5 Amazing Books that Lived Up to the Hype

The word “hype” is often thrown around in the blogosphere. It usually means there’s been a lot of buzz and praise for a certain book with raving reviews up on Goodreads and tumblrs dedicated to said novel well underway. As a result, I think hype generally has both pros and cons. On one hand it’s great because a title is able to reach a winder readership and gain recognition, while readers are able to connect and fangirl with a larger group. On the other hand, some hyped books are kind of overrated. To explore the topic further I thought I’d write 2 blog posts sharing my experience, with the first one listing 5 amazing books that lived up to the hype, while the other will focus on books that unfortunately did not live up to the hype.

Books That Lived Up to the Hype

1. Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

At first I did not want to give in to the to the hype of this book. Eventually, however, I ran out of YA contemporaries to read on my TBR and so I picked up Simon thinking “why not?” A few pages later and I already knew it would be one of my favourite books of the year. I had been a fool not to pick it up sooner! It was light, funny, heart-warming and gave me alllll the feels. Other YA contemporaries I’ve read this year just pale in comparison, it’s that amazing.

2. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

I kept seeing this book everywhere on booktube, bookstores, I even got it recommended to me by Waterstones employees. Even people who usually don’t read adult fiction were reading it. Safe to say the hype was 100% deserved. Celeste Ng is a genius when it comes to writing complex characters and interweaving storylines. The book deals primarily with identity and familial relationships and although I don’t often reach for character driven books this one is a must read.

3. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

Jenny Han can do no wrong in my eyes. I’ll probably read anything and everything she writes. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was the first book I’ve read from her and I’ve been a fan ever since. TATBILB just has all the right amounts of romance, sisterly love, angst, drama and silliness. It’s just a feel-good book that will make you giddy and go “awhhhh” a thousand times. I’m actually going to be re-reading this book today in preparation for the release of the Netflix adaptation tomorrow. I just hope I’ll love it as much as I did 4 years so!

4. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Having previously read Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha trilogy and finding it just alright, I was a bit skeptical to pick up Six of Crows despite all the praise it was receiving. When I eventually gave in I was immediately captivated by the cast of characters and the grandiose heist they were about to attempt. The story is nothing short of epic, it has magic, adventure, suspense, romance, humour, everything you need in a high stake fantasy novel. I’ve heard the sequel is even better, I don’t know how that’s possible but I’m excited to find out!

4. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

This is a beautiful novel about life, loss and love. It is very heartwarming while also packing an emotional punch. Jandy Nelson’s writing is so lyrical and evocative, making it fit perfectly with the novel’s themes. I remember finishing it in one sitting on a sunny summer’s day and just being blown away. I would give this book a thousand 5 stars, I’d give it the sun (har har har) Jandy Nelson hasn’t written a new book in 4 years and I’m having serious withdrawals!

At the end of the day, reading is very subjective and as such it is impossible to please everyone. However hype in this case it able to give amazing books the buzz and recognition they deserve. Perhaps without the hype I would not have picked these books up and that would have been a big shame!

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Have you read any of the books I’ve mentioned? What are some books that you’ve read because of the hype? Did they live up to it or were you let down? Let’s chat in the comments ♥

Until next post,

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