Let’s talk about the hype!
We’ve all heard of and experienced some hype surrounding books. You know, when a book (or series) manages to claw its way out of oblivion and into the consciousness of the majority of the reading community. The number of people who are aware of the book increases, the ratings skyrocket, and the author makes mad money!
Take The Fault in Our Stars, for example. Once upon a time, it was just a book written by just an author. Then, KA-BAM: the book was mentioned on every social media site; people were weeping; children were screaming; a movie was made; and Ansel Elgort is a cutie-pie (ahem). John Green went from being a YA writer to the YA writer.
But why? Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the power of hyped books.
Let’s face it; we’ve all felt the need to do things just because everyone else is doing them. And when it comes to hyped books, it makes total sense. If a multitude of people are reading one particular book and loving it, then the book must be brilliant.
Right?
Wrong!
Unfortunately, what a reader experiences after reading a hyped book may vary. Sometimes the book, which is so excruciatingly popular for unknown reasons, is found by reader to be excruciatingly bad. Other times the reader thinks of the book as decent but does not enjoy it as much because the hype set impossible expectations that the book could not deliver. Then there are times when the book is amazing and the reader feels that it completely deserved the hype and praise it received.
We are all different. We possess different skills, preferences, and opinions. Therefore, I personally believe that book hypes are not reliable to my own preferences. Just because thousands of other people loved a book does not necessarily mean I will too. Whenever I read a hyped book, I make sure to begin reading with absolutely no expectations. That way, I either won’t be disappointed or will be pleasantly surprised.
Now it’s time for me to stop talking (or writing?) and for you to start.
Do you find the hype to be reliable? What books do you think have lived up to the hype? What books deserve hype?
About Sara
I’m Sara, a Colombian teenager with a never-ending enjoyment for reading. I’m a Netflix and Disney enthusiast and my monumental obsession is coffee, so I can do nothing with more energy.
I Adork You 
From my own experience, I do not find hype reliable. Usually, if I read hyped book, I only end up being disappointed. I just dont know how to lower my expectations after reading so many raving reviews and than boom. Bubble is burts and my expectations are rarely met.
So far I htink only two book series deserved the hype that was surrounding them. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling and Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.
Great idea for post, btw :)
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I agree! It’s so disappointing to see so many raving reviews only to end up not enjoying the book. & YES, HP deserved all the hype that it got. I don’t think anyone is going to be able to top the hype HP generated. I haven’t read Outlander yet but I really, really want to. I hear it’s amazing.
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For most, the hype really isn’t reliable; most books are hyped before they even come out. At that point only a few purple have read it and publishers usually ask those with bad reviews to gold off posting those (and people do, because otherwise you won’t get more books for review). Therfore, hypes are usually unreliable as only the positives are shown.
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You’re right, books that are hyped before they come out is mostly set up by the publishers. Trust me, I experienced that with A Whole New World by Liz Braswell. But, when the hype reaches books that have already been published, and the hype is generated by readers, the reliability of the hype is extremely controversial in the end.
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I think I’m more cautious if the book has too much hype surrounds it. Worst case, I’m completely thrown off by it. When they hype is just that, hype, I’m inclined to be more critical about the book because it has reputation that people are all raving about. Reading is such a subjective activity; I know that there’s formula that majority of readers might like but doesn’t guarantee the effect in everybody. :D
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I’m cautious, too! Sometimes I have this tendency to avoid a hyped book for fear of being disappointed. Sometimes the hype has an opposite effect; rather than encouraging an individual to read the book, it scares off the individual.
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*nodnod* This is really important. I was never into the John Green hype, for example, and I know many people who didn’t read the Hunger Games or Harry Potter, and I myself never read Percy Jackson or Divergent even though they’re smack in the middle of my fav genres. In fact, some of the hyped books are just so hyped I’m like, “well, I’ve heard that a billion times, lemme read it later” and they linger on my TBR for an excruciatingly long time.
I find that hype for new releases can also be misleading — hype has led me to some good books, but others just aren’t quite to the mark. Book tastes vary from person to person, and hype isn’t a guarantee you’ll love that book. Lovely post!
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I was never into the John Green hype, either! I read TFIOS and enjoyed it (it was a solid four stars). However, as I read a few of his other works, I found his writing, plot, and characters to be plain, repetitive, and simply boring.
