Sunday, February 17, 2013

That's What Chey Said: Disappointment in highly-anticipated books

Sometimes we have to wait months (don’t get me started on years) for books we’re dying for to be released.  In the meantime, you distract yourself with other books, but your mind never strays very far from that particular one.  You’ve been itching for it, because it sounds perfect and oh god, that COVER.  Oh, it’s also by your favorite author who has never let you down.  And the book is made of chocolate.  Whatever the reason, you have to have it.  The time for its release comes and you rush to the store to buy it, devour it in the parking lot and realize it’s not at all what you expected it to be.


Okay, so sometimes the circumstances are different, but let’s face it, we’ve all had highly-anticipated books that let us down because of our high hopes.  It’s only natural for the excitement to build over the time it takes for the book to be printed and placed into our hands.  Sometimes the disappointment isn’t so bad, and sometimes it’s utterly crushing.  

In a way, it kind of feels like falling for someone, only to realize that they’re not who you think they are.  There are plenty of fish in the sea, but you wanted THAT one to fulfill your expectations.  Sometimes it’s just easier getting over it when it’s the start of a new series or a standalone written by someone you’ve never heard of before.  I find it most difficult when I’m let down by books written by authors I know and love, and most when it’s a sequel in a favorite series.


It takes time, but eventually you'll find a way to pick yourself back up again, discover more books to fall in love with and realize that you’ll probably enjoy more books than you’ll be disappointed by.

How do you deal with disappointment?  Is it a big deal, or do you find yourself able to move on easily?

9 comments:

  1. I hate when I have expectations for a book because it almost NEVER lives up to it. And it's not even fair to the author. I was so excited when I got Dare You To by Katie McGarry bc I LOVED Pushing the Limits so much... but now I'm a little scared to read because I want to love it so much!!

    On the other hand one of my favorite things in the world is when I start reading a book that I have no clue what it's about or what the author is like and it ends up being amazing. That is an awesome feeling :)

    Michelle @ Pink Polka Dot Book Blog

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    1. Oh I know, I absolutely love when you go into a book knowing nothing about it or even doubting that you'll like it very much and it becomes one of your favorites! That happened with Under the Never Sky for me. :) Thanks for taking the time to comment!

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  2. AH! This is the absolute worst for me. I get SO excited for a book and they almost never live up to my expectations. A recent one for em was the final Delirium book, Requiem. I'd been building it up for just about FOREVER. (or what seems like forever) - and it ended up disappointing. :P

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    1. Aww, that makes me sad to hear! Pandemonium was so much better than Delirium so I couldn't wait to read Requiem! Sorry it didn't live up to your expectations. I'll try to keep more of an open mind when going into that one. Thanks for the heads up!

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  3. How do I handle highly anticipated books being disappointing? Well, I mope for a while, obviously...;) Then I read something I've never heard of. That way if I don't like it I won't be emotionally invested. And if I'm surprised and love it, then yay! That's one of my favorite bookish things---finding a surprise favorite!

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  4. The books that I'm really excited for usually don't end up disappointing me. The books that sometimes disappoint me are ones that I wasn't super excited for anyway, so it isn't that much of a letdown.

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  5. These gifs are perfect! They fit exactly how I feel. It sucks when books disappoint, but when it's one I thought I'd love, it's angry and sad making all at once.

    I have to agree with Michelle, though. I love picking up a book I know nothing about and falling in love with it. Makes up for all the times I'm disappointed.

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  6. agree! I always look for a book that best suits my imagination. There were some highly anticipated ones, where I get totally excited then ended up disappointed. What I do, I look for another book from an unknown author. Yep, books that I have no high expectations are the ones that leave a huge impact on me.

    Love your post and the funny gifs.

    -Dannielle

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  7. Agree, those books.. Ugh, such a bad feeling when that happens :( That is why I'm always so scared to read part two in a series.

    Mel@thedailyprophecy.

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