Pros and Cons of Series and Individual Books-Khadeejah Rasheed
Finding a new book you like is always fun, but sometimes whether that book is part of a series or not can change your perception of the book. There are pros and cons to reading both individual books and series.
Pros of Series
If you read the first book in a series and really like it, then you get to continue that series and hold on to those characters and plot. Many people love the Harry Potter series, and although I have never read the full series, you can imagine how different people’s love for the characters would have been if the series ended after the first book.
Usually in series, there is a more complex plot and the setting is very well defined. Also, sometimes the series can start out okay, but get better as it goes along, which is always nice.
If you are kind of picky about books, a series is great because if you liked the first book, then you already have another few books lined up for you to read. You can spend less time looking for new books because you have already found a nice series.
Cons of Series
If you really liked the first book in a series, the other books in that series might not live up to the first book. In my opinion, the Maze Runner series got a bit boring after the first book. Sometimes that can ruin the series as a whole. In very long series the quality of the books usually goes down, that is why trilogies are usually better.
Because we are writing blog posts, you might not have enough time to finish a whole series. If you start a really good book and write a blog post about it, but that book is a part of a larger series, you might have to put that series on hold so your blog posts can have more variety.
Pros of Individual Books
When you read just an individual book that isn’t part of a series, once you’re done with it you just move on from it. There really is no time to get too invested in the book and the characters. If you are looking for a quick read, then it is easy to just read a book and then maybe move on to a larger series.
If you end up really liking one book, you can reread it. I personally think that rereading books is fun, and it is much easier to reread one book that you liked rather than the whole series.
Cons of Individual Books
Sometimes the book can be well-written with great characters, but you might feel as if you did not get enough of the characters out of the one book. With a series you get all the things you liked in all the books of that series, but sometimes with individual books you can be left wanting more.
When you read a book that you really like, you might not be able to find other similar books. Sometimes finding good books is hard, and when you do find one, it might seem like it ends too quickly, and you are unable to find other similar books you also like.
Recommendations
Although there are pros and cons to both series and individual books, everyone has a preference. Depending on your preference here are some recommendations of both.
It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini is an individual book that follows the story of Craig Gilner and his time in a psychiatric hospital.
I’m Traveling Alone by Samuel Bjork is the first book in a series about detectives Holger Munch and Mia Kruger.
Optimists Die First by Susin Nielson is an individual book about Petula De Wilde and her therapy class.
Scythe by Neal Shusterman is the first book in a series set in a future where people no longer die of natural causes.
I think I might read Scythe next because the idea behind it sounds pretty interesting to me. I remember reading the first few pages of Scythe in middle school, but I never got the chance to finish it. Also, I agree on the part where you said that in a series, other books may not live up to the first book.
ReplyDeleteYou mirrored my thoughts exactly with this post. I haven't found many good series, most of them have good first books but then get draggy like you pointed out. Sometimes the rest of the series can also take away from a really good first book. Nowadays I don't usually read a series unless the first book is really good, or leaves off on an unsatisfactory note. Great job on your post!
ReplyDeleteGreat Post, I couldn't agree with you more! I find that in series I often lose interest. When I read books I love being able to learn about a new world and the characters in it, and in a series after the first book the books lose some pizzazz. (I've also found this to be true with movies, and TV series) There are some series though that are so good they keep my interest all the way through.
ReplyDeleteAll the reasons you provided are relatable and well-thought out, and your recommendations reflect that as well. I've had my experiences with long series, namely, Warriors and 39 Clues, both of which cover multiple sets of series. With Warriors, I lost interest at the end of the second series (12 book total). I do still have a slight desire to read 39 Clues again, though--I stopped reading in 4th or 5th grade at a cliffhanger.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of your points. I like seeing where characters' adventures go in series, but sometimes an author wants to tell a message to the reader instead of telling an engaging story, like in 1984 or Fahrenheit 451. I have not read many books where the point is to tell a story instead of a message that don't have a sequel.
ReplyDeleteAnother good example of an author or authors taking all of the excitement out of a series is the Warriors series. I don't remember much about this series since I read it all the way back in third grade, but the books all had the same format. All of them. I barely noticed a difference in the tribes of characters or even the characters themselves.