I’m completely aware that by saying what I’m about to say actually adds to the hype, but I just HAVE to. Percy Jackson is my LIFE. I encourage you to read it! It incorporates fantasy, adventure, friendship, and ah, it’s just completely epic. It’s my personal goal to direct people down the never-ending Percy Jackson road. So, give it a try when you’re feeling motivated. I truly believe you won’t regret it. :)
Hype surrounding upcoming releases are most of the time not reliable. I agree, our tastes do vary. Thank you, Alyssa!
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I think it is so hard to judge! I am often scared off by the hype but will read it to be in the know and part of the conversation. There have been so many books that live up to the hype for me – most recently The Girl on the Train. Great post!
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The good thing about hypes is that they encourage people to read and bring people together in conversation. Yet they can be misleading. I haven’t read The Girl on the Train but I’ll take it under consideration. Thank you for your input, Grace!
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Well, I guess it really does depend. There was a lot of hype and rave around the Throne of Glass series, but I found it to be a decent three-star read. On the other hand, we’ve got the oh-so-awesome most hyped fantasy ever, The Winner’s Curse, and I fell in love with the book right away. But then there’s this kind of exception when it comes to a series – take the House of Night, for example. I don’t know if it was because of my age, but I found the fist five books to be very interesting, and then suddenly, I hate the series with a passion. So I guess what I’m trying to say is, YES SARA YOU’RE COMPLETELY RIGHT THE HYPES ARE NEVER RELIABLE HOW DARE THEY LIE and also, have a good day :)
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I haven’t read The Winner’s Curse or Throne of Glass (to be honest, I’m slacking and can’t seem to find the energy or the time lately), but I do want to read The Winner’s Curse, and I hope I enjoy it as well.
Hahaha, THEY ARE LIARS. You have a good day as well :)
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I tend to be more cautious when diving into hyped books because there’s always the possibility I won’t end up liking it JUST because other people liked it. So yes, I agree. Hype isn’t reliable at all. I also despise people who frown at others when they don’t like a hyped book and give them the “you just don’t get the story” look like WHAT, stahp. Great discussion, Sara!
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I also despise it when people can’t accept that not everyone will like the same book they did. Great point, Naban!
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Hype actually scares me and when I see a not-yet-released or recently released book getting ALL THE HYPE from ALL THE BLOGGERS, I get a little scared and I actually hesitate picking it up because a lot of the time, it doesn’t live up to all the love. Buttttt…..there are times when it does, so I still always give hyped books a chance, unless it’s a genre that I know I won’t like.
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Yes, the hype is super controversial and can be quite scary when numerous bloggers rave about it.
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One title: Fifty shades of gray. That is THE prove for me that hyped/popular books doesn’t always mean it’s a good book.
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That book was so painful to read. But another title that proves that hyped books aren’t always good books would be Twilight.
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No, not really LOL I actually stopped reading overly hyped books because they NEVER seen to live up to the expectations. There are times when I will go back and read them – but not often.
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Most hyped books don’t live up to the expectations but some do so it’s very hard to judge which to read and which to completely avoid.
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Hype is definitely not reliable for the most part because a book gets popular for several reasons and not all of them are solid reasons to push books onto other people. 1) It’s fantastic…this is rare. 2) It’s easy for the multitudes to pick up and enjoy without previous knowledge or interest in said genre. Easy is not the best judge of quality. Books like Twilight and The Selection fit into this. Tons of people love them, but there isn’t a lot going on in them. 3) It makes waves by being “new”. Basically 50 Shades of Grey, erotica has been around for a long time…but because this went mainstream so quickly, it became the new fad to follow. It’s also horribly written, but good for a laugh. “Do I afraid you?”
I do read hyped up books, but mostly because I want to know what I think of it as opposed to what everyone and their mother thinks of it. It’s always difficult when you decide you hate a hyped book because then you get other people telling you that you don’t understand it, or it gets better with book #2, and on and on. Just no…
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If you find a book that fits into reason number 1, please let me know, I’d love to read it. I agree with reason number 2; books that are quite easy to read can be relatable and enjoyed by numerous people, which does lead to the benefit of encouraging others to get into reading. Yet at the same time, they aren’t challenging or thought provoking. And don’t even remind me of Fifty Shades of Grey. That book is so, so bad.
Hyped books are controversial, but it’s nice to be up to date with what is in hype because it gives you something to converse with someone else. Though, yes, I agree, it’s quite annoying to be told your opinion is wrong because you disagree with someone else about how “brilliant” a hyped book is.
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I want to say hyped books are a 70/30 chance. 70% of the time I enjoy hyped books but there is that 30% that I don’t. It feels that way at least.
