Wrapping Up Year: 6 Books I didn’t like in 2023

Books by Mackenzie

I do not usually talk about the books I do not like. Normally, I will skip over reviewing those titles or decided not to write a detailed review. This year, I saved them to put them all in one place. One list of the books I didn’t like in 2023.

Most of the books listed I rated 3/5 stars. To me that means the book wasn’t poorly written but was not a good match for me as a reader.

1. The Woman in Me by Brittney Spears

Her story is unfair, raw, and heartbreaking. If you have been following Brittney’s story you know a lot of what she recounts within her memoir Woman in Me. Sadly, what made me dislike this read was the way in which it was told. I felt as if things were glossed over and missing some emotional depth I was looking for in this memoir. Leading up to this release, I had watched an unhealthy amount of Youtube videos ensuring I was up to date on any Britney news. I may have been a little too prepared going into Woman in Me.

If you are interested in her journey, pick up a copy. Overall I rated it 3/5 stars.

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2. All Hallows by Christopher Golden

I was a victim to judging a book by its cover. All Hallows, like Ghost Tree, was a horror book club pick. There was so much potential in this story to be scary, but it just wasn’t (to me).

I found myself so caught up in the family drama, nostalgia, and costumes that I wasn’t scared or thrilled. I rated it 2/5.

If you are looking for an atmospheric Halloween read, All Hallows is the one for you.

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3. The Lost Village by Camilla Sten

The Lost Village missed the mark with me. I was really enjoying the story up until “the haunt” was explained. It really killed the thrill for me. Overall I rated it as a 3/5 stars, but was bummed.

While I was disappointed, The Lost Village is what sparked my interested to read horror this year. After I finished this audiobook I rolled into T. Kingfisher’s work.

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4. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo really missed the mark with me. I loved Evelyn as a character and all the choices she made fit her so well. I strongly disliked the reporter character. 3/5 stars.

Reid’s work is not for me as a reader, and that is okay.

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5. Gilded by Marissa Meyer

This list is in no order, but if it were, Gilded would be number one. Gilded put me in a slump I could not escape. There were so many reasons why I should have loved this book and yet, it dragged and dragged and dragged for me. I couldn’t finish it.

I am disappointed Gilded and I were not a match. 3/5 stars.

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6. The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry

My concern lies with the emphasis on womanhood and sex. Why was one girl so determined to have sex?

The Ghost Tree is a YA horror novel that I read with a horror book. While there were intriguing elements in this book, for the most part, I found myself wondering who the target audience is. 3/5 stars.

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Did you encounter any books in 2023 that didn’t spark joy in your reading journey?

3 Comments

  1. Kristina
    Reply

    I always find it so interresting to see a different rating that ones we see all the time- ive stumbled on all but praise on the britney spears’ book!

    The one that majorly bummed me out was the no-show. Simply because NOWHERE did anyone or anywhere was it mentionned to be a time travelling. So all that time the male MC pissed me off for being unfateful.. when, nope, just anothrr timeline brought all back to back 🤦🏽‍♀️💀

    Liked by 1 person

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