Happy Tuesday, y’all! This week, Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl is asking us to share our unpopular bookish opinions. The only thing I could do this week is share books that don’t deserve the hype. Several of these books are highly rated and much loved, but they didn’t work for me. That’s why I try to avoid hyped books.
Confession time: I only finished reading three of the ten books. Would my opinions be different if I had finished them? Possibly! But won’t try them again, as I rarely return to books once I DNF them. Maybe you can change my mind? All titles will lead to Goodreads.
Now let’s check out these books that don’t deserve the hype.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Release Date: March 2022
- Why It’s Overhyped: There’s‘s a sexual assault at the beginning of the book. The victim is blamed. The first 40% was boring.
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Release Date: February 2020
- Why It’s Overhyped: There are too many characters to keep straight. Is there a story to follow? I did try the audiobook, becausthat’s’s what everyone was suggesting.
The Maid by Nita Prose
- Genre: Mystery
- Release Date: January 2022
- Why It’s Overhyped: The synopsis and the comparisons are misleading. My message from the book is that doing wrong can make right.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
- Genre: Mystery, Thriller
- Release Date: May 2012
- Why It’s Overhyped: The main characters are too self-centered and unable to communicate. I skipped half the book because I was getting too angry with it. After reading the last chapter, I felt they both got what they deserved.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
- Genre: Historical Fiction, YA
- Release Date: September 2005
- Why It’s Overhyped: The story is slow and clunky.
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
- Genre: Contemporary, Translated
- Release Date: September 2016
- Why It’s Overhyped: We are following too many characters to keep the story straight. And where’s the act that tears the town apart? I stopped reading around halfway through, because it was taking too long to get to any action.
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
- Genre: Mystery
- Release Date: January 2022
- Why It’s Overhyped: I love the concept, don’t get me wrong. And some of the relationships are great. There are too many strange coincidences for anything in the story to actually happen.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
- Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ, Fantasy
- Release Date: June 2021
- Why It’s Overhyped: Maybe it’s me, but the characters and the relationships are just too unbelievable.
Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead
- Genre: Romance
- Release Date:
- Why It’s Overhyped: The party scene. Really, a professional woman needs to have a raging drug-fueled party at her house?
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
- Genre: Young Adult, LGBTQ, Fantasy, Science Fiction
- Release Date: September 2021
- Why It’s Overhyped: The toxic masculinity was too much. I understand that’s part of the story, but it was too much for me to take. Add to that, the unneeded romance.
If any of these books are your favorites, I’m happy for you. These are books that don’t deserve the hype, in my opinion. What are books you think don’t deserve the hype?
Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my other bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.
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I haven’t read most of them, but I agree on the TJR book. I just don’t get her popularity. I did like Lessons in Chemistry a lot.
Thanks for the heads up about Iron Widow.
I did enjoy Daisy Jones and The Maid but I completely agree that if you DNF a book, no need to go back to them – it’s a good thing to know what you like and dislike and time’s too short to spend time on books you don’t enjoy just on the small chance you might like them later on (as someone who has a hard time DNF’ing because I keep thinking it might get better I can say that it rarely ever does 🙂 )
Oh you are brave! I have read the first five from your list and totally agree about Daisy Jones. I have loved many other TJR books but not that one.
Great post Pam. Here is my post https://paigesofnovels.wordpress.com/2025/04/15/top-ten-tuesday-unpopular-bookish-opinions/
I haven’t read any of these (well, with exception to The Maid), but I feel like I’d agree, based on the little I know of these. I’m not curious about Daisy Jones & the Six despite its immense popularity. I liked most of “The Maid,” but then the final “act” or last part of the novel just didn’t suit me.
Ohhh, Beartown.. there’s a lot of set up and it’s a long book. It’s for a good reason though! The “thing” is really intense. I can agree about Iron Widow and One Last Stop though!!
Ooh, I see some I loved, plenty I still have on my TBR, and some that I’ve definitely heard not-so-great things about! I also had Iron Widow on my list today though because I was pretty sad by how disappointing I found it!
I’ve been wanting to read One Last Stop and The Book Thief, but haven’t read any of the books on your list today. Based on your comments, though, I don’t blame you for including them on this list.
I would put Outlander on the top of my list for books that don’t deserve the hype, but I know I’m very much in the minority on that book.
I agree with Lessons in Chemistry. It was such a fun premise, but instead of getting on with the science-based cooking show we got a bunch of boring stuff about rowing!
I understand why she talked about the rowing, but did there need to be SO much of it? The synopsis is quite misleading. As is the way most people talked about the book.
Pam
You are right. Unpopular opinion of books. The first time I read The Book Thief I didn’t finish it but when I went back later and read the whole thing I loved it. I also am a big fan of Lessons in Chemistry and thought Beartown was really good.
I am off-topic this week: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2025/04/ttt-excerpts-from-new-to-me-poems-i-like.html
Lessons in Chemistry was the quickest DNF ever and Daisy Jones worked better as a tv series for me.
