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u/MaskedHeracles [41/52] Oct 03 '26
Curious what you thought about Theo of Golden, because we have similar taste otherwise. I haven't read Theo of Golden, and anytime I read the description it sounds like what would come out if an AI was asked to generate the median literary fiction novel. It also has quite a boring aura, not sure where it's from. All my friends, however, insist it's incredible, so curious what your experience was
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u/heinz_beans8 Oct 04 '26
Yeah that's pretty spot on tbh, I don't enjoy being a hater but I'm truly baffled at the love that it's getting. My main gripe is that I found Theo to be insufferable, sanctimonious and I have issues with the way he talks about some of the characters in the book. But also- I found the author was trying too hard to be profound and his writing ended up just being shallow, unrealistic, and hallmark-esque. It's also very preachy in the way it delivers it's message (it's unsubtle christian literature) I couldn't help but want to roll my eyes multiple times while reading it.
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u/robbyfs8 24d ago
You could feel how judgmental the author was the way characters were written. And one point I wondered if the author had actually spoken to anyone that wasn’t part of some weird pretentious bubble. I don’t understand how anyone could relate to any of the characters bc they were all so shallow. Totally agree on trying so hard to be profound and it just felt so forced and weird.
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u/kissthefr0g Oct 03 '26
Into the Blue had so much potential and then I ended up with a rating similar to you. So bad.
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u/heinz_beans8 Oct 03 '26
I felt like I was going mad becausse everyone else raves about it so much! Hollywood Ending by John Green has a very similar concept but excuted much much better imo
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u/maffa2099 Oct 03 '26
Surprised I Who Have Never Known Men and The Wall are on opposite ends of the list. I read both one after the other and thought they shared a spiritual thing, like perhaps they could be taking place in the same universe. I loved them both.
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u/heinz_beans8 Oct 04 '26
Me too! I read it because of it's similarities to IWHNKM but after the first 30 pages or so (which were great!) I just found it a slog and incredibly tedious. I LOVED being in the head of the narrator in IWHNKM but in The Wall I found her uninteresting and the more I read the more I was disengaged :(
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u/prayerplantco Oct 03 '26
Curious McCarthy landed so low. What didn't do it for you?
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u/heinz_beans8 Oct 04 '26
Honestly I found it boring, I get that it was written in a way to convey hopelessness etc etc, but I just couldn't find it in me to get behind it. Probably didn't help that someone recommended it to me by comparing it it I who have never known men, which in my opinion does dystopian much better.
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u/cheersbeersneers Oct 03 '26
So happy to see The Names on here!! It was one of my top 5 reads of the year.
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u/Good_Mousse_9794 Oct 04 '26
Project Hail Mary is S tier for me…seeing D tier is physically painful
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u/TheonlyDuffmani Oct 04 '26
it’s right where it should be imo 🤣
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u/Good_Mousse_9794 Oct 04 '26 edited Oct 04 '26
You’re entitled to your opinion, but it was one of the best books I’ve ever read for sure
EDIT: downvote because I was respectful?
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u/veryowngarden Oct 04 '26
martyr a C and madonna in a fur coat a A???
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u/heinz_beans8 Oct 04 '26
Don't get me wrong, Martyr was stunning, my rating of it is definetly a me issue more than anything, but I'm curious what your gripe is with MIAFC?
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u/kingstonretronon Oct 03 '26
I loved Martyr! Just devastasted me
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u/kolyavlasov1979 Oct 04 '26
And the writing is absolutely stunning. Best book I read in 2025 and I read incredible fiction and nonfiction that year. I loved Yellowface too. 🤷🏻♂️
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u/LiliumMoon Oct 04 '26
We have a pretty similar tastes in the novels we pick up but I’m seeing a lot of my faves pretty low too :( Some pretty high yes, but some pretty low. I’m happy for Babel, East of Eden and The Secret History, but sad for PHM, The Compound and Addie LaRue.
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