Books I regret reading

ok, the title is a little dramatic. I don’t necessarily regret reading anything. More like, they were really bad and I could've added them to my dnf pile without a second thought.

But, there are reasons why I finished all of these. Continue to find out why.

1. That was then, this is now by S.E Hinton- -10/10

Yes, that S.E Hinton; the one that wrote The Outsiders. I wish I had stayed on the outside of the loop instead of being added to the list of people that read this horrific book. My least favorite books are ones that clearly goes out of their way to make some big point/ commentary on something major…then flops incredibly hard or misses that point completely. This book missed the points completely (racism, growing apart etc.). It was so bad I laughed out of pain for half of it. The only decent character/storyline was this kid (I forgot his name) that ended up following some sort of group (cult possibly) because he felt unloved at home. I’m pretty sure he got laced weed or something (made sure to delete every detail from my memory). Poor kid. I really wanted them to talk more about him and find him, but no, we had other crap to attend to.

Oh and Ponyboy made an appearance. So…cool.

I read it because I liked The Outsiders as a kid (mainly the movie honestly, but the book was decent), and I figured it was a cool accomplishment. She wrote it when she was so young and it got so big! I wanted to read everything she wrote and rank them.

But this book managed to be both a white savior book and so incredibly disrespectful to different groups of people that she should’ve kept her pen down. Maybe she did that on purpose. Who knows.

2. Catcher In The Rye- 0/10

This is the book people say changed their lives? This is the hill people die on? Mundane setting. Mundane characters. Mundane plot (no plot). I guess it was revolutionary for its time...but it only wasted mine.

He was just a whiny and I get that him being the antihero was new for its time, I get that a "classic" must really provide something to learn from from its time and that styles do change. I just don't think it's a book that needs to be forced down someone's throat anymore.

He doesn't change, nothing is said and nothing is done.

I read it because Rory Gilmore had and because I do like books where the characters aren't perfect or they're just kinda there at times...but this one didn't hit anything. He was just full of the same thoughts repeated. No actions, just a guy in a hat.

My old boss hated it too, so that's cool.

3. all the books I got tricked into reading as a kid that were written by white people about Black pain- -10/10 (The Bluford High Series will forever haunt me)

4. Secret Life of Bees 6/10 from my notes, but that was too nice...

Sometimes the movies are better, sometimes the books are better. You never know. But, this one...man was the book so bad and creepy (as a kid I didn't know there was an age gap between the boy and main girl). Then, it felt even more white saviory and nothing was explained well.

The movie felt more like they were all there for each other (at least it did the last time I watched). The girl felt too whiny, but she was a kid going through a lot...so I'll give her that. And there were decent quotes and nice moments.

I didn't absolutely hate it, but I was disappointed because of watching the movie first.

5. One Way or Another- 2/10 (but I think I said less last time)(I'm nice today)

Love: mental health discussions, especially during the holidays

hate: everything else

So boring and I didn't care about what decision was made either way. It wasn't cute even when it tried to be. It wasn't funny. It wasn't interesting.

I read it fully because it was a gift.

6. Felix Ever After- 5/10 :)

I once had many thoughts, but now I'll just say "repetitive." Love the rep, love the discussions surrounding sexuality and gender, love books where the person likes art...but there was so much I didn't like or get. The same words were repeated a million times. I kept saying "wrap it up. This could've been a novella."