I love that you did this because I’ve read a number of these and completely agree 🤣🤣 I just took the opportunity to rant and be salty this week 😂
https://onereadingnurse.com/2025/04/15/top-ten-tuesday-my-unpopular-bookish-opinions/
I loved Lessons in Chemistry and I enjoyed Daisy Jones, but for the most part I agree with your takes on the other ones that I’ve read (Gone Girl, The Book Thief, Iron Widow). I haven’t read any of the others but I am curious about Bear Town still. Love that you did this for this week’s topic!!
Haze
https://thebookhaze.com/
The only one I read was Finaly Donovan and it was because I loved the author’s YA books. I thought this one was just fun and quirky. Unrealistic yes, but it was definitely entertaining!
Thanks for visiting my TTT!
I’ve heard of most of these and I have The Maid on Mt. TBR. Most of the horror books I’ve seen recommended on TikTok do not deserve the hype.
I really liked Daisy Jones but couldn’t stand Lessons in Chemistry. Good list!
The only one I read was The Book Thief. I liked it. The others I haven’t read. The Finaly Donovan series is on my TBR but I don’t know when I’ll get to it.
I didn’t love Daisy Jones or Gone Girl but….Beartown is basically one of my favourite novels of all time, haha. I don’t think Backman’s style is for everyone though.
I’ve read a couple of other books Backman wrote, and I enjoyed those. But Beartown was just so long, I struggled to stay with it. If you’re mentioning in the synopsis that something “explosive” is going to happen, why are you waiting until after the halfway mark for it to happen? Espcially when the book is over 400 pages.
Pam
You were brave with some of these titles! I liked the ones I have read off your list but have no interest in reading any of the others, with the exception of Beartown.
I see 3 books on my TBR. I loved A Man Called Ove by Backman! So sorry to hear you did not enjoy Beartown, I am curious to see if i will feel the same way now.
I loved A Man Called Ove. I hope you enjoy Beartown more than I did.
Pam
Well these are really unpopular opinions to me as I adored most of these LOL!
And that’s why there are so many books, we are all allowed to have varying opinions. I’m sure there are books I’ve read, and adored, that many others did not.
Pam
I have zero interest in reading any of these books, and that was before seeing them in this list. I suspect I would come away thinking much the same thing if I tried them (or even finished them)
An interesting list. I wasn’t keen on Lessons in Chemistry. Finlay Donovan I enjoyed, but I preferred the second one. I have the third one waiting for me 🤣
Have a great week!
I haven’t read any of these books, but I think you’re probably right in not liking them from your explanations. Shatter Me is at the top of my list of books that don’t deserve the hype, and it has truckloads of it 🙂
If you’d like to visit, here’s my TTT: https://thebooklorefairyreads.wordpress.com/2025/04/15/top-ten-tuesday-unpopular-bookish-opinions/
I only read one book by Taylor Jenkins Reed and hated it so I haven’t tried anything by her since. I loved The Maid and enjoyed Finlay Donovan but after the second book I haven’t continued with the series. Too many crazy coincidences as you mentioned. I haven’t read any of the other books and probably won’t. I’d be furious about the victim being blamed in by Lessons in Chemistry! Thanks for sharing!
I completely agree with Lessons in Chemistry! I DNF’d at 7%! No, rape is not “laugh out loud funny” as the blurb promises.
I agree about Finlay Donovan. It was too silly for my tastes.
I’ve only read Lessons in Chemistry (f*ck the patriarchy) and The Book Thief from your list. While I enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry overall, it also made me really mad for large portions of the book. And I just really enjoy WWII era fiction and getting a German perspective on the era was fairly unique for me. I hope you have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by my blog earlier.
I really love this topic, because it’s completely up to the reader and their thoughts/feelings, so the books that you think are overhyped might be just about right in my opinion. I adore the whole Finlay Donovan series precisely because it is so over the top and unbelievable, like the Stephanie Plum series. I’m curious to see what I think of Lessons in Chemistry, but I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one who hasn’t read that (or any other) Fredrick Backman book.
Books, like all forms of art, are completely subjective. And you’re right, how someone receives the book is dependent on their experiences prior to, and while, reading the book.
Pam
How fun it is to live in a world where we all experience reads differently! It would be infinitely boring to all have the same thoughts about a book.
I did like The Book Thief but I can also see why it might not resonate with someone else. There is also more like it these days than when it came out.
We all enjoy different books and that is awesome. I was not a fan of the first two, or the Casey McQuestion book. I did read and enjoy 3 of these and the others I gave a pass to. One reason I love this blogging community is to hear what everyone thinks about different books. As many bloggers that I follow, they all have different opinions. I agree, I often avoid the hyped books because I have been burned and wasted too much time reading a book thinking that maybe I just don’t get it. 🤷♀️😁
I love that we all have different opinions on books. Why wouldn’t we? We all have different life experiences that influence who we process things around us.
Pam
Absolutely, Pam. Differences is what makes the world so interesting.