Top Ten Books That Surprised Me

(This meme is actually hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl now, but I am far too lazy to make a new graphic)

As devoted readers, I think that we tend to have a pretty good idea of which books we will enjoy and which books we won't, but occasionally a book comes along and surprises us--which can be a good thing or a bad thing. I present to you five books that I liked much more than I expected and 5 books I disliked more than I expected. 

1) Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman - Whenever there is a lot of hype surrounding a book, I try to brace myself for disappointment, but this novel exceeded my expectations. It is addicting and fun and I fell in love with the characters. 

2) Coming Up for Air by Miranda Kenneally - I'd read some of Kenneally's other books in this series, and while they were okay, they were nothing worth raving about (for me--other people adore them!). However, I really enjoyed this one! I thought it had depth and lots of kissing and really good messages. 

3) Caraval by Stephanie Garber - This is another book I was hesitant to read because of the hype but it completely stole my heart. It was an emotional roller coaster. The whole novel kept me engaged and eager to find out what happens next. 

4) Aftercare Instructions by Bonnie Pipkin - I didn't know what to expect from this one, but it was gritty and interesting and had fascinating, unique formatting. 

5) And I Darken by Kiersten White - This one was completely unexpected. I'm not really one for historical fiction or dense YA novels, which this one definitely is, but I fell so in love with the characters and the story. I couldn't stop talking about it for months! 

1) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - I can't even put my finger on what was disappointing about this. I ate it up in like one sitting, but, in retrospect, it just wasn't that riveting. 

2) The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder - I was expecting something beautiful and poignant with a premise that sounded interesting and magical. That's not what I got. The emotion in this book was unconvincing and the protagonist was infuriating. I was completely unsatisfied at the end of this novel. 

3) Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard - I thought the first book in the series was really interesting and I was invested in the characters, but this sequel was boring and painful to get through. The ending picked up a bit, but not enough. 

4) Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - This book just reeks of creepiness and darkness and FUN, but it was really slow. And not really creepy. 

5) A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - Maybe it's my fault for letting the hype get to me, but I was completely underwhelmed by this book. Again, the ending was pretty good, but it was such a struggle to get through like 2/3 of it.