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That’s a good way to put it. Personally, for me, I am the opposite way. 30% of the time I enjoy hyped books, 70% of the time I don’t.
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I don’t actually read that many hyped books because a lot of the time I’m nervous it won’t live up to my heightened expectations! I want to try to get over that though as lately I’ve read a few hyped books and LOVED them, so I’m hoping to read more books that many people love and hope I enjoy them too! It’s extremely disappointing though when you don’t enjoy a book that everyone loves. For an instance, I read Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and EVERYONE was raving about it and when I finished I was like, “Is this it?” – I was so disappointed! So really, it depends on the person. If the book is in a genre I like though, then I’ll definitely give it a shot!
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Ugh, I detested Fangirl with a passion. Actually, I’ve found that none of Rainbow Rowell’s works are for me. It truly does depend on the person, but we have to get over our fears of disappointment and just dive right in.
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I’m always a little afraid going into a hyped book, especially if I have high expectations. I don’t think I’ve been disappointed that often, though — I’m a pretty easy to please reader, and like most books. Most of my disappointment comes from the book being more okay than GREAT, so it’s not quite so bad as if I just thought the book was terrible. There are some hyped books that I just haven’t been able to get through, of course, but most of those I figured out by only the first few chapters. I DO feel bad when I just can’t read a book everyone else loves, though!
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Don’t feel bad! It’s okay not to enjoy a book that everyone loves. We’re all entitled to our own opinions :)
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Hyped books. They are great discussion topics to bring people together, otherwise it’s not useful to me. I use my Goodreads app to scan books and see what my favorite reviewers say. I can tell if I will like it based on their reviews.
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I do the same thing too! I check what my favorite reviewers have to say about the book and usually base my decision on whether I want to read the book or not, regardless of the hype.
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I actually think 80%of the time, hypes are right! I feel like books that are hyped among bloggers often are because we sniff out the good writing and the epic characters and then SCREAM ABOUT THEM FOR HOURS. XDXD Buuut, when the media and publishers try to hype up a book, that’s when I get worried. They’re often doing it purely because it’s part of the publicity process, and they can just choose mega-ugh books. Right? I trust the readers-hypes and not the medias-hypes, if that makes sense. xD
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I also similarly base off whether to trust a hype by what my fellow bloggers or reviewers are saying. However, sometimes reader induced hypes are unreliable. Thousands of people read and like books because they are not challenging or thought provoking (take The Selection or Twilight, for example), but it doesn’t necessarily make them good.
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That’s actually a relative question. I think it depends on whose opinion you’re reading. If you know that person has similar tastes to yours, then I’d say trust him/her, but if not, then you have to take risks. Also, if it’s the media, then I say do not trust it – they’re saying whatever they’re saying for the sake of sales.
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I agree! I usually take into consideration books that my friends or fellow reviewers recommend, but never from the media.
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I try to stay away from the hype as much as possible. What other people enjoy, I might not. I couldn’t stomach TFIOS and John Green’s writing for example. I just think that hype is unavoidable, yet really messes with people’s reading experience (which stinks).
Rachel @ A Perfection Called Books
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I’m glad I’m not the only one who did not have a soft spot for John Green. His books are truly not for everyone. But yeah, it stinks.
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I give into the hype and I find it is hit or miss. I’m not a big critic of writing quality (I admire it when it is good but it doesn’t break my heart if it is bad); rather I focus on whether or not I enjoyed the story. And most of the time with hyped books, they have a good story and so-so writing.
One thing I do like about hype is that there is often more people around to talk about books than just a select few. I like the idea that it encourages people to pick up a book and for more seasoned readers, it may get them out of their comfort zone.
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I, unlike you, tend to be a harsh critic and a difficult person to please. Therefore hypes are not truly something I dive straight into. I do agree with you that a benefit about hype is that it encourages people to read and unite in conversation. That’s a really good point!
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I used to fall for all the hyped books, and then they started majorly disappointing me. Now, I try to stay away from them. Example – Red Queen. It’s getting so much attention, and I started it and wasn’t feeling it. I’ve put it aside for now, because I’m not convinced I won’t try it again some day. But I think the hype surrounding it really turned me off, and I had a bit of a bitter attitude when I picked it up. I’m more likely to read a book based on a trusted friends praise/review, than listen to hype, because it’s burned me too many times.
