u/Beneficial_Pea3241

Characters always come first for me but if I start yelling at fictional people, I know the book's not for me. Since I have a massive TBR list, I'd love to know what I should stay clear of. So please share your personal intolerable characters and/or couples list and why you chose them. (Bonus points if you could easily devote a whole ranting book review to them...which I may have done. A few times.)

For me, an example is unfortunately Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone series (even though I LOVED Six of Crows.) Lina and Mal's relationship was the cause. I tried to slog through the books because I really liked everything else. I have no idea what happened with these two at the end (only reached mid-Book 2). But they just seemed to bring out the worst in each other and so I had to DNF.

I don't think either choice is right or wrong, it's really down to preference.

For me, I prefer stories where I bond with the characters right away and am invested in their relationships - both platonic and romantic. Of course, good plot and worldbuilding are important. But if the characters are truly amazing, I'd follow them anywhere. Page-turners with wonderful settings can be really fun, but if the characters are only so-so, I'm not nearly as invested.

A few recent reads I've enjoyed off the top of my head (the second not romantasy, though it does contain romance and fantasy):

1. Sarah Rees Brennan's "Long Live Evil" - all the characters felt three-dimensional, their antics constantly made me laugh, and although the world-building and plot were engaging, I was really there to watch the characters mess with each other. I would've been happy watching them argue over produce in a grocery story.

2. Kate Alice Marshall's "Our Fleeting Shadows" - the world-building was so engaging and the creepy, the characters and relationships weren't terrible. But I realized after finishing it that if all the characters were swapped out with others, including the villains, my level of enjoyment would've remained the same.

What about you? Are character or plot-driven stories your preference?

Does anyone follow a YouTuber whose recommendations match with their tastes? (No TikTok recommendations please, I'm too old and cranky to figure all that out).