I'm still traumatized from The Scarlett Letter, enough to invent time travel just so I can punch Nathaniel Hawthorne.
*builds time machine and supplies Nathaniel Hawthorne with a shield* Sorry, but I love Hawthorne's writing. I admit, though, that I have never read a novel written by him, only short stories.
Here's my list of disappointing books:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - All but the last chapter bored me, possibly because the entire novel seemed like nothing but world-building. It's not until the end that things actually happen. I would not have continued with the series if it weren't for my mother listening to the audiobooks in her car. I was riding with her one day and she begged me to let her listen to
The Chamber of Secrets. I took a drink from my water bottle just as the reader mentioned Ron's brothers turning his teddy bear into a giant spider. I started laughing and spat water all over the windshield. After that, I decided to give the series another chance. I ended up liking the rest of the books, but I don't know if I could ever get into that first book.
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson - I loved Paterson's
Bridge to Terabithia, so I expected to love this as well. It was pretty dull. Not much in the way of rising action or a climax; things just happen. And the not-so-happy but very realistic ending just left me wondering what the point of the whole story was. It almost felt like a lecture to kids to appreciate the people who love and care for them.
The Lord of the Flies - I had seen the old, black & white movie and loved it. I thought I would love the book too, but oh was I wrong! The author rambles on with endless descriptions that slow the story to a molasses-like pace. I don't need a 3-page description of the shadow of a palm tree. I know what a palm tree looks like. Everyone with access to this book knows what a palm tree looks like. Get to the freaking plot!
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - I sort of liked it. The title is very literal. It really is just an average day in the life of someone in a gulag. While it is illuminating, it does not have a plot. It does, however, have some interesting characters, and I can appreciate it for the historical information it provides. So again, I
sort of like it.
I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan - This was presented to me as a slasher novel. I feel cheated. Not only does the "killer" not kill anyone, but the bitch-ass MCs are so godawful that I was hoping they would die. Just to clarify, the MCs (the "good" guys) run over a kid on his bike and then leave the kid to die because they are afraid of getting in trouble. The next year, the kid's brother seeks revenge and tries to kill them. Sadly, he fails repeatedly and the dumber-than-dirt, spoiled brat, asswipes (a.k.a. the MCs) who are the epitome of all that is wrong with humanity get to go back to living their lives while some poor dead kid receives absolutely no justice. To sum it all up, the villain kills no one, but the heroes get away with killing a child. (You know, basic hero stuff.) I want to shred this book and
set it on fire! I have also read Duncan's
Killing Mr. Griffin which had similar main characters. What is it with her and writing unlikeable, spineless, twits for MCs?