T10T: My Most Controversial Ratings

June 5, 2018

TTT-Big2

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week’s prompt was actually to list 10 books you DNFed too soon, but seeing as I just did a post about DNFed titles for T10T last week, I wanted to do something different: my most controversial ratings!

I’ll pick 5 books that I rated low (1-2 stars), but that have high average ratings on Goodreads, and then I’ll pick 5 books that I rated high (4-5 stars), but that have low average ratings!


Popular Books I Rated Low

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1. Lighter Than My Shadow — Katie Green
My Rating: 2
Goodreads Avg: 4.39
This is a graphic novel about eating disorders and being an assault survivor. It’s based on the author’s own life, and it should have been a home run for me, but I found it so tremendously slow-moving and boring. It’s over 500 pages and it honestly should’ve been 300 or less.
2. Ready Player One — Ernest Cline
My Rating: 1
Goodreads Avg: 4.3
I definitely don’t mean to offend anyone with this opinion (or any of the ones in this list!), but Ernest Cline is just not the author for me. I’ve tried reading more than just this book, and I just… can’t do it. I gave RPO 3 tries before 1-starring it and leaving it alone forever.
3. Pride and Prejudice — Jane Austen
My Rating: 2
Goodreads Avg: 4.25
I know a lot of you are side-eyeing me big time for this one! I actually loved P&P as a kid, but as an adult, I’ve tried rereading it so many times, and it’s dreadfully boring to me now, and Mr. Darcy’s entire appeal has worn off by this point and I just think he’s a jerk.
4. All the Bright Places — Jennifer Niven
My Rating: 1
Goodreads Avg: 4.19
I know this book is popular and has helped a lot of people, and I’d never try to diminish that, but I genuinely think its mental health representation is incredibly toxic, and the characters are just awful. I also hate the “twist” towards the end with a fiery passion – not because it’s sad, but because it’s such a hurtful portrayal of bipolar disorder.
5. Girl Out of Water — Laura Silverman
My Rating: 2
Goodreads Avg: 4.16
This protagonist is one of the most singularly aggravating characters I’ve ever read about in my life.

Unpopular Books I Rated High

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1. The Atrocities — Jeremy C. Shipp
My Rating: 5
Goodreads Avg: 3.21
I tried not to include too many books that don’t have a lot of ratings, but I had to include this one because I was so sad to see such a low average! I adored this creepy little gothic novella.
2. There’s Someone Inside Your House — Stephanie Perkins
My Rating: 4
Goodreads Avg: 3.4
I’m not surprised at all to see this make the list, since I know most of my friends hated it, but I loved it (and you can read my rant-y review here, if you want to know why!).
3. Thirteen Chairs — Dave Shelton
My Rating: 4
Goodreads Avg: 3.39
I was a little surprised by this one, because I thought it was a pretty solid YA horror anthology, but when I thought about it more, I could kind of see how it wouldn’t work for everyone.
4. Reign of the Fallen — Sarah Glenn Marsh
My Rating: 5
Goodreads Avg: 3.44
This one made me sad, because I absolutely love this book (and this author!). A friend of mine and I were actually talking just a few days ago about how shocked we are that this book is so underrated! I mean… BISEXUAL NECROMANCERS.
5. The Grownup — Gillian Flynn
My Rating: 5
Goodreads Avg: 3.54
This one, I’m actually not surprised by, because… this little book is so bizarre, honestly. But it’s hilarious, and weird, and twisty, and I loved it.


What are some of your controversial ratings?


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More about Destiny @ Howling Libraries

Just a horror aficionado/geek girl trying to juggle motherhood, reading, blogging, gaming, and everyday life.

Leave a comment
    1. I enjoyed Lighter Than My Shadow, but I know what you mean when you mention it’s incredibly long. It could have done with being a bit shorter.

