Friday 30 January 2015

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Discussion: Comparing Books Within Trends

Comparing Books Within Trends


There's something I want to discuss, and it's to do with YA trends.

I don't have a problem with YA trends. Most of the time, I can really get into them. I loved the dystopia trend, I loved the paranormal romance/urban fantasy trend. I love reading all these different books on a similar theme or topic, and discovering new authors this way.

But there is something I have a problem with. When a certain book within a trend is successful, and then every other book in that trend is then compared to that successful one - either by reviewers or by publishers themselves.

When it comes to reviews, I try to steer clear of comparing books to other books in their trend. Sometimes it happens - compareing The Culling by Steven dos Santos to The Hunger Games is an obvious one I've done, for example, but not because The Hunger Games is huge and successful, but because there are certain aspects of the two books that are similar. But on the whole, I try to avoid this and review a book on it's own merits.

It annoys me more, however, when publishers compare books in order to push their new release, or use quotes from reviewers - professional or otherwise - that compare. I am sick to death of reading these words, or similar, on the covers of books:

"Fans of The Fault in Our Stars will love this!" / "For fans of The Fault in Our Stars."


Come on! We had the same thing with Twilight. We still have the same thing with The Hunger Games. It's actually starting to put me off reading those books. Seriously.

I don't mind reading a book about a terminally ill teenager, I quite enjoy them most of the time, in fact. But I don't want to read another The Fault in Our Starts. I actually felt a little let down by The Fault in Our Stars. Comparing other books to that one is not a good thing for me.

Comparing books to the biggest seller within a trend is getting old and boring, and I'm over it. How about let a book shine on it's own?

What do you think of comparing books to big sellers? Do you find it helpful, or annoying?

8 comments:

  1. Oh, I get so annoyed myself. And I do agree, a book should shine on its own.
    Also, it looks like more often than not a book is marketed as "X meets Y". Don't you just hate that too?

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    1. Oh yeah! I've read a lot of Rainbow Rowell meets John Green or vice versa. So annoying! I love Rainbow Rowell, but it really puts me off, because they're almost always wrong. And they get my hopes up. Le sigh. Just put on the back how good the book is, not what other books it's like.

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  2. After someone said that fans of Twilight would love Fifty Shades of Gray - I have been turned off by comparing like that!
    Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings

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    1. I know, it's just wrong! However, I can slightly understand the comparison, simply because E.L. James was inspired by Twilight to write Fifty Shades. But meh.

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  3. I don't always mind comparisons - sometimes it's nice to know what a book is similar to in order to get a feel for whether or not I'll enjoy it. I just always take those sorts of comparisons with a grain of salt!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. It's not so bad if something you don't see all the time. But when every book you come across seems to be compared to a certain book, it bugs me.

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  4. I liked the dystopia trend too, but those "if you liked -insert some popular title(s)/author- you will LOVE this" lines (on the front cover) are the kind of promo that I just can't stand. When I see a book hyped as the next Twilight, or a cross between, I don't know, The Hunger Games and The Fault in Our Stars (now that would be kinda interesting...), it immediately puts me off picking it up. Ever.
    Even if you follow X trend, you can still make something original, and avoid being a coattail rider!! Just my opinion.

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    1. Yessss, Cayce! Exactly! I don't mind the comparisons in general, as long as they're not talking about the same book all the time!

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