Every reader has one.
That little thing that makes you pause before buying a book. The detail that has you reading reviews a little more carefully. The moment, a few chapters in, where you start wondering whether this book is really for you.
They’re our reading red flags.
They’re not necessarily dealbreakers, and sometimes we’re proved completely wrong. But after years of reading hundreds of books, I’ve realised there are certain things that instantly make me a little cautious.
Here are a few of mine…
Too Many Points of View
I don’t mind dual POV, especially in romance, but once a book starts jumping between five, six or even seven different characters, I struggle to stay invested.
Just as I’m getting attached to one storyline, I’m whisked away to another. By the time I return, I’ve often forgotten what was happening.
Of course, there are exceptions, but generally I prefer stories that let me really get to know one or two characters.
Love Triangles That Go On Forever
A little romantic tension is great.
A love triangle that drags on for an entire series? Less so.
Sometimes it can feel as though the story is being stretched out simply to keep readers guessing, rather than because it genuinely serves the characters.
Give me slow burn, enemies to lovers or forced proximity any day.
Characters Who Could Solve Everything by Talking
We’ve all read that book where one honest conversation would have wrapped everything up in about twenty pages.
Miscommunication can create tension, but when characters repeatedly refuse to have perfectly reasonable conversations just to keep the plot moving, I start to lose patience.
“Strong Female Character” Doesn’t Mean She’s Rude
I love a strong female lead.
Historical fiction, fantasy and romance all have brilliant heroines who are determined, intelligent and resilient.
But confidence doesn’t have to mean being unnecessarily cruel to everyone around them. Strength comes in lots of different forms, and some of my favourite female characters lead with kindness as much as courage.
The Book Everyone Says You Have to Read
This might be my biggest red flag of all.
Whenever a book is everywhere, it’s hard not to wonder whether I’ll enjoy it or whether I’ll spend the whole time wondering what everyone else is seeing that I’m not.
Some hugely popular books have become favourites of mine. Others have left me feeling completely underwhelmed.
Hype isn’t a bad thing, but it definitely makes me manage my expectations.
Tiny Font and Massive Chapters
This one is less about the story and more about the reading experience.
Open a 700-page book with tiny text and chapters that are forty pages long, and suddenly finishing one chapter before bed becomes a much bigger commitment than I’d planned!
Give me regular chapter breaks and a readable font, and I’m a happy reader.
A Blurb That Tells Me Almost Nothing
I love a mysterious synopsis, but there’s a fine line between intriguing and confusing.
If I’ve read the blurb three times and still have no idea what the book is actually about, I’m probably going to put it back on the shelf.
But Here’s the Thing…
Some of my favourite books have broken every single one of these “rules.”
I’ve picked up books despite my reservations and ended up giving them five stars. I’ve also started books that sounded absolutely perfect and couldn’t wait to finish them… for all the wrong reasons.
That’s one of the joys of reading. Every book has the chance to surprise you.
So while these are my personal reading red flags, they’re never an automatic reason not to give a book a chance.
Over to You…
I’d love to know what your biggest reading red flag is.
Is it love triangles? Too many points of view? An overhyped bestseller? Tiny font? First-person narration? Or maybe something completely different?
Let me know in the comments. I’m always curious to see which reading habits we all have in common… and which red flags you’re happy to ignore!
The Curvy Bookworm 