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40 Times People Left Hilariously Honest 1-Star Reviews On Goodreads
Many book lovers have turned to Goodreads as a source of inspiration or a venue to gush or vent after reading something truly moving. Its extensive sections for reviews, quotes, and thoughts allow casual readers to learn more before buying.
But hidden beneath the surface, there is a gold mine of absolutely hilarious and unhinged one-star reviews, which the laurasbooktalk TikTok account gathers and shares with the world. So get comfy and prepare to scroll through some people's thoughts on quite possibly the worst literature has to offer, upvote your favorites and comment your worst reading experience below.
More info: TikTok
This TikTok account shares the best one-star reviews on Goodreads
Image credits: laurasbooktalk
This post may include affiliate links.
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#5
Naomi van Nijnatten 3 years ago
Maybe Colleen Hoovwe should make a carreerswitch. Something that requires not so much of the imagination, like deliveryperson or accountant...
#10
ShriSha Kamboj 3 years ago
i really liked this series, the plot is nice- FBI agent is dating the serial killer
#12
#13
Kathryn Donovan 3 years ago
I attempted to read this book due to the raves of friends and family about how great the book was. I didn't like it. It was boring far more times than it was excellent. The funny thing is, until I saw this post with others ⁷⁸that didn't like it S#
#15
TheOfficalJesusChrist 3 years ago
Someone help me find her... her books show evidence she needs a little of my help.
#16
ShriSha Kamboj 3 years ago
i dont even get why this booked was so hyped up, wanted a refund for the internet i wasted in downloading this book
#21
Irishwoman abroad 3 years ago
I think they've made a film of this... But then again, they made films out of the 50 shades of grey and twilight books, so there's that, I suppose
#22
#23
Naomi van Nijnatten 3 years ago
Developing an allergy for this person desperately attempting to write books.
#25
Lesbian Sloth (she/her) 3 years ago
I've only heard good reviews for AGGGTM, I'm kinda curious to know why people dislike it
#27
Naomi van Nijnatten 3 years ago
I desperately need to see how this Colleen Hoover looks like...
#29
Jesse Setliffe 3 years ago
I take it a maid witnesses something bad through a ridiculously large, old timey, keyhole?
#30
ShriSha Kamboj 3 years ago (edited)
i mean it is dark romance, there were TWs veryyyyy clearly given all along, but still a little over the top, i agree, with a gun?? seriously????
#32
Zophra 3 years ago
Alright, I agree with this. Maybe not burn the characters alive - just force feed them raisins.
Rowley Jefferson 3 years ago
Okay but this book had way too much smut for absolutely no reason
#37
Jesse Setliffe 3 years ago
That may not be a bad thing in a book. Some of the best books out there are deeply disturbing.
#38
Premislaus de Colo 3 years ago
Whoever looked at this title and thought "hey, that's gonna be a good read"
#39
ShriSha Kamboj 3 years ago
maybe cuz it's a teen romance 1st love type of book and you read it well into your adult age?
#43
ur shoebox 3 years ago
Honest review: the book overall is actually really nice and the way its written and its actually pretty sad LIKE VERY SAD it gets to u and leaves u traumatized like fr. BUT i feel like it could've been way shorter as i found my self skipping so many boring pages that have no effect or reason to be in the book. So instead of it being 700 smth pages it could've been max 400
#45
Naomi van Nijnatten 3 years ago
Hopefully it also ends with the Colleen-vibe now. She's getting on my nerves.
#46
Cathy Roberts 3 years ago
Hey I just turned 50 and I'll pee in my yard if one of the kids is in the bathroom or I'm in the middle of yard work. Then again I have a 3 acre yard and no neighbors soooo.....
#50
#51
Luke Branwen 3 years ago
Is that the same girl who created a global bestseller by changing names in a Rey / Kylo Ren fanfiction?
#52
#54
Bill Tinsley 3 years ago
I think it's actually the 4th or 5th for me at this point. I lost count and I'm only about halfway down.
