The Complexity of YA Book Hype: A Personal Perspective

As I sit here thinking about popular young adult (YA) book series, I find myself reminiscing about my reading experiences from 2014. In that year, I devoured and thoroughly enjoyed a mystery-thriller novel with a big twist, which left me feeling amazed at the time. However, upon re-reading it recently, I couldn't help but feel underwhelmed by its modern-day popularity. The plot, while engaging initially, failed to live up to my expectations, leaving me questioning whether the hype surrounding it was truly justified.

My disappointment with this particular series serves as a reminder that book tastes are highly subjective and personal. What one person loves about a story, another might not appreciate or even dislike. This sentiment is reflected in my own reading experiences with contemporary romance novels like "Twisted Love" by Anna Hagan, which I struggled to get on board with. The love interest in this series, who was initially portrayed as a tortured soul with a tumultuous past, left me feeling underwhelmed and disenchanted. His character's backstory, which had promised so much promise, ultimately fell flat for me. Despite his wealth and success, he seemed more like a self-absorbed, entitled individual than the complex, brooding figure I had envisioned.

The "Forbidden Love" trope that pervaded this series was another aspect of the book that failed to resonate with me. The relationship between the protagonist and her brother's best friend felt more like an unhealthy obsession than a genuine connection, which only served to further diminish my enthusiasm for the story. In contrast, authors like Taharah Mafi, who wrote the popular "Shatter Me" series, have been praised for their nuanced portrayals of complex relationships and character development.

As I reflect on my past reading experiences, I'm reminded that even books I once loved can lose their luster over time. The twist in "Shatter Me," which was supposed to be a major plot reveal, left me feeling underwhelmed and disappointed. Upon re-examining the series, I realized that it had been built upon a foundation of tropes and clichés that didn't particularly appeal to me. This experience serves as a reminder that personal tastes can shift over time, and what we once loved might not hold up to scrutiny.

In an effort to better understand why certain books receive so much attention and praise from readers, I've been attempting to identify other YA series that have flown under the radar. Authors like S.J. Kincaid, Neil Shusterman, and Victoria Schwab have produced works that I've thoroughly enjoyed, but feel are often overlooked in favor of more popular titles. "Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir, for example, is a fantasy series that has garnered significant attention from readers and critics alike, but still seems to be relatively under-the-radar compared to some of its contemporaries.

Ultimately, my personal opinions on these series are not meant to diminish their value or impact on other readers. Book tastes are highly subjective, and what one person loves about a story, another might not appreciate. While I may not have been won over by "Shatter Me" or "Twisted Love," I recognize the potential for great storytelling that exists within these books. It's essential to approach each novel with an open mind, acknowledging that our individual tastes can vary greatly.

The experience of watching book hype and trends rise and fall has also led me to consider whether it's worth getting excited about a series that may not ultimately resonate with me. Personal opinions are what matter most, even if they go against the majority or popular sentiment. By being honest about my own reading preferences and experiences, I hope to contribute to a more nuanced discussion around YA literature and its ongoing popularity.

As I conclude this reflection, I'm reminded of the importance of sharing our genuine thoughts and feelings about books we've read. Whether you're a fan or detractor, your opinions can provide valuable insights for fellow readers who may be searching for their next great read.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhello everyone my name is Heather and welcome to the channel bookables and welcome to another video in my book talk series I've been doing a lot of these as of recently because there is a lot to talk about when it comes to book talk you know books that are hyped books that are not hyped do they live up to that hyp do they not you know so on so on I've done several of these before I've done a video where of book talk books that are Hy that I have not read yet I've did a book Talk video where I talked about books that I think are worth the hype and what do you know today we're going to do the complete opposite we're going to talk about book talk books that are hype that I think don't live up to the hype now as always let's start this video with a disclaimer because we always have to do that because you never know you never know if I talk about any book today that you love and adore and cherish with your whole heart I think that is awesome you do you and be the best you you can be just because we have different tastes doesn't mean we have to hate each other by any means I'm sure there are some books that you've read that you've hated that I've loved and vice versa that's exactly what this is everyone has different tastes I have best friends that we like the same books and she'll like a book and I'll be like no that's horrible and she's like what the heck did we end our friendship no we did not we're still best friends because people can have different taste okay great there's my disclaimer moving on today we're going to talk about some books that that are