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I haven’t read Red Queen but based off of what I’ve heard, I doubt I’ll pick it up any time soon. I also listen to what people whose taste is similar to mine have to say about a hyped book; my decision is usually based off of their opinions rather than the actual hype.
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I choked on my tea when you said “ahem” after Ansel Elgort is a cutie-pie omgryf haha. Well, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder! The hype train is what killed Throne of Glass and ACOTAR for me (well, not kill because the ends were good stuff, really good stuff). It’s just that when you see the constant spree of 5 stars, you get desensitized to the opinion that maybe this book won’t work out for you and when it happens, you feel especially betrayed. Hype usually does this to me so I don’t rely on it a lot anymore.
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He is a cutie pie!!!! Do you not think so? Haha.
I haven’t even read ACOTAR or Throne of Glass (I’m experiencing reader’s block atm, boohoo), but the hype surrounding those books are incredible. Hype is so disappointing, I don’t rely on it either.
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If a book is super hyped by fellow bloggers , I usually trust their judgement, because hey, we’re amazing people XD and the same goes for my friends. On fact, they’re the ones usually who drag me to a chair and dump a book on my head and tell me to read it. Amd more often than not, I LOVE it XD
On the other hand, you have super hyped books like Twilight (which I plan on avoiding really.) or The Hunger Games (which I personally enjoyed) so really, it’s all cool XD
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Trusted bloggers and friends are definitely the people to go to when you’re unsure about hype. But some hyped books, like Twilight, are absolutely not worth reading.
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I was bitten by the hype monster on “The Fifth Wave” – to this day, I still cannot fathom how it’s so popular. (It took me about two months to read a book I should have finished in two days, and I had to bribe myself with chocolate to get to the end. :P) I feel like hype tends to have the opposite of the intended effect on many readers – they set impossibly high expectations and then we’re disappointed when the book doesn’t live up to it. It’s always a good thing to wait until the hype has died down a little – that way some of the expectations will go down as well!
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Oh, please, please, don’t tell me that. The Fifth Wave is currently sitting on my bookshelf and now I am deathly scared to read it. I’ll have to lower my expectations before I decide to pick it up.
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EVERYONE loves the Mara Dyer trilogy. Me? Nooope. I found it irritating because Noah Shaw was so damn perfect ugh. So now I try to have no expectations when starting a popular book.
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I never even gave the Mara Dyer trilogy a chance; I always thought there had to be books out there that were worth more of my time.
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After I finishing the books, that was what I thought too. Too late though haha.
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I don’t trust the hype behind books which are pushed by the publishers. You know how An Ember in the Ashes got a massive book trailer and everyone person under the sun got sent an ARC and then Bookxplosion hyped it beyond belief in Booktube – that’s when I don’t trust the hype. It isn’t about the book then, it’s about publicity. Books that are pushed to me by other bloggers I tend to trust. They have to have done something right to get everyone to like them right? I’m still a little iffy though and I do tend to wait until the hypes died down a little before reading it.
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Any hype generated by publishers is usually done to increase and ensure sales than to actually encourage people to read the book because it’s good. I also tend to read the hyped books recommended by bloggers and friends that I trust. Totally agree, Rachel!
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I’m glad I’m not the only one that avoids them then! :)
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Hype tends to be a baaaaad thing for me. I think it’s just me and expectations or just different taste, but man, I sometimes feel like a right lepper you know? It sucks, big time, and I hate it, but there’s nothing I can do about it really. *sigh* Such a great post though Sara! :)
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Hype is pretty bad for me too. Thank you!
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There’s a few bloggers that I always trust when it comes to finding a good book and if the hyped book just so happens to be one that they like, I can usually expect it to be at least decent. But when it’s hyped up by mainstream pop culture, I lower my expectations a lot. However, an exception to this would be We Were Liars, a book that was unbelievably hyped for a long time. I hated it. I do usually pick up a book months after the hype has worn down so by then, I’m not usually expecting too much.
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It seems that most people read hyped book depending on what trusted bloggers and friends say. Most mainstream pop culture is usually not enjoyable, so I understand why you would lower your expectations.
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No, I do not think hype, is often reliable. When I see blog after blog reviewing the same book, I think first somebody is bankrolling the exposure. Then I read the review summaries and if something catches my attention, I look into it further. My first hype induced read was On the wrong side of right which was SOOO Disappointing. I still have not finished it! Then there is the Queen of Bright and Shiny things which I am looking forward to reading. So in the end it doesn’t hurt to be aware of the buzz. I just am cautious to put a lot of weight in it.
