Hello! It has been a while since I’ve thrown a spotlight on my TBR and I thought I’d come to you today with a perspective I don’t tend to look at in regards to my TBR – those books which have the lowest rating according to Goodreads.
I think it’s interesting to look at them this way, to see what drew me too them, why I bought them (my ‘want to read’ shelves are all books I physically own), and what ultimately made them have a low rating. I should say that the lowest average rating is around 3 stars so they’re middle-range books according to GR.
Right, I have five books here so let’s get to them!
The Wicked Cometh by Laura Carlin
Average rating – 3.44 stars.
GR Synopsis:
The year is 1831
Down the murky alleyways of London, acts of unspeakable wickedness are taking place and no one is willing to speak out on behalf of the city’s vulnerable poor as they disappear from the streets. Out of these shadows comes Hester White, a bright young woman who is desperate to escape the slums by any means possible.
When Hester is thrust into the world of the aristocratic Brock family, she leaps at the chance to improve her station in life under the tutelage of the fiercely intelligent and mysterious Rebekah Brock. But whispers from her past slowly begin to poison her new life and both she and Rebekah are lured into the most sinister of investigations.
Hester and Rebekah find themselves crossing every boundary they’ve ever known in pursuit of truth, redemption and passion. But their trust in each other will be tested as a web of deceit begins to unspool, dragging them into the blackest heart of a city where something more depraved than either of them could ever imagine is lurking . . .
Thoughts: One, the cover is stunning! I love the gold and white flowers against the dark purple and black outline of 19th Century London. Two, it’s 19th Century London and I’m always drawn to this murky, gritty life that existed at that time. That being said, I’m slow to read it as I’ve had it on my shelves for a few years now but it is still one I want to read when I’m in the mood for it.
The Witches of BlackBrook by Tish Thawer
Average Rating: 3.54 stars
GR Synopsis:
Through space and time, sisters entwined. Lost then found, souls remain bound.
Three sisters escape the Salem witch trials when the eldest casts a spell that hurtles their souls forward through time. After centuries separated, fate has finally reunited them in the present day.
One the healer, one the teacher, and one the deceiver.
Will their reunion return their full powers, or end their souls journey forever?
Thoughts: It’s witches. I will want to read anything and everything that has ‘witches’ in the title. I’m obsessed, especially if there is a connection to Salem or Pendle.
Wicked Like A Wildfire by Lana Popović
Average Rating: 3.54 stars
GR Synopsis:
All the women in Iris and Malina’s family have the unique magical ability or “gleam” to manipulate beauty. Iris sees flowers as fractals and turns her kaleidoscope visions into glasswork, while Malina interprets moods as music. But their mother has strict rules to keep their gifts a secret, even in their secluded sea-side town. Iris and Malina are not allowed to share their magic with anyone, and above all, they are forbidden from falling in love.
But when their mother is mysteriously attacked, the sisters will have to unearth the truth behind the quiet lives their mother has built for them. They will discover a wicked curse that haunts their family line—but will they find that the very magic that bonds them together is destined to tear them apart forever?
Thoughts: I spoke about this recently in my post about the ‘last-chance books‘ on my shelves. I have a year to read it otherwise I’m unhauling it and the sequel. I really like the concept, especially as it is kind of witchy with the magic, and there’s a curse that needs dealing with. When I look at some of the lower-rated reviews, a lot of the dislikes are due to a slow, flowery writing style and I quite like that in some books so I’ll just have to read it myself to see if it works for me.
Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn
Average Rating: 3.56 stars
GR synopsis:
Camille, a revolutionary’s daughter, leads a band of outcasts – a runaway girl, a deserter, an aristocrat in hiding. As the Battalion des Mortes they cheat death, saving those about to meet a bloody end at the blade of Madame La Guillotine. But their latest rescue is not what she seems. The girl’s no aristocrat, but her dark and disturbing powers means both the Royalists and the Revolutionaries want her. But who and what is she?
In these dangerous days, no one can be trusted, everyone is to be feared. As Camille learns the truth, she’s forced to choose between loyalty to those she loves and the future.
Thoughts: Everyone I personally know who’s read this and the subsequent sequel really enjoys this so I’m silently hoping I will too. That being said, I’ve struggled with Historical Fiction set during the French Revolution before so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens when I finally read it, and during a time when I’m not in a reading funk.
The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Average Rating: 3.58 stars
GR Synopsis:
They say the thirst of blood is like a madness – they must sate it. Even with their own kin.
On the eve of her divining, the day she’ll discover her fate, seventeen-year-old Lil and her twin sister Kizzy are captured and enslaved by the cruel Boyar Valcar, taken far away from their beloved traveller community.
Forced to work in the harsh and unwelcoming castle kitchens, Lil is comforted when she meets Mira, a fellow slave who she feels drawn to in a way she doesn’t understand. But she also learns about the Dragon, a mysterious and terrifying figure of myth and legend who takes girls as gifts.
They may not have had their divining day, but the girls will still discover their fate…
Thoughts: From the lower rated reviews it seems to me that it didn’t reach the expectations people had when they went into it. I don’t have any and I’m not particularly clued up on the brides of Dracula so I’m going into it knowing absolutely nothing. Actually, all I know is that I like Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s Middle Grade fiction (primarily The Island at the End of Everything) and I want to read her YA and Adult books.
Have you read any of these books? What are your thoughts?
What are some of the lowest rated books on your TBR?
As always, thanks for reading and have a brazzle dazzle day!
xx
Turn Another Page 
The Witches of BlackBrook is on mine too, i didn’t realise it was so lowly rated (i still want to read it though)
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