Thoughts on Continuing a Series if I don't like the First Book
This week we're discussing what we do when we don't enjoy the first book in a series. Do you continue, hoping it gets better? Put it aside and try something else? As always, there is no right or wrong answer. And my answer is this: it depends on the series and how much I didn't enjoy that first book.
It really does depend on the book. Sometimes I might read a first book and not enjoy it much, but pick up the next book in the series to give it a chance. Particularly if I've heard that they get better, or it's the authors first book, or something along those lines. I don't want to write the author or series off immediately.
In some cases though, I won't pick up the next book. If I give a book a 1 or 2 star rating, I'm probably not going to go for its sequel. There are just so many books that I'm interested in reading that spending time on something I already haven't enjoyed doesn't make sense. It also sometimes depends on what about the first book bothered me. There are certain things I just don't want to read about again, while others might be going in a new direction I'm more interested in.
So really, it depends on the book and why I didn't like it to begin with. What determines if you continue a series after a not so great start? Discuss it with me in the comments!
I agree, it really does depend on the series. There are not too many that I have stopped reading and if I sometimes look to see what the reviews on the other books before I drop the whole series.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading! Sometimes I'll look ahead at the reviews for later books too, just to see if the books seem to be improving.
DeleteI recently read Star Wars: Aftermath by Chuck Wendig. I gave the book 3 stars (and that was a stretch)but, I will pick up book two and three due to my love of the characters. I found that the audio book helped a great deal in finishing the story. Sometimes a production of the book can soften the boredom. Great post!
ReplyDeleteYes, different formats can change how you look at things. And characters make a story for me. So if I like them, I'll pick up the next book.
DeleteIn terms of the reading community and its attitudes to series, I'm certainly an outcast: I hate series and try to avoid them, I think they're overrated because they tend to drag out and only if I am completely, utterly in love with a first book in the series will I continue. (Classic example is Harry Potter!)
ReplyDeleteOne World, Too Many Pages
Series were what first really got me into reading, so I guess I'm attached to them. Some can drag on and on for no reason, but overall I really love series. Some books should just be standalone though.
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