hyped up on book talk and for what reason I don't know cuz I don't get it so first of all we're going to talk about one that is most fairly obvious to probably everyone on this channel and that is Colleen Hoover hello hello if you don't know I'm not a fan of Colleen Hoover and I can't say that I've always been that way no Colleen Hoover has always been kind of big and the book to community when I first started like 10 11 years ago who can remember I don't know I'm 35 I'm old okay she was a Indie author and she blew up on book talk or she blew up on book so I decided to see what the hype was so I did read ugly love I read November 9 I did oh November 9 I did read it ends with us and is that all the ones I've read by her I don't know um either way I've read I want to say like four or five of her books and I did like them I think number nine I like gay five out of five would I change that Absol freaking lutely probably the same one it ends with us because I have learned that Colleen Hoover just writes really toxic relationships like not good healthy relationships at all so I don't understand why she keeps getting hyped I get that her reading is addictive I totally understand it because I have read than myself and I understand it but I just don't get why people love these so much I really honestly don't like I cannot fathom it and the fact that she's blown up again on book talk on one side of me he's like great good for you that every author wants to have that like I'm I'm genuinely happy for her the other side I'm like why why are we read here I just I don't know it's so conflicting because I know she has a huge fan base and I do not want them to come for me because am I happy to love her books sure that's great I think the thing with me with Colleen Hoover is like just her relationships are not good and healthy like and I don't see why we covet them and how we put them on a pedestal because I don't think these are the type of relationships that we should be doing and I think she acknowledges it with it it ends with us because she has another one it begins with us or starts with us I don't know I just I just don't get it I don't get it if you like her great I I don't moving on to one I read a couple years ago because everyone was talking about it a movie was coming out so I was like oh my gosh this is going to be amazing and it was like okay it's not horrible by any means it's just like I don't get what all the fuss was about where the craw dad sing by D Owens I just I I don't it was okay was it mindblowing was it Earth shattering did it rock me to my core no it did not it was interesting I'll say this is about a girl that grows up like she's the marsh girl it's like the 60s and' 70s and she maybe gets accused of murder and it was interesting it was a page Turner there were slow parts of it but I don't even see why it needed to be a movie I haven't watched the movie I don't think it was that intriguing of a book to be a movie but that's just me I think once you put a certain celebrity like Reese's Witherspoon book club on it it will blow up sometimes she picks good ones I'm not going to lie first line wins by Ashley ston amazing love it but sometimes I think she does not hit it in the park and um this one it was okay it wasn't like I'm not I'm not going to bash it and be like this was the worst book ever no it was decent I just don't think it lived up to the hype that everyone else was projecting it to be that's just me again I'll say that 50 times so get ready for it next up we have a romance Ice Breaker by Hannah Grace everyone read this last year I think I read this last year again it was okay this is adult romance I would say it's more do adult because it takes place in college it is hellaciously long like if you want some long freaking romance books book talk is the perfect place for you because you going to find a whole freaking bunch need to be this long no it's over 400 Pages that's a long romance like that's long I usually don't love long romances sometimes I do I'm not going to say I don't always but a lot of times I don't this one was about an ice hockey captain and a figure skater and they kind of have W they won't they and that's all that's all it is it was okay wasn't anything to write home about speaking of long Romance Books things we never got over by Lucy score this one blew up and so I was like I'll read it and again I was like it's okay like not that great I don't see why everyone's freaking out about it again hellaciously long it was a grumpy meat sunshine and it just took forever for them to get together and I was like I don't even care anymore I don't know will I read any more of her books I don't know I didn't hate it by any means like I said it was just okay for it to get insanely hyped up like it did I don't think it needed to be if that so controversial what I'm saying here because everyone's got their different opinions somebody could have read this and been like this was the most Earth shattering romance ever and I'm like great I'm happy for you I didn't feel that way reading it and that's why it's on this video do you hate me yet speaking of here's one that I really did not like and I really don't understand where the hype came from it from blood and Ash by Jennifer L armantrout Jennifer L armant trout has again been around a while in the book Community she had a big was it like a alien like kind of Twilight series for ya I can't remember but it was big and so when I heard about from blood and Ash and it was a vampire romance I was like heck freaking yeah because we all know this girl right here is obsessed with vampires Angel Spike Edward like I love vampires okay um so for any sort of vampire romance I will immediately read it and this one oh my gosh when I say nothing happens