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I agree; it definitely does not hurt to be aware of the buzz. Also, I admire that you base off whether to read a hyped book depending on whether it catches your attention and not whether other people like it or not.
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I don’t know Sara – I see both sides of the situation here. For one, if there are so many bloggers and readers raving about the book it’s probably for good reason, right? But on the other hand, not every book is for everyone; so you have to take that into account as well. Thanks for sharing this though – it really made me think! ♥
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Thank you for your input, Zoe! :)
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When it comes to hyped books, It depends on it. When the raved becomes overwhelming, I become hesitant to pick it up because I might end up disappointed or didn’t meet my expectations. Sometimes I let it die down before I pick it up. I tend to pick underrated ones instead. :) Great discussion!
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Underrated books are so great to pick up and read; there are always hidden gems here and there.
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Hype, to me, is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can bring books to your attention that you might not have heard of otherwise. And if EVERYONE and their dog likes it to death, there’s a good chance you will too. BUT. Hype has killed a lot of books for me as well. Granted, they might have been books I wouldn’t have read at all otherwise, but you go in expecting THE BOMB and instead, well, it bombs o_O And that’s always a MAJOR letdown that has you feeling like: what the HELL is wrong with ME?!? Gah! So I guess for me, hype= approach with caution. LOL Awesome discussion^^ x
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“…expecting THE BOMB and instead, well, it bombs…” I have NEVER laughed harder at a comment before. Very well put, I completely agree!
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I actually think hype ruins my reading experience. While it may help me discover books that most people I know LOVE, it also gives me skyhigh expectations so I expect it to be SUPER AWESOME. And most of the time it’s not. But without the hype, I would have liked it a lot more. Great post Sara!
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From all these posts, hype ruins almost everyones reading experience. They just set such high expectations, like you said, and rarely deliver. Thank you for your input!
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*coughs* Throne of Glass. *cough* I’m totally unsure of how I really, truly feel about that one. If people weren’t hyping it, maybe I’d love it more? Because I feel so underwhelmed and disgruntled by that series, and all the people shouting about it every day just makes me even more annoyed, and I really don’t know anymore.
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I haven’t read Throne of Glass yet, but when the hype began, I got really excited since I found the premise to be kickass. You aren’t the first person to say it didn’t live up to the hype, so now I’m scared :o
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I actually hesitate a lot before taking up a hyped book. Either I don’t go for it at all, or I take it up after the hype dies down, and people have stopped talking about that book. It’s because I don’t want the hype to play any part in my opinion of that book. I personally think it’s unfair for the book, as there are chances I might feel underwhelmed after reading a hyped book and wonder why it’s so popular, whereas I might have actually liked it if it wasn’t such a popular book.
Wonderful post, Sara!:)
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You raise a good point; hypes are unfair to books. I absolutely agree, Mishma!
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Great post Sara!! Ahhh, hype. The wonderful and simultaneously dreaded hype haha. Honestly — I try not to let the hype get to me. I mean, if I hear about a book constantly, then of course I’ll give it a chance, but I trrrrrry to limit my expectations. What’s harder, though, is when I come across a new book by a previously loved author. THEN my expectations go through the roof ;)
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Yeah, there’s nothing wrong with giving books a try. I do agree that new books by previously loved authors are something to get overly excited about. Thanks, Kara!
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No way! Book hype is the woooooorst. I’ve read very few hyped books that impressed me, which 1. makes me feel like an outsider (why am I the only person who doesn’t see the glory in the book?) and 2. makes me not trust hype…ever. If a hyped book piques my interest, I’ll usually wait a year or two before reading it, but by then no one is talking about it anymore. (Which then brings up the question, was it worth the hype in the first place?)
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Very good points, Jackie! But not understanding the hype surrounding a book doesn’t necessarily make you an outsider, just a more critical reader.
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I hate book hype, I just started Kiera Cass’s Selection series and the first book which I had heard nothing but glowing reviews about was decidedly meh for me. Great Post!
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Kiera Cass’s Selection series makes me cringe just by thinking about it. It didn’t deserve the hype is received.
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For me, it depends entirely on who is doing the hyping and how. If it’s bloggers whose recommendations I trust because they’ve agreed with my tastes in the future, then ai consider the hype reliable. If hype is explained and dissected, I find it more reliable than if not.
In general, though, I agree with what you’ve said here. General hype is not reliable.
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I agree! Getting recs from people you trust is a good idea when it comes to hype. I tend to do the same :)
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