish the book because I grew to dislike everyone.

[@KariKakuri]

Just one minute through the video introduction and I’m already getting my popcorn ready… 😂 thanks Jack for your great videos!

[@zofiawieczorek8394]

I know I said I love Jack uploading this many videos, but now I’m scared of the pace😂 Can’t comprehend how fast he works lol . Keeping us mortals fed ♥️

[@DanielaLopez-pn1sy]

I just finished the cruel prince and honestly really liked it because was easy and fun to read, this year i read a looot of dense (but good) contemporary fiction so i was rooting for something easy and the cruel prince did it's job

[@snehapradhan5591]

so excited for this!!

[@3bellam]

bro I specifically watched this to see what you had to say about The Cruel Prince because I enjoyed that book, and now I want to go back and reread it, because I do not remember noticing that about the writing 😭

[@lolopolo06]

I am SHOCKED. I loved Chain Gang All-Stars and its execution. Very surprised you didn’t like it!!

[@dreamingbymyshelf]

The real important question I have for Iron Flame is, will you read the third one when it comes out? If only to see if it gets good again and fixes the problems you didn't like. Or are you forsaking the rest of The Empyrean books from here on out?