I mean nothing happens I think it was like an arranged marriage no it wasn't that's not even the right book I'm thinking of oh my gosh I could I don't even know it's basically about a girl that falls in love with like a vampire and he was supposed to be like her bodyguard or something like that or she was supposed to be a maiden I don't know but nothing happens and I think there's two more books in this series and I'm going to guess that nothing happens in it it wasn't romantic vampire at all like the fact that it gets like talked about as like one of the best vampire romances I I genuinely do not understand it like I cannot comprehend that I don't get it I don't love bashing I really don't but sometimes I guess you just you just you just got to do it and so I I just really didn't like this one I'm sorry I'm sorry moving on um quickly to one that I read a very long time ago we were Liars by E lockart this came out in like I want to say 2014 and I read and I think I loved it cuz it was a ya mystery threr that had a big twist like back then I was like this is amazing and now I'm like no it's not like it's just resurfaced to be very popular again and I don't understand it it's a very short one I'll say that um but the big twist at the end was just I feel like very I don't know I just don't think this one lives up to the hype that's just my opinion it's not one of the worst it's just one that I think of that I'm like I don't get it but I'm happy for you I guess I have Twisted Love by Anna hang this is a romance series that I've read the first book in because everyone kept talking about it again this is kind of I don't want to say it's a toxic relationship I loved the love interest in this first book so much that I just did not like it it was like he was this tortured man that had a really Rocky past but he made lots of money like I think he's like I made my first money when I was 13 and I was like okay like I wasn't doing that 13 I was freaking reading Harry Potter in my middle school library like watching the Ros Donald show when they first started doing the movies like that's what I was doing what were you doing making a million dollars at 13 I don't know it just I don't know it couldn't baffled me it was like a Forbidden Love because he was her brother's best friend and it just I did not get it it's very very very steamy not my type of steam whatsoever I you know it was a little bit too much for me I don't know I just I did not like it at all and I don't get the hype with it I really don't but again good for you then I'll end with one that I used to really love when I was a ya reader and that I I could maybe still love but looking back on it now I'm like I don't know and that is the Shatter Me series by tahara Mafi I've read all of them I was addicted to them when I was younger but now I'm like I don't know she did the twist with love interest in the second book and I just don't feel like it was very well done looking back on it now like I don't know I don't know I maybe have to reread these but I really don't want to if I'm honest with you but just know I just know that it's getting hyped up again and I'm like I don't know if I worth it like I think there's a lot of other great ya series that I think should be hyped up more like ember in the ashes by S it to hear amazing we don't hear nearly enough about it the side series series by Neil Schusterman Amazing illumin by Amy Coffman to J Kristoff again amazing what's another y series that I love and adore that I think does not get enough hype I don't know I don't have I don't read a lot of ya I used to but I didn't oh um Victoria Schwabs I want to say the Savage song The Monster Series amazing but there's a lot of other series like fantasy y series I think are way Leaps and Bounds better than Shatter Me um but I just I don't know I just didn't get it I still don't get it that's it I'm sure there are other ones that I'm forgetting because I do not agree with a lot of book talks recommendations but now you know then again I did a whole video of hype books on book talk that I do agree with so it gets it right it's like a 50-50 shot you know you're either going to love it or you're going to hate it so these books have I talked about again if you've read any of these and you love them and adore them I'm happy for you you keep on loving them and you keep being the conductor on that train ride for them and have a great time like I'm happy I'm genuinely happy for you no sarcasm like I am super happy for you I personally did not like them and that is okay I don't understand why they got the hype that they did but you know I guess if somebody out there loves them then that's worth it I guess you know so I don't know either way I would love to know what books are hyped up on book talk that you think are also not worth the hype and you can mention some ones that I probably love will I hate you no I won't my friend as always thank you so much for watching and I will see you in my next video byehello everyone my name is Heather and welcome to the channel bookables and welcome to another video in my book talk series I've been doing a lot of these as of recently because there is a lot to talk about when it comes to book talk you know books that are hyped books that are not hyped do they live up to that hyp do they not you know so on so on I've done several of these before I've done a video where of book talk books that are Hy that I have not read yet I've did a book Talk video where I talked about books that I think are worth the hype and what do you know today we're going to do the complete opposite we're going to talk about book talk books that are hype that I think don't live up to the hype now as always let's start this video with a disclaimer because we always have to