1. Whiny, moody characters à la Elena in TVD.
Don’t get me wrong, an emotionally unstable book character is actually pretty realistic and easier to relate to than those who don’t set a foot wrong, but there is only so much angst I can take in one book.
Don’t get me wrong, an emotionally unstable book character is actually pretty realistic and easier to relate to than those who don’t set a foot wrong, but there is only so much angst I can take in one book.
2. Pointless plots
You know the ones: characters embark on a perilous journey to the ends of an abandoned planet only to discover that the priceless long lost treasure, the subject of their life’s work, is NOT where they expected it to be. So, what was the point in the book?
3. Overly weird fictional names.
Unless the book is
listed under the fantasy genre, there really is no need, especially if the name is impossible to pronounce. The other end of fictitious names is the weird variations of spellings eg. Peeta, that are just as annoying.
4. Teeny tiny font.
Apparently I am still at child. Any book font that looks
like it might compete with Tolstoy's War and Peace is a no.
5. Bad cover design.
Those Google images imposed on over saturated backdrops will never
look appealing.
6. Book finales that leave a cliff-hanger.
Erm, how are we supposed to know what happens next? The torment this situation leaves you in is real.
7. Getting stuff in/on your books.
Crumbs, dog saliva, tears, tea stains, finger prints…ah, the list goes
on.
8. Books that assume you know everything about the plot before it has been explained.
9. The “I-can- tell-where-this-is-going” plots.
Unfortunately, I think that this is quite common in YA fiction, especially YA romance; basically the
plots leave little space for imagination and an enormous amount of regret at the hours of life wasted upon starting such books.
10. Copycat books.
You can’t fool
me; the character names and location might be different, but I can recognise that anti- climax anywhere.
11. First person narrative.
I don’t like being told what to think or what
to see- third person narrative lets me make my own mind up. Why should I have
to take the narrator's word for everything?