Five Books I Was Disappointed by in 2017

Last year, I did a full round-up post of 2016 in review, where I had a small section of “dishonorable mentions for books and movies Krysta and I did not quite enjoy.  This year, I’m breaking things up and devoting a full post to some of the books that, sadly, did not quite live up to my expectations.

Hild by Nicola Griffith

I had been looking forward to reading this book for a long, long time.  It’s about St. Hilda of Whitby and is set during the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, a time period not frequently featured in fiction. (The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro is the only other example that comes to find.)  However, the incredibly slow pacing of the novel made reading this feel a bit like torture, even when things finally started to get a bit interesting. Add flat-ish characters and a characterization of Hild herself that was less than impressive, and this book was just a bit of a snooze for me.  And I seriously like the Anglo-Saxon period.

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

This book had a lot of hype, but I found the solution to the central plot mystery to be too obvious to be really entertaining.  I also thought protagonist Audrey holds bizarrely modern views for her time period, and she has an annoying habit of expounding them at every turn. The romance didn’t woo me either, which meant there wasn’t much left for me to love about the book.

Rules for Thieves by Alexandra Ott

I was excited to read a middle grade novel about a spunky young girl who joins the Thieves’ Guild; however, I realized quickly that nothing that happens in the book makes any sense.  The famed Thieves’ Guild isn’t even that good, and apparently can’t steal enough money (or kidnap enough chefs) to even stock their cafeteria with edible food.  I was not impressed with their talents, their cunning, or the book as whole.

Vassa in the night by Sarah Porter

Even granting that this book is magical realism and that means I should probably expect some things never to be explained, I found this book bizarre and confusing.  Mostly, however, I thought it lacked sound character motivation; people would make big, dangerous, life-altering decisions at the drop of a hat, with apparently no thought behind it.  The story is original, but pretty unsatisfying.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

I was expecting Gothic mystery and a steamy romance from this novel.  What I got was unconvincing instalove and a plot that made absolutely no sense.   It wasn’t romantic or haunting or even very interesting.  There’s a sequel, but suffice to say, I have no plans to read it.

What were some of your disappointing reads this year?