do that because you never know you never know if I talk about any book today that you love and adore and cherish with your whole heart I think that is awesome you do you and be the best you you can be just because we have different tastes doesn't mean we have to hate each other by any means I'm sure there are some books that you've read that you've hated that I've loved and vice versa that's exactly what this is everyone has different tastes I have best friends that we like the same books and she'll like a book and I'll be like no that's horrible and she's like what the heck did we end our friendship no we did not we're still best friends because people can have different taste okay great there's my disclaimer moving on today we're going to talk about some books that that are hyped up on book talk and for what reason I don't know cuz I don't get it so first of all we're going to talk about one that is most fairly obvious to probably everyone on this channel and that is Colleen Hoover hello hello if you don't know I'm not a fan of Colleen Hoover and I can't say that I've always been that way no Colleen Hoover has always been kind of big and the book to community when I first started like 10 11 years ago who can remember I don't know I'm 35 I'm old okay she was a Indie author and she blew up on book talk or she blew up on book so I decided to see what the hype was so I did read ugly love I read November 9 I did oh November 9 I did read it ends with us and is that all the ones I've read by her I don't know um either way I've read I want to say like four or five of her books and I did like them I think number nine I like gay five out of five would I change that Absol freaking lutely probably the same one it ends with us because I have learned that Colleen Hoover just writes really toxic relationships like not good healthy relationships at all so I don't understand why she keeps getting hyped I get that her reading is addictive I totally understand it because I have read than myself and I understand it but I just don't get why people love these so much I really honestly don't like I cannot fathom it and the fact that she's blown up again on book talk on one side of me he's like great good for you that every author wants to have that like I'm I'm genuinely happy for her the other side I'm like why why are we read here I just I don't know it's so conflicting because I know she has a huge fan base and I do not want them to come for me because am I happy to love her books sure that's great I think the thing with me with Colleen Hoover is like just her relationships are not good and healthy like and I don't see why we covet them and how we put them on a pedestal because I don't think these are the type of relationships that we should be doing and I think she acknowledges it with it it ends with us because she has another one it begins with us or starts with us I don't know I just I just don't get it I don't get it if you like her great I I don't moving on to one I read a couple years ago because everyone was talking about it a movie was coming out so I was like oh my gosh this is going to be amazing and it was like okay it's not horrible by any means it's just like I don't get what all the fuss was about where the craw dad sing by D Owens I just I I don't it was okay was it mindblowing was it Earth shattering did it rock me to my core no it did not it was interesting I'll say this is about a girl that grows up like she's the marsh girl it's like the 60s and' 70s and she maybe gets accused of murder and it was interesting it was a page Turner there were slow parts of it but I don't even see why it needed to be a movie I haven't watched the movie I don't think it was that intriguing of a book to be a movie but that's just me I think once you put a certain celebrity like Reese's Witherspoon book club on it it will blow up sometimes she picks good ones I'm not going to lie first line wins by Ashley ston amazing love it but sometimes I think she does not hit it in the park and um this one it was okay it wasn't like I'm not I'm not going to bash it and be like this was the worst book ever no it was decent I just don't think it lived up to the hype that everyone else was projecting it to be that's just me again I'll say that 50 times so get ready for it next up we have a romance Ice Breaker by Hannah Grace everyone read this last year I think I read this last year again it was okay this is adult romance I would say it's more do adult because it takes place in college it is hellaciously long like if you want some long freaking romance books book talk is the perfect place for you because you going to find a whole freaking bunch need to be this long no it's over 400 Pages that's a long romance like that's long I usually don't love long romances sometimes I do I'm not going to say I don't always but a lot of times I don't this one was about an ice hockey captain and a figure skater and they kind of have W they won't they and that's all that's all it is it was okay wasn't anything to write home about speaking of long Romance Books things we never got over by Lucy score this one blew up and so I was like I'll read it and again I was like it's okay like not that great I don't see why everyone's freaking out about it again hellaciously long it was a grumpy meat sunshine and it just took forever for them to get together and I was like I don't even care anymore I don't know will I read any more of her books I don't know I didn't hate it by any means like I said it was just okay for it to get insanely hyped up like it did I don't think it needed to be if that so controversial what I'm saying here because everyone's got their different opinions somebody could have read this and been like this was the most Earth shattering romance