You are Better off not Knowing These Books Exist

While it is true that many good books remain under the radar of mainstream audiences, that does not mean all unpopular books are diamonds in the rough. Sometimes, when you are digging for hidden treasure, all you end up with is a sandy hole at the beach.  

     I know there is some irony of me drawing attention books that I personally think shouldn’t be popular, but consider this a public service announcement. If you come across any of these books, read at your own risk. You have been warned.  

The Red Keep

     I picked up this book expecting adventure. I didn’t get it. I don’t remember that much from this book, and I can live with that. I’d much remember the good books I read instead. Did I mention this book also struck me, who was thirteen years old at the time, as a bit racist with its treatment of a Jewish character?

Mechanica

     I was at my local library with a friend when we stumbled upon Mechanica. We both wanted to read it so my friend let me barrow it first and tell her how it was. She was the lucky one, because I was greatly disappointed by this book. 

     I remember reading reviews praising this book because it was considered feminist. Well just because a book has an “empowering” message, does not give it a free pass for a five-star rating. It was boring and in my opinion poorly written. 

Need

     I really wanted to like this book for two reasons. A. The book is about fairies and I went through a phase in high school where I was obsessed with the fair folk. B. The author is from Maine and I love looking for books written by fellow Maniacswho are not named Stephen King. However, I could hardly tolerate the main character, Zara. She was so self-righteous it distracted me from the mystery.  

Revolutionary     

What is it with YA dystopian trilogies being plagued by poorly written endings. Maybe it’s just my luck.  However, this final book in the Anomaly trilogy does not hold up to the other two in my opinion. The plot twist seemed only half-baked, and character development seemed to drop from the sky. It, simply, was not a natural ending to the trilogy.