#57
Naomi van Nijnatten 3 years ago
Colleen again?????? *Tries to knock herself out with the full uncut hardcover edition of Stephen Kings' 'The Stand'
#59
#61
Saturnian (Se/Sem/Sers) 3 years ago
Just look at the stereotypical cishet white couple on the couple and decide against reading it.
#62
Phoenix(or nix)they/them 3 years ago
I thought this book was good, but I get what they're saying. She tried to steer it in one direction but it just kinda got stuck in the mud(to me that's good for this book. Any other ending would have made the book a pile of dirt and micro-plastics)
#65
#66
#68
E Henry Todd 3 years ago
That's not the fault of the book. Can reviewers not give themselves one star?
#70
That Science Snake 3 years ago (edited)
Personally I actually enjoyed Caraval, maybe 3.5-4 stars. Definitely deserves more than one.
#81
Jesse Setliffe 3 years ago
So this person found out the author is a red head, gave the author a one star review based entirely on that fact, and then declared this? Why? For other people with this ridiculous prejudice?
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Roan The Demon Kitty 3 years ago (edited)
A deeply unsettled sadistic side of me kind of wants to read one just to see how bad they are, but I also feel like it might be better for the world if I didn't. Edit: Ok maybe not I just saw a review of one of her "books" that basically said: "The only person I would finish this book for is my dog... if you held him at gunpoint."
Load More Replies...
ur shoebox 3 years ago
Just remember guys, people have different tastes. Just because someone found the book to be bad doesn't mean u will think so too ❤
Cathy Roberts 3 years ago
Yep. Also, every review has one stars, this just happens to be a collection of the people who hated these books. Though, I admit, I was relieved to see the one I just bought last night wasn't on it!
Load More Replies...
General Anaesthesia 3 years ago (edited)
I saw the name Colleen Hooper scroll by so often that I had to google it. The "People also ask" section has, "Why is Colleen Hoover books so good?" I now know enough. "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?" - President GW Bush (R).
Two_rolling_black_eyes 3 years ago
I did too. She's primarily self published. Editors exist for a reason.
Load More Replies...
xolitaire 3 years ago
Colleen Hooper is the perfect author for you if you want: sloppy writing with gigantic plot holes, the marginalising of domestic violence because everything else in the relationship is so great, women with mindsets from the 1800s and with no backbone what so ever, on the nose character names (like Lily Blossom Bloom?! Who owns a flower shop. Seriously) et cetera.
PetPotato 3 years ago (edited)
I was surprised when I saw someone ask if people prefered a book that was badly written/edited but the overall story was good, or a well written book with a boring storyline, and most people would rather read the badly written book. I feel like that explains a lot about why I'm so often disappointed when I read a super popular book, I'm the kind of reader that would happily read a dishwasher manual if it was particularly well written, but can't do badly written/edited books.
Skye Ragsdale 3 years ago (edited)
Oh my gods SAME. Bad writing takes me out of the flow 😭 probably why I struggle with fanfic too 😅
Load More Replies...
Michael Largey 3 years ago (edited)
Favorite negative book review : "The covers of this book are too far apart." - Ambrose Bierce. Second favorite : "This is not a book to be put down lightly. It should be thrown with great force." - Dorothy Parker.
And the like 3 years ago (edited)
Honestly, if you read this kind of books, what do you expect?
Seabeast 3 years ago
Colleen Hoover seems to be this generation's Danielle Steele. I remember looking at a huge stack of Steele novels at a charity rummage sale I was volunteering for and asking another volunteer "What should we do with these? Can we offer them by the kilogram as kindling for fireplaces and charcoal barbecues?"
Anna Ekberg 3 years ago
Noticed a pattern in this but I don't know if it's relevant or what it means. Almost all the writers on this list are women....
