Based on a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.
Top Ten Book Turn-Offs
Similar in a bit to a previous one I did recently, Top Ten Words/Topics That Will Make You NOT pick up a book, but this one is different in that I wasn't expecting the theme/change, and it ends up being a turn off.
❶ Character acts stupid because of their stubbornness - This is common in so many books where the person acts stupid and gets themselves in danger. Especially Mysteries, they are the worst, or suspense. We can't leave out Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance either, including some suspense romance. It's cliche and irritating. Typically they are warned not to do something but do it anyway and regret it, or sometimes even worse they don't realize how stupid they're being putting themselves in danger like that (or someone else.)
❷ Falling into bed too soon- I despise in romance when the couple falls into bed much too soon, before I could care less about any eroticism, their relationship, or about them at all. Then it's boring and I skim. I look forward to sex scenes if they have buildup and established interest. Too soon is a turn off.
❸ Baby - I dislike romances where the author thinks the most romantic thing in the world is for the heroine to turn pregnant so soon. Whatever happened to the old romance of having some time alone and then having children?
❹ TV Show Style Cliffhangers - Leaving something in the open for the reader to want to read the next book is fine. What's annoying, however, is when they are in the midst of going to a battle and then suddenly it cuts off to be continued. This is a TV show type cliffhanger that makes me grit my teeth. You can always do a battle/ending of a smaller story while leading up to a bigger battle later on without doing this.
❺ Too much POV swapping - If a book has too many characters, and constantly head hops, it detaches me from the story and makes me lose interest. This is especially annoying if they end when the POV is getting good, and then switch to someone else. The author likely figures that will keep the reader wanting to read more and get back to that storyline. In reality, it makes me cool down from the excitement of what's happening with the person's POV, while having to distract myself with someone else's POV.
❻ Mysteries that end with convenient solving - A fair mystery should have clues and signs for the reader to have an idea. The ending of a mystery where it falls into the place without the reader having an idea why is a bit of a cop-out.
❼ Mysteries that use too many red herrings - Red herrings are fun in a mystery, but if they are overused to a ridiculous degree it just turns into a gimmick.
❽ Characters Aren't Believed - I dislike stories where a character isn't believed by someone they trust or love, especially with parents and children. It's a generic plot device that has always been a pet peeve of mine.
❾ Rushed Ending - A lot storyline to get to a grand ending, and then it is fixed and solved in a quick manner within pages. That sucks.
❶⓿ Not enough of an afterword - I don't mean a strict epilogue, although sometimes this is what the author chooses to separate the story. Especially in a series, I like where the rundown after the big bad fight is over to see the characters settle down with the after effects and what's going to come next.