    1. omg. this post is so controversial…i’m astounded.
      i’ve been meaning to reread all the bright places for a long time, b/c i 5 starred it but did so before i was, like, at all a critical reader. but also i’m scared to 🙁
      screaming at ready player one and pride & prejudice but i’ll take my wounded heart elsewhere b/c this post was soso fun and entertaining

      1. LMAO. I try to keep you guys on your toes every now and then
        I honestly gave ATBP 3 stars when I first read it, and then every time I thought about it, it made me angry so I eventually lowered it to 1. And now it’s just like… you know how every reviewer has that one book that’s like the bane of their existence? That’s mine. 🙁 Well, it WAS mine, until The Tombs came along and I keep getting harassed on goodreads for my review of it, but that’s another story.
        I’M SORRRYYYYY PLEASE STILL LOVE ME

        1. i am pretty sure i am physically unable to NOT love you so don’t worry. roast all my faves and keep all the books i hate on your tbr and i’ll remain a massive fan

    1. Oh! Funny.
      I read Ready Player One and quite liked it. I still need to see the movie though. I want to find out how they ended up messing it up or doing it justice. [I think it’ll be a meh-one because I haven’t heard very much about it?]
      Reign of the Fallen is still on the TBR because it was such a cover-buy, haha! Fingers crossed I’ll also be giving it a high rating! 😀

      1. I feel like most of the reviews I’ve heard about the RPO movie were one of two things: “I hated the book and loved the movie” or “I love the book and this movie is TRASH, BURN IT” lmao! Hopefully you’ll like it, though. And I really hope you like Reign of the Fallen!

        1. Well, if I end up seeing the movie, I at least have the advantage that it’s been almost a year since I read the book so I might not be that bothered if they switch things up? I hope. :’)

      1. Thank you! OMG, it’s always so nice to hear someone agrees with me on P&P. Mr. Darcy is such a jerk! Why did so much of the book community collectively decide to swoon over him?

    1. I totally agree with you on “All The Bright Places” but am sad to see Pride and Prejudice on that list. Though, I’ve not read it in a while…maybe I should.

      1. Thank you! Oh, I do that with movies, too! I’m a big horror movie lover and my mom is, too – we always joke that any time she hates one, I’ll probably love it!

    1. I really enjoyed the Grownup! And I am sucked into Reign of the Fallen. I see so many negative reviews complaining the author failed to provide enough explanation, and I disagree! I think it is fun ? so I will probably follow suit with you. I do have Ready Player One to read. I am told with my age, the nostalgia will win me over. Fingers are crossed but not holding my breath haha.

      1. Yaaaay, a fellow Grownup fan! I thought it was so fun and interesting. I’m also glad that you enjoyed Reign of the Fallen! The author is such a sweetheart and that book truly meant a lot to me.

        1. Oh yes! She has started following me back lately and I was reading up on her and fell head over heels <3 The book really touched me with the openness of the society and the themes of addiction, love & loss.

    1. Interesting twist on the topic this week! From your list, I’ve only read Pride and Prejudice, and I really love it. I’m sorry you don’t enjoy it as much as you used to. Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.

    1. I loved The Atrocities as well! Although I can see why people don’t like it, it’s just plain WEIRD.?

    1. I liked The Atrocities and thought it was pretty good so you are not alone. I also have Fallen Reign out from the library right now. Great list!

    1. I love P&P but I can barely finish the book too- the language was too hard for me. Hm I tend to avoid low rating books so I never know what I may rated highly, but I gave low rating for Geekerella, which is like the most hyped up book last year!

      1. The language is kinda difficult, isn’t it? It’s so wordy and I feel like it’s just a bit pretentious! Oh wow, yes, a low rating for Geekerella definitely is a controversial one! I haven’t read that yet, but I read her latest release, Heart of Iron, and didn’t like it. 🙁

    1. I’m the same with All the Bright Places!! I HATED Finch, he was the worst. And I totally agree about the mental illness rep. I thought it was so poorly handled. I DNFed it at like 11% because it was so bad

    1. I completely agree with you on All The Bright Places! I tried reading it because I heard so many good things about it, but was horrified at what I read. I hated how it romanticized suicide and didn’t represent mental illnesses correctly.
      I also rated There’s Someone Inside Your House higher than most people. I recognize that there were some issues with the book, but I really enjoyed the horror aspect of the novel.

      1. THANK YOU! The mental illness rep honestly made me so angry. I remember constantly having to put the book down to rant to my partner while I was reading it, lol!

