Low Rated Books I Loved

Posted January 22, 2018 / Book Lists, Features / 14 Comments

I’m really feelin’ the inspiration that people are getting from Booktube for blog posts! I’ve been noticing this a lot lately and it’s created some fun posts for sure. The latest one I’ve loved is from Madalyn, who got the inspiration from BooksAndLala’s video. It’s about some low rated books (on Goodreads, sorted by overall rating) that we loved. This is the ever elusive “positive black sheep” opinion. Everyone hated it but I loved it.

  

Anne & Henry by Dawn Ius
Goodreads average rating:
3.06 stars | My rating: 4 stars

I can’t put my finger on why I enjoyed this so much, but I did. I think it was an interesting retelling of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, but I think people who don’t know too much about their story may like it more. I saw a lot of mixed reviews from people with more knowledge of their situation. I talked in my review about how Henry was really lame; I could see why he liked Anne but not the other way around.

Ask Me How I Got Here by Christine Heppermann
Goodreads average rating:
3.19 stars | My rating: 4 stars

I suppose I can see why this would be hit-or-miss. I don’t love books in poetry or verse (or even books of straight-up poems, usually), but I enjoyed both works by Heppermann. This story was powerful while still being a very quick read for me. The topic is very heavy and I guess wouldn’t be for everyone, depending on beliefs, but I am  strongly in the camp of pro-choice and think it tackles it well.

Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid
Goodreads average rating:
3.33 stars | My rating: 4 stars

I feel like most people may have disliked this one because of the ending? I remember that being my one hang-up for this book. I tend to love books about bucket lists and best friends, so it was inevitable I would generally enjoy this one. Even though I liked it, I haven’t delved into Adi’s other books yet.

Literally 99 Days  All We Have Is Now

Literally by Lucy Keating
Goodreads average rating:
3.37 stars | My rating: 4 stars

I was very eager for this book to come out because of how much I love Stranger than Fiction. I was also a huge fan of the author’s debut so it was a no-brainer I’d get to this one ASAP. I ended up really enjoying it even though many others didn’t. The style was a little weird and it was hard to get used to the characters maybe. I can’t wait to see what other unique titles Keating has up her sleeve though!

99 Days by Katie Cotugno
Goodreads average rating:
3.39 stars | My rating: 4.5 stars

I definitely understand why this book is polarizing, but it’s just soooo well-done. If you don’t like love triangles, especially with siblings, don’t go near this one. I remember understanding the main character’s conflict very well while reading and I found myself up WAY past my bedtime to finish this book and see how it all ended. I’m pumped that there’s another book coming out in the “series” too!

All We Have is Now by Lisa Schroeder
Goodreads average rating:
3.44 stars | My rating: 4 stars

I honestly can’t pinpoint why people didn’t like this one as much? I really enjoyed the apocalypse feel to the book and enjoyed the characters, even though they were underdeveloped. It was also a super quick read. I think books where people are facing the possible end of the world always make me think – what would I do? Who would I see? Anything that makes you think like that (especially a contemporary YA) is good in my book.

 There's Someone Inside Your House The Leaving 

There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins
Goodreads average rating:
3.44 stars | My rating: 4 stars

People went into this book expecting something super horror-like, but it really was just a YA version of Scream. I don’t like horror books (I’d rather watch a movie) so I was actually happy to read some early reviews. I’m sorry my friends were disappointed and expecting something else, but this was exactly what I personally wanted it to be! I didn’t love when the killer reveal happened, as it kind of dampened the rest of the book’s mystery, but it was a quick and super entertaining read for me. Adjust your expectations and I bet you’ll like it!

The Leaving by Tara Altebrando
Goodreads average rating: 3.48 stars | My rating: 4 stars

I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this one. I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews from my friends, too. I talked in my review about how I didn’t really have any theories throughout the book, which made some of the reveal a bit more interesting. I wasn’t expecting it, didn’t totally love it, but really enjoyed the process of getting there. There was one character that I REALLY hated, which made my rating go down a little bit.

Lucky in Love by Kasie West
Goodreads average rating:
3.49 stars | My rating: 4 stars

It makes me sad that more people didn’t love this but I suppose I can see why. I love Kasie West but her books have definitely become a bit too similar. She has fun premises, like this one where someone wins the lottery, but they all end up being formulaic. I think I rated this one nicely because of the Vietnamese love interest and his feelings about how people treat him; Chris says a lot of the same things. Overall, fun concept but her books are getting a little stale for most people.

14 responses to “Low Rated Books I Loved

  1. I love the idea behind this post! I may have to write a similar post myself. I’m sure there are plenty of books that I loved that other people really didn’t, and I think it would be fun to spend some time figuring out what those books are.

    I haven’t read any of the books on this list, but I’m going to look into them a little more. Who knows? Maybe I’ll love them too!

    Kristen recently posted: Why I Love Goodreads
  2. I’ve always wanted to read Anne and Henry but the negative reviews have always stopped me. It seemed like one of those books I would enjoy though regardless.
    I’m with you on 99 Days. Usually, I’d stay far far away from that premise but there was something so likeable about the book and Julia. Like you said, it’s really well done and I definitely got why Julia struggled with the brothers like she did and so I was empathetic to her situation instead of being annoyed by it.

    Lauren @ SERIESous Book Reviews recently posted: Series Review: Grad Night by Molly E Lee
  3. I am so intrigued by ANNE AND HENRY. I’m a HUGE Tudor history buff though so IDK if that would hinder my enjoyment, but I love the idea of doing a YA retelling based on actual historical figures!

    Also TOTALLY agree with you on Kasie West…I’ve read 3 of her books now and they honestly all feel like the same, but I did enjoy Lucky in Love (esp. with the diverse love interest!)

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