Goldilox and the Three Weres: Biggest Disappointments of 2012

With all the top 10 lists I've posted this week with my favorite reads of the past year, I feel like I must give fair time to the opposite end of the spectrum. I have never posted a list of my DNFs or disappointments before, but this year I am.

This list is sure to be controversial, as opinions about books are incredibly subjective and often our feelings toward a book can be due to our moods. I'd love to hear your opinions in the comments below (respectfully)!

These are my DNFs and disappointments for 2012:

The Hunt

(The Hunt #1)

Andrew Fukuda

This was supposed to be an exciting read, reminiscent of The Hunger Games, but I found myself totally underwhelmed by the silly world and unrealistic expectations of The Hunt. First of all, I was not at all connected to Gene, the story's main character, nor could I believe that his ridiculous habits would have really helped him stay hidden in plain sight for his entire life. Secondly, the vampire/monster people of the story had the most bizarre habits - they scratched their wrists in the place of laughter and they rubbed their elbows and armpits to make out. Too much. This was a DNF.

Darkness Before Dawn

(Darkness Before Dawn #1)

J.A. London

This book was too predictable for me with bumpy dialogue and cardboard cutout YA characters. I found myself feeling very ho hum about Dawn and her love interest, Victor, and I didn't really like many of the other characters. I also didn't buy the dystopian world. The things the vampires let the humans keep versus the things they banned just didn't make sense to me. This one had a lot of potential but things just didn't click into place for me. I technically read the entire book, but there was A LOT of skimming involved.

Blade Song

(Colbana Files #1)

J.C. Daniels

I was super excited to read this one after several friends loved it, but clearly I somehow got a totally different book than they did. The main character is supposedly a badass with her sword, to which she has a special connection even. Too bad she rarely used it in the book. She was also not incredibly likable, especially with her not-so-stellar decision making skills. Oh, and the hero shows how much he likes her by slamming her head against a car trunk and choking her until her vocal chords are temporarily damaged. Hot, right? Nope. DNF.

Struck

(Struck #1)

Jennifer Bosworth

This was one of my highly anticipated YA books of 2012, so imagine my genuine disappointment that this one was slowly paced, confusing, and riddled with religious undertones. I just couldn't get into it, no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't really understand what the heck was going on with the group of teens that wanted her to join them and I was not even into Jeremy, the love interest. All around a big bummer. DNF.

Boyfriend From Hell

(Saturn's Daughter #1)

Jamie Quaid

This one left me feeling Meh. Tina, the story's heroine, could have maybe been a likable character but I couldn't connect with her and I just couldn't get myself to care what happened to her. I also found the fact that she walked with a limp kind of weird, considering her badass pose on the cover of the book. The worldbuilding was kind of lackluster and may have been explained better as the book went on, but, again, I just couldn't get myself to care that much to keep reading. Lackluster is the best descriptor I can think of. DNF.

Shadow and Bone

(The Grisha #1)

Leigh Bardugo

Although many seem to have loved this book, I did NOT. I was bored with constant info dumps and paragraphs about stupid details like the color of people's clothes but not enough info about the important stuff, like the powers that the Grisha use. I also couldn't look past the glaring plot holes that drove me crazy. This is another case of, "Did I read the same book that everyone else read?". I did actually read this one to its end, but it still didn't impress me.

Alice in Zombieland

(White Rabbit Chronicles #1)

Gena Showalter

With a name like Alice in Zombieland I expected a fun and edge-of-my-seat book about zombies. Umm, no. Instead I got a wet noodle for a heroine, plot holes that left me with too many questions, and some sneaky religious undercurrents. I didn't really like Ali and wondered why Cole was so into her, but I especially wondered why there was such a focus on their ridiculous relationship and not enough focus on her training to be a zombie killer. Read this one to the end, but painfully.