What Happens if your Series Sucks?

 We have all been there. One second, you’re reading a series and loving it. The next, for some reason, you hate it. But why does this happen? What should you do when you run into this problem? Is there an appropriate amount of time you should give the books after you make this discovery? Can anyone help you make your decision?

Let’s find out!

Okay, so we must start at the beginning with this one. Let’s say it’s a long book series and the first two (out of six) were so good, you finished them both in the span of a single day. You were even given all six (the entirety of the series) as a Christmas present. You were loving them. But then you get to the third one and you have been stuck on it for six years only being half way, but you don’t know if you should continue. This is completely hypothetical, no personal experience at all… Ahem.

So what do you do? Obviously in this situation, you have not continued the series, but you have hope you may. So you keep the books, but they are in such a deep dark corner that you don’t want really want to get near. In this case, you can power through and read them, if you want to, or, you can donate them to the library or a charity shop.

Many times, if you really do not like the series, I would probably give up on it. I know, not a lot of book nerds agree with that, but my thoughts are, you only have so much time to read and there are so many books out there. Get choosy! Do not let other people pressure you into reading something you hate! So, like Elsa says: “Let it go! Let it go! Not reading that anymore!”

Sometimes, if you get past the spot you were not liking, the series will continue on and get better. I went through this with the Throne of Glass series. I was not a fan of Heir of Fire in comparison to the others. For some reason, the addition of new characters were not working with me in that book. But, I powered through because I knew I loved her writing in general and I was deeply attached to these characters. And I am glad I chose that option for this series.

You may ask me, Dana, how do I know how to keep reading, and if I do, how long should I keep reading before I give up? Excellent question! To use the cheating way out, it’s all up to you and how you feel. I know, I know, that’s not helpful in the slightest, but that is the most basic option you have. Personally, I would try to finish the book you are having trouble with, but if you find you cannot get past a couple chapters, then maybe put it aside for a while.

One problem you may be having is being over exposed to this series. You can always start up a new series and come back to this one if you are not feeling it. It is your reading, not anyone else’s. So do what makes you happy!

One tip I can give you is to go onto websites like Goodreads and see if other people are having the same experience as you are. If the reviews have a general theme, maybe take that into consideration. But keep one thing in mind, if you find yourself looking for and hoping for bad reviews, that will tell you your answer more than anything else.

Another tip, unless you’re getting a good deal on the series, maybe buy them one at a time so you don’t have a bunch of books you don’t want to read right away but don’t want to get rid of as well. Take it from someone who’s going through that right now.

If you do end up deciding to donate the series, do it at one of your local charity shops or see if the library may want it. You can also see if one of the schools in the area (use an age appropriate school for the book you are donating) that may find use for it.

We have all been in a position where we did not want to finish reading, so hopefully this post has helped you make a few decisions on what to do what you encounter that problem again later on.

As usual, you can find me on social media at dsbookie.

I’ll catch you all next time!

XOXO

Dana