Seabeast 3 years ago
They seem to also be mostly romance type novels, which are often badly written. ___ Bad men's fiction is usually the action/suspense type, but men don't read fiction quite as much as women do, so perhaps there's less of it. I suspect that men are also less likely to leave online reviews. They'll just chuck the book into a corner until it's time to fill the bag for the thrift store.
Load More Replies...
mysterious(all pronouns) 3 years ago
Here's my 1 star review. Stephen King's "Christine". The overall plot is interesting, and the concept is fascinating(car that has chosen violence), but every single character is unlikable, and it took 200 pages for the car to actually kill someone. Also, it's too much "oh no, this car has bad vibes and my friend has been acting weird ever since he bought it, but it's not like the car is bad or anythint right?".
memyselfandI 3 years ago
About Colleen Hoover, my mom read Verity for a book club and said never before had been so horrified by a book, but couldn’t possibly put it down. Apparently it’s very graphic but a compelling story. I’ve never read it or any of her books though, so that all I know.
Tjoori Vids 3 years ago
It's gonna get worse. I read the other day that out of the top 100 young adult (I think) books on Amazon... only 19 (!!!) were written by actual PEOPLE. The rest were AI Generated.
SpaceCatLol 3 years ago
Colleen hoover was on this list 10+ times. What the heck is she doing!?
Roan The Demon Kitty 3 years ago
Im browsing goodreads reviews myself rn and.. I think we can create an entire thread based off the reviews of Colleen Hoovers books...
Janet L 7 months ago
The Ministry Of Time did it for me - had the potential to be a really good book but the main protagonist was an unprofessional predatory numbskull who showed absolutely no interest in the life of the person brought forward from the past - who she was supposed to be mentoring - except how soon she could get him into bed. He was so far above her in every way it was ludicrous that he apparently fell in love with her. Completely wasted opportunity and definitely a one star.
bill marsano 3 years ago
Most of these reviews are mere wisecracks, and not very good ones, hardly worth collecting or repeating. For brevity and wit, look up Dorothy Parker.
FantastiKitty 3 years ago
I thought a lot of the reviews were quite funny, even if I don't agree.
Himory TheDreamer 3 years ago
Only one I read was in this list. And I read my fair share of bad books just because I liked the universe, even when I hated the protagonist or plot.
Eggsncabbage 3 years ago
I wouldn't be worrying about bad reviews from people with anime avatars.
Tho Nguyen 3 years ago (edited)
Lol for every book I intend to read that has an above 3.5 stars rating on Goodreads I will browse their 1 and 2 star reviews first so as to know if it will worth my time or suit my taste. More often than not I find that those reviews are mostly believable and within reason.
Roan The Demon Kitty 3 years ago (edited)
A deeply unsettled sadistic side of me kind of wants to read one just to see how bad they are, but I also feel like it might be better for the world if I didn't. Edit: Ok maybe not I just saw a review of one of her "books" that basically said: "The only person I would finish this book for is my dog... if you held him at gunpoint."
Load More Replies... ur shoebox 3 years ago
Just remember guys, people have different tastes. Just because someone found the book to be bad doesn't mean u will think so too ❤
Cathy Roberts 3 years ago
Yep. Also, every review has one stars, this just happens to be a collection of the people who hated these books. Though, I admit, I was relieved to see the one I just bought last night wasn't on it!
Load More Replies... General Anaesthesia 3 years ago (edited)
I saw the name Colleen Hooper scroll by so often that I had to google it. The "People also ask" section has, "Why is Colleen Hoover books so good?" I now know enough. "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?" - President GW Bush (R).
Two_rolling_black_eyes 3 years ago
I did too. She's primarily self published. Editors exist for a reason.
Load More Replies... xolitaire 3 years ago
Colleen Hooper is the perfect author for you if you want: sloppy writing with gigantic plot holes, the marginalising of domestic violence because everything else in the relationship is so great, women with mindsets from the 1800s and with no backbone what so ever, on the nose character names (like Lily Blossom Bloom?! Who owns a flower shop. Seriously) et cetera.
