How Many Chances Do You Give An Author?

This is a question I’ve been wrestling with a lot in the last few years. I used to decide that only reading one book by an author, unless it was a truly awful experience, isn’t really giving that writer a fair shot. But after repeatedly being let down by the same individuals on a matter of several titles, I think the time has come to set a new limit on how long I’ll continue to torture myself. The following is a list of my most recent lines in the sand, and my reasons why.

(Disclaimer: Taste is subjective, so please don’t feel bad if I’ve happened to bash an author that really makes your day. Life is too short to spend a lot of time on stuff that we aren’t getting much out of, and I look at discussion posts like this as an opportunity to think through what does and doesn’t work — for myself — and for us all to share thoughts that may indeed lead us to our next favorites!)

Matt Haig:

I’ve heard really great things about Matt Haig’s books, how they’re so prolific — writing with the same wit and humor and poignancy for children as well as adults — and how they make you think without being preachy or irritating. But after just not feeling very engaged with How To Stop Time or The Midnight Library, I found myself disappointed yet again by The Humans. This author’s style ranges from (I feel) very dull to frustratingly confusing, and I realized pretty quickly — I’d never even heard of him 18 months ago — that his entries in speculative fiction are definitely a no-go for me.

V.E. Schwab:

I know this is certainly going to be a let down for some of my followers, as Schwab has a solid and beloved reputation among spec fic readers, but after not being able to follow 80% of the Monsters of Verity duology, and nearly falling asleep slogging through A Darker Shade of Magic, I believed The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue would be my last attempt with her. Sure enough, while I found the style to be a big step up from my previous dalliances into Schwab’s bibliography, the plot still fell prey to the slow, strong build and then drop-off-a-cliff-into-nowhere ending that I feel characterizes her stories. Maybe other readers really enjoy that approach, but for me it’s greatly unsatisfying.

Sarah J. Maas:

Now, believe it or not, I’ve actually just been accepting it as a universally acknowledged truth among Maas fans that there’s a whole lot of s-e-x in her books — because, while previously trying to read A Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass, I didn’t even get to the steamy scenes, as I developed such a strong dislike of the protagonists in each series so early on, I didn’t continue! I considered trying Crescent City, but it isn’t in our library system yet, and since A Court of Silver Flames features a different protagonist from the rest of that series (someone I might not hate!), I gave it a go.

And…well…er…WOW. I think there was less X-rated content in A Song of Ice and Fire. No wonder every Maas publication is well over 500 pages, since it appears to be written into her contract that copious amounts of graphically described bedroom action shall receive more text space than world-building or character growth. Okay, then…moving on…

Patrick Ness:

After A Monster Calls went down in my reading history as one of the most disturbing novels I’ve ever finished, I got really mad when I saw the trailer for the new “Chaos Walking” movie (with Tom Holland! of current Spiderman! fame), and learned it’s based on a trilogy by (damn it) Patrick Ness. I did decide to give The Knife of Never Letting Go a try, and I just…won’t ever get on board with the “gritty realism” aspect of dystopia. I’m an adult, I’m completely aware that life is not always pleasant, and can often be downright crappy. But this is EXACTLY why I read fiction that focuses on the better side of humanity, not the worst. And it seems that Patrick Ness is determined to make us all hate other people (and he will NEVER get a pass from me for letting the dog die).

So, sorry for that dramatic end note! Unfortunately these are a few more authors crossed off my list, which means I’m back to the tried-and-true (at least Maggie Stiefvater’s new title is being released long after my book buying ban is over!) while hoping to find happy surprises among a whole new crop of writers I’ve never heard of! Best of luck with your own TBR, everyone!