From classics to the New York Times bestseller list, there are so many popular books out there. Some may be overrated or just not worth it, which begs the question; should you invest in these books? In the past year, I have read nearly 100 books and selected some of the more popular ones to give my honest review of them. As an unofficial book critic, my opinions will differ from many others.
The Catcher In The Rye by J.D Salinger – 1 star
This book is supposed to be a ‘cult classic’ or ‘a work that defines 20th-century literature. I was so excited to read it back in the 7th grade, thinking this had to be one of the best books I would ever read. 234 pages later, I was sorely disappointed. Firstly, the main character, Holden, is so unlikable it almost makes the book unreadable. While Holden is supposed to be self-absorbed and a hypocrite, we see absolutely zero character development throughout the entirety of the book. I think my least favorite thing about this book has to be that there is no plot nor a compelling storyline. I kept reading because I hoped that something exciting would take place or the story would pick up, but I found absolutely nothing. The way that the book is written may have been compelling and remarkable back in the 1950s when it was published, but it just feels dull to the modern reader like me.
Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow By Gabrielle Zevin – 5 stars
While I just spoke about my least favorite book of all time, I will now talk about one of my favorite books of all time, Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. Gabrielle Zevin’s writing style is what made this book one of the best I’ve ever read. It’s filled with so much imagery that it felt like I was transported to the 80’s working alongside the main characters, Sadie and Sam, on their video game. While the size of this book was at first intimidating, I can tell you that it’s worth your time. The characters are written like real humans who change over time and have flaws. They feel so real I felt like I knew them as close friends, and this emotional attachment is what differentiates a 5-star read from a 3-star read. The storyline itself spans many years and takes up 416 pages, yet is far from tedious. There isn’t much else to say except that Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is genius.
The Cruel Prince Trilogy by Holly Black – 3 stars
It takes a lot for a fantasy book to stand out to me, but the first book in this series was essentially the perfect fantasy book. I especially enjoyed the plot, which focused on Jude Cardan, a human girl living in this fantasy fae world, trying to fit in with her peers but ultimately failing, all while juggling family issues and internal struggles. Holly Black managed to create another universe while still talking about the world we live in today, and it’s beautiful. I think the potential the series had was unmatched and then was unfortunately ruined. The second book was decent and had interesting plot twists, but incomparable to the previous book. Then, the third book was published. The Queen Of Nothing was an absolute disaster. The author lost the plot and ran out of good ideas because the explanations for the events that transpired in the previous books didn’t do the series justice. Overall, I wished the author just ended the series with the second book because without the third book, this series would have been solid.
Magnolia Parks/ Daisy Haites books by Jessica Hastings – 5 stars
When I say that all five books in this series, three of them being Magnolia Park books and two of them being Daisy Haites books, have been 5-star reads, I mean it. If you’re a reader, like me, you’ve probably read many sappy and boring romance books that follow the vicious cycle that all romance books follow (falls in love, fights, gets back together, and lives happily forever after). What I love about these books is that while they do follow a love story, it’s far from boring and you have no idea if there is a happy ending or not. By the last book, you’ll be bawling your eyes out and crossing your fingers for B.J. and Magnolia or Daisy and Christian.