ever and I'm like great I'm happy for you I didn't feel that way reading it and that's why it's on this video do you hate me yet speaking of here's one that I really did not like and I really don't understand where the hype came from it from blood and Ash by Jennifer L armantrout Jennifer L armant trout has again been around a while in the book Community she had a big was it like a alien like kind of Twilight series for ya I can't remember but it was big and so when I heard about from blood and Ash and it was a vampire romance I was like heck freaking yeah because we all know this girl right here is obsessed with vampires Angel Spike Edward like I love vampires okay um so for any sort of vampire romance I will immediately read it and this one oh my gosh when I say nothing happens I mean nothing happens I think it was like an arranged marriage no it wasn't that's not even the right book I'm thinking of oh my gosh I could I don't even know it's basically about a girl that falls in love with like a vampire and he was supposed to be like her bodyguard or something like that or she was supposed to be a maiden I don't know but nothing happens and I think there's two more books in this series and I'm going to guess that nothing happens in it it wasn't romantic vampire at all like the fact that it gets like talked about as like one of the best vampire romances I I genuinely do not understand it like I cannot comprehend that I don't get it I don't love bashing I really don't but sometimes I guess you just you just you just got to do it and so I I just really didn't like this one I'm sorry I'm sorry moving on um quickly to one that I read a very long time ago we were Liars by E lockart this came out in like I want to say 2014 and I read and I think I loved it cuz it was a ya mystery threr that had a big twist like back then I was like this is amazing and now I'm like no it's not like it's just resurfaced to be very popular again and I don't understand it it's a very short one I'll say that um but the big twist at the end was just I feel like very I don't know I just don't think this one lives up to the hype that's just my opinion it's not one of the worst it's just one that I think of that I'm like I don't get it but I'm happy for you I guess I have Twisted Love by Anna hang this is a romance series that I've read the first book in because everyone kept talking about it again this is kind of I don't want to say it's a toxic relationship I loved the love interest in this first book so much that I just did not like it it was like he was this tortured man that had a really Rocky past but he made lots of money like I think he's like I made my first money when I was 13 and I was like okay like I wasn't doing that 13 I was freaking reading Harry Potter in my middle school library like watching the Ros Donald show when they first started doing the movies like that's what I was doing what were you doing making a million dollars at 13 I don't know it just I don't know it couldn't baffled me it was like a Forbidden Love because he was her brother's best friend and it just I did not get it it's very very very steamy not my type of steam whatsoever I you know it was a little bit too much for me I don't know I just I did not like it at all and I don't get the hype with it I really don't but again good for you then I'll end with one that I used to really love when I was a ya reader and that I I could maybe still love but looking back on it now I'm like I don't know and that is the Shatter Me series by tahara Mafi I've read all of them I was addicted to them when I was younger but now I'm like I don't know she did the twist with love interest in the second book and I just don't feel like it was very well done looking back on it now like I don't know I don't know I maybe have to reread these but I really don't want to if I'm honest with you but just know I just know that it's getting hyped up again and I'm like I don't know if I worth it like I think there's a lot of other great ya series that I think should be hyped up more like ember in the ashes by S it to hear amazing we don't hear nearly enough about it the side series series by Neil Schusterman Amazing illumin by Amy Coffman to J Kristoff again amazing what's another y series that I love and adore that I think does not get enough hype I don't know I don't have I don't read a lot of ya I used to but I didn't oh um Victoria Schwabs I want to say the Savage song The Monster Series amazing but there's a lot of other series like fantasy y series I think are way Leaps and Bounds better than Shatter Me um but I just I don't know I just didn't get it I still don't get it that's it I'm sure there are other ones that I'm forgetting because I do not agree with a lot of book talks recommendations but now you know then again I did a whole video of hype books on book talk that I do agree with so it gets it right it's like a 50-50 shot you know you're either going to love it or you're going to hate it so these books have I talked about again if you've read any of these and you love them and adore them I'm happy for you you keep on loving them and you keep being the conductor on that train ride for them and have a great time like I'm happy I'm genuinely happy for you no sarcasm like I am super happy for you I personally did not like them and that is okay I don't understand why they got the hype that they did but you know I guess if somebody out there loves them then that's worth it I guess you know so I don't know either way I would love to know what books are hyped up on book talk that you think are also not worth the hype and you can mention some ones that I probably love will I hate you no I won't my friend as always thank you so much for watching and I will see you in my next video bye\n"