6 Things Readers Hate To See In Books

As amazing as a book synopsis can be, the actual bulk of the book is so important. Beginnings are important in getting readers invested in the characters, middles must continue with momentum, have some good twists, and endings must be satisfying and realistic.

I think it’s safe to say that writing a book isn’t easy! Huge respects to authors just for finishing a book and even bigger respects to authors that write amazing books and raise our book standards.

There are always several things that will turn you off from books or just make you frustrated like, “ahhh!! This book had so much potential but fell flat.” I’ve compiled 6 things that I think people hate to see the most in books.

1. Cliffhangers in romance books

I’m not a cliffhanger-hater. I actually appreciate them to a certain degree, especially in fantasy books sometimes. The right balance of cliff-hanger and satisfaction can make a reader think about a book ending for days. The problem is when it’s in a romance book because most of us go into them expecting a closed, nicely wrapped-up ending. If we don’t get it, we’ll probably be disappointed and frustrated.

2. It’s like that because I said so

When a situation seems so far-fetched and doesn’t make sense but we just have to go with it because the author says so. Or when two people fall madly in love right away (insta-love) but it’s not believable at all.

3. Unnatural dialogue

I wouldn’t know because I don’t have siblings but I’ve heard this a lot. Apparently no one actually calls their sister “sis”? Sometimes dialogue can sound fake, forced, or robotic. The best books have dialogues that just flow and sound like real conversations between real people.

4. Predictable twists

I think everyone will agree when I say that twists are much more satisfying and mind-blowing when we don’t already predict them ahead of time.

5. Uninteresting characters

This is a big one for me! No matter how intricate and intriguing the plot is, I won’t feel invested in the story unless I care about the characters. If I don’t care about them, I won’t care about their situation no matter how hard it might be.

6. Issues not handled with care

Some books will deal with sensitive issues such as depression, abusive, childhood trauma, anxiety, etc. I think these are great issues to include because they are real issues that many people deal with. Unfortunately, sometimes they are written in the wrong light and shown as something small, trivial, or just not dealt with sensitively. This is something that would turn me off from a book.

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We all have our own preferences for books but I wonder how many of you agree with these! I know there are probably more things readers hate to see in books. Let me know which ones I missed and which things you hate to see in books!

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