PetPotato 3 years ago (edited)
I was surprised when I saw someone ask if people prefered a book that was badly written/edited but the overall story was good, or a well written book with a boring storyline, and most people would rather read the badly written book. I feel like that explains a lot about why I'm so often disappointed when I read a super popular book, I'm the kind of reader that would happily read a dishwasher manual if it was particularly well written, but can't do badly written/edited books.
Skye Ragsdale 3 years ago (edited)
Oh my gods SAME. Bad writing takes me out of the flow 😭 probably why I struggle with fanfic too 😅
Load More Replies... Michael Largey 3 years ago (edited)
Favorite negative book review : "The covers of this book are too far apart." - Ambrose Bierce. Second favorite : "This is not a book to be put down lightly. It should be thrown with great force." - Dorothy Parker.
And the like 3 years ago (edited)
Honestly, if you read this kind of books, what do you expect?
Seabeast 3 years ago
Colleen Hoover seems to be this generation's Danielle Steele. I remember looking at a huge stack of Steele novels at a charity rummage sale I was volunteering for and asking another volunteer "What should we do with these? Can we offer them by the kilogram as kindling for fireplaces and charcoal barbecues?"
Anna Ekberg 3 years ago
Noticed a pattern in this but I don't know if it's relevant or what it means. Almost all the writers on this list are women....
Seabeast 3 years ago
They seem to also be mostly romance type novels, which are often badly written. ___ Bad men's fiction is usually the action/suspense type, but men don't read fiction quite as much as women do, so perhaps there's less of it. I suspect that men are also less likely to leave online reviews. They'll just chuck the book into a corner until it's time to fill the bag for the thrift store.
Load More Replies... mysterious(all pronouns) 3 years ago
Here's my 1 star review. Stephen King's "Christine". The overall plot is interesting, and the concept is fascinating(car that has chosen violence), but every single character is unlikable, and it took 200 pages for the car to actually kill someone. Also, it's too much "oh no, this car has bad vibes and my friend has been acting weird ever since he bought it, but it's not like the car is bad or anythint right?".
memyselfandI 3 years ago
About Colleen Hoover, my mom read Verity for a book club and said never before had been so horrified by a book, but couldn’t possibly put it down. Apparently it’s very graphic but a compelling story. I’ve never read it or any of her books though, so that all I know.
Tjoori Vids 3 years ago
It's gonna get worse. I read the other day that out of the top 100 young adult (I think) books on Amazon... only 19 (!!!) were written by actual PEOPLE. The rest were AI Generated.
SpaceCatLol 3 years ago
Colleen hoover was on this list 10+ times. What the heck is she doing!?
Roan The Demon Kitty 3 years ago
Im browsing goodreads reviews myself rn and.. I think we can create an entire thread based off the reviews of Colleen Hoovers books...
Janet L 7 months ago
The Ministry Of Time did it for me - had the potential to be a really good book but the main protagonist was an unprofessional predatory numbskull who showed absolutely no interest in the life of the person brought forward from the past - who she was supposed to be mentoring - except how soon she could get him into bed. He was so far above her in every way it was ludicrous that he apparently fell in love with her. Completely wasted opportunity and definitely a one star.
bill marsano 3 years ago
Most of these reviews are mere wisecracks, and not very good ones, hardly worth collecting or repeating. For brevity and wit, look up Dorothy Parker.
FantastiKitty 3 years ago
I thought a lot of the reviews were quite funny, even if I don't agree.
Himory TheDreamer 3 years ago
Only one I read was in this list. And I read my fair share of bad books just because I liked the universe, even when I hated the protagonist or plot.
Eggsncabbage 3 years ago
I wouldn't be worrying about bad reviews from people with anime avatars.
Tho Nguyen 3 years ago (edited)
Lol for every book I intend to read that has an above 3.5 stars rating on Goodreads I will browse their 1 and 2 star reviews first so as to know if it will worth my time or suit my taste. More often than not I find that those reviews are mostly believable and within reason.
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