Friday, June 21, 2013

Discussion: Do You Suffer from the Sequel Syndrome?


I know I do!  What this the “Sequel Syndrome” you might ask?  Let me elaborate a bit on that. 

The “Sequel Syndrome” is what I call when I really love a first book in a series, but I cannot bring myself to keep reading the series.  I’m trying to shed some light to my weird behavior, but I think it’s a combination of two things: first, I loved the leading book so much that I’m afraid of disappointment; second, if I do love the sequel, now I have to wait (in most cases) a whole year for the next book.  In the case of a trilogy, this is an excruciating long wait for a faithful reader.

This seems to happen to me the most, the more anticipated the sequel is or the more I love the first book.  It doesn't always happen though; I pre-ordered all the Harry Potter books after I got caught with the series.   There are series I cannot wait to finish and I devour the books in no time.

You know that feeling that you MUST get a book right now or burst?  I’m at the book store on the day of publication or I pre-order them, and I’m so happy when I hold the precious book in my hands…only to sit on my bookshelves.  For a while.   I do own a lot of the sequels and sometimes I wait for the whole series to be published before I even start so I don’t have to wait for the next installment.

Some examples of books that I’m dying to read and I haven’t (yet):
  • Insurgent by Veronica Roth
  • Hallowed and Boundless by Cynthia Hand
  • Morganville Vampires – stopped at book #8
  • Wings of the Wicked and Shadows in the Silence by Courtney Allison Moulton
  • City of Fallen Angels and City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
  • Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready


For the most part I own a good number of these!  This is also the main reason that I created my own personal ‘challenge’ (Finish the Series), because I need to get cracking on these!


Do you suffer from this ailment?  Do you think I'm crazy?  Do you wait for all the books in a series to be published before you read it?  Do you prefer to read stand-alone books?  Do you read a sequel as soon as it comes out? 

19 comments:

  1. Nope, when I'm into it, I have to keep going, which makes the waiting just as awful. I actually suffer some something different, but just as irritating - finish the series compulsion. Even if I hate it, I usually keep going and read the rest, just so I know what happens. I'm a glutton for punishment :)

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    1. I usually don't keep going if I don't love were the story is taking me...

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  2. I'm right there with you! Hence why I haven't read Asunder, Scarlet, Through the Ever Night, Unravel Me, and countless others.

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  3. It really depends on the book. Sometimes, the first one was SO good, I'm afraid that the second one is going to disappoint (since most of the books suffer from a second-syndrome too). Sometimes, I just keep reading and reading (like Harry Potter) because I need to devour it all. It's so hard when you have to wait a whole year for the next installment. Torture!

    Mel@thedailyprophecy.

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    1. Torture indeed! Welcome to the club! I agree with you on the second book syndrome, I hate it when it turns out to be a "filler" book. :(

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  4. It's not that I wait for the series to end, it's more that I just get ENTICED by all the OTHER PRETTIES I own or recieve so those books I've been WAITING a year or more for just sort of... sit on the bookshelf. If I've already waited a year, I can wait a little longer, can't I?

    Great post! :)

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    1. I agree with you as we'll, my biggest issue with the long wait, besides the wait itself, is that I forget a lot details about the previous book (and I hardly ever have time to re-read anymore)

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  5. Totally understand! My problem though is that I get so busy reading new books, often the first in new series, that I never seem to have time to read the sequels! Not to mention that since I'm usually getting the first ones for free as egalleys or ARCs, I am often too poor to buy the sequels.

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    1. When that happens to me I try to get it from the library, although then I end with a mismatch set of books.

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  6. I know exactly what you are talking about! I can't even tell you how many sequels I have pre-ordered this year and not read. In fact I think the only sequel that I was super excited about and actually read was Everbound. The one I feel the most guilty about is Through the Ever Night.

    I wish I had the strength to wait until all the books in a series are released but I just can't help myself!

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    1. The trick is not to start them at all until all the books are out! I can't often help myself either, but my sister does it all the time :)

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  7. I've been disappointed by sequels many many times and while I try not to let the fear of let down affect me, it's still there almost every time I pick up/think about picking up a sequel. The waiting game is not my favorite pastime either.
    And I prefer standalones, to be perfectly honest :)

    I did read Insurgent, and while it was... okay, it didn't live up to Divergent, imo. Sigh. So I totally get your hesitation with it.
    The one book I'm dying to read but keep putting off is Hallowed by Cynthia Hand. I loved Unearthly and just don't want to see bad things happening to my favorite characters.

    Great post!! :)

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    1. Thanks Cayce! I'll still read Insurgent, if only just to get to Alligeant :)

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  8. I have this problem as well... funny bc my friend & I were just talking about this. My brain just wanders off after book one.

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    1. I wonder why it doesn't always happens (at least to me)...

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  9. YES! I have this exact problem. I'll always freak out about having to have the sequel to this amazing book as soon as it's released, but then when I do get it - it sits on my shelf for months on end. I think it's usually more due to the fact that a year later - I'm just not as interested in the series as I once was - and it usually takes that extra push of seeing other bloggers love the same book to get me to read it!

    Great post!

    - Tabitha @ Tabitha's Book Blog

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  10. OMG!!!! I thought I was the only one with this problem. I almost never finish series. The whole waiting a year to get the next one sucks. In trilogies especially I kinda dread the second book. I really fear that they will just be filler. I plan on focusing on finishing and continuing series as my goal for next year.

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I love comments! Please leave me one and I will try to reply as soon as I can. Liza

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