    1. Love this idea!
      Omg I totally feel ya on Ready Player One. All the exposition and Wade being a love sick puppy annoyed the frick out of me.
      And glad to hear you enjoyed Reign of the Fallen! It’s on my TBR. 🙂
      Some controversial ratings that I’ve given are that I rated The Brokenhearted by Amelia Kahaney 5 stars and that I gave Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon 2 stars.

      1. Thank you, Keri! I hope you enjoy Reign of the Fallen! I haven’t heard of The Brokenhearted, but I feel you on Everything, Everything. I enjoyed it a lot the first time I read it – mostly because it was the first new YA contemporary I’d read in a long time, as it was right after my “YA hiatus” ended – but I tried rereading it last summer and I believe I lowered my rating to either 2 or 3 stars!

    1. Haha Pride and Prejudice…when we read it in class last year most people didn’t like it lol I was in the minority

      1. Omg, Kay! This gives me hope that I won’t be as alone as I thought I was on disliking Pride and Prejudice, haha! I’ve only ever met 2 or 3 people in real life who dislike it besides me and it always makes me feel like I “missed” something that everyone else is reading, lol.

      1. Ugh, RIGHT?! It’s the worst. Honestly. I feel like I can’t go a week without seeing someone worship that author for her mental illness rep in her books and every single time, I CRINGE.

        1. I literally yelled and threw the book at a wall. I have a friend with clinical depression and bipolar disorder and she would not be in the place of healing she is now without having seen a psychiatrist and taking her meds. Fuck everyone who thinks that meds are all bad for mentally ill people and fuck books that imply that taking meds is “stifling” or whatever.
          Finch is a textbook manic pixie dream guy too. Ugh.

    1. I absolutely loved this post! I’m actually going to steal it and do one of my own, but I will be giving you all of the credit (which you totally deserve!), and sending everyone your way as well! I hope you don’t mind!!
      I am a huge P&P fan, but I suppose I can forgive you 😉 Also, Captain Wentworth and Mr. Knightley are actually a little bit more swoon-worthy than Mr. Darcy, in my opinion, if you want to give another Austen a try 🙂

    1. I actually haven’t heard of a few of these but I agree with you about Mr. Darcy. He lost his appeal the older I got. And then the representation in All the Bright Places could have been better, I agree, and while I’m not going to–as you put it–diminish everything in it that has helped others, it just wasn’t my cup of tea and I wish it had been portrayed a little different. That twist was a massive no.
      Annnddd, I loved There’s Someone Inside Your House and The Grown-Ups, too, so I am glad to see another person (aaaaat last) rated them higher too. Nearly everyone I know didn’t like either of them.
      Great list!

      1. Thank you! Haha, I love this whole comment! Same on Mr. Darcy, like, I liked him okay as a kid but now he doesn’t do it for me. And yeah… the twist in All the Bright Places had me seeing red, 100%. Sooooo glad that you liked TSIYH and The Grownups, though!

    1. I seem to be the only one in existence who has rated the first two books of the Raven Cycle 2 stars. Every other reviewer I follow seems to have rated it 4 to 5 stars and I am all alone with my 2 stars. lol.

      1. Oh my goodness!!! I love you no matter what books you love or hate but I won’t lie… this broke my heart a little haha! No, I’m just kidding, I know TRC isn’t for everyone. I am sorry you didn’t love it though!

        1. Aw, thanks Destiny! <3 I love you lots! 🙂 I like the writing style of it. Maggie S. can sure write. I think I might give her others works a try and see if I like them. I just couldn't love the characters like I wanted too.

          1. If you ever want to try Shiver or The Scorpio Races, let me know if you want to buddy read them! I’ve only read The Raven Cycle and All the Crooked Saints out of her bibliography so far.

            1. I have the second book of the Shiver series. I think I’ll try and find the first one. But yes, I would love to do that sometime! 😀

    1. Wow, I relate so much to both RPO and There’s Someone Inside Your House. It’s always interesting to see how your opinion ranks against general opinion!

    1. Definitely The Wrath and the Dawn. Everyone loved that book and I just did not like it.

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