,

Sick of books promising fantasy/dystopian/sci-fi/adventure that devolve into a pathetic mash of makeouts, "tingles" and goo-goo-eyes? Do you immediately drop a book if the back reads something like "After [female protagonist] meets sexy mysterious bad boy..." This is the list for you!

The books on this list have plots that involve very little romance. Either the book is completely romance free, or the romantic relationships are a SUB-PLOT of the main storyline (and I mean -VERY- SUB-plot). YA, New Adult, and Adult lit welcome. Please no kids books.
1

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4.26 avg rating — 6,934,658 ratings
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3

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3.88 avg rating — 137,685 ratings
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4.24 avg rating — 110,542 ratings
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4.27 avg rating — 137,145 ratings
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4.07 avg rating — 112,700 ratings
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4.37 avg rating — 132,774 ratings
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8

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4.16 avg rating — 219,066 ratings
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9

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4.12 avg rating — 2,827,523 ratings
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10

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3.94 avg rating — 89,513 ratings
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11

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3.96 avg rating — 62,885 ratings
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12

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4.10 avg rating — 199,184 ratings
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13

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3.97 avg rating — 2,868,864 ratings
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14

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4.05 avg rating — 633,980 ratings
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15

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4.42 avg rating — 1,301,930 ratings
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16

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4.49 avg rating — 995,530 ratings
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17

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4.04 avg rating — 27,660 ratings
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18

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3.78 avg rating — 83,651 ratings
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19

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4.31 avg rating — 1,479,702 ratings
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20

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3.82 avg rating — 1,496 ratings
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21

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4.02 avg rating — 126 ratings
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22

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4.16 avg rating — 287,468 ratings
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23

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4.18 avg rating — 326,506 ratings
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24

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3.89 avg rating — 53,730 ratings
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24

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3.95 avg rating — 90,881 ratings
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26

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3.91 avg rating — 29,036 ratings
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27

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4.15 avg rating — 1,620,937 ratings
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28

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4.03 avg rating — 176,709 ratings
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29

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4.09 avg rating — 176,660 ratings
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30

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4.13 avg rating — 4,402,443 ratings
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31

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 124,449 ratings
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32

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3.97 avg rating — 381,194 ratings
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32

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4.02 avg rating — 4,605,227 ratings
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34

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3.80 avg rating — 308,848 ratings
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35

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 30,235 ratings
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35

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3.85 avg rating — 226,860 ratings
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37

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3.83 avg rating — 1,341,233 ratings
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38

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3.92 avg rating — 163,286 ratings
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39

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3.94 avg rating — 51 ratings
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39

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3.57 avg rating — 74 ratings
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39

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3.83 avg rating — 12 ratings
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39

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4.42 avg rating — 31 ratings
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39

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3.85 avg rating — 132 ratings
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44

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3.98 avg rating — 99,075 ratings
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45

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3.90 avg rating — 2,859,022 ratings
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45

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4.47 avg rating — 19 ratings
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45

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4.06 avg rating — 81 ratings
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48

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4.17 avg rating — 54 ratings
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49

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4.01 avg rating — 1,235,469 ratings
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49

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4.05 avg rating — 135,533 ratings
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49

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4.14 avg rating — 3,362 ratings
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52

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4.01 avg rating — 7,398 ratings
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52

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3.82 avg rating — 18,208 ratings
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54

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3.85 avg rating — 94,004 ratings
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55

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3.90 avg rating — 9,389 ratings
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56

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3.91 avg rating — 300,148 ratings
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56

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4.17 avg rating — 600,290 ratings
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58

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4.33 avg rating — 14,151 ratings
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59

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3.65 avg rating — 62,516 ratings
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59

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3.89 avg rating — 516 ratings
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59

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 27 ratings
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59

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4.14 avg rating — 34,429 ratings
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63

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4.01 avg rating — 261,545 ratings
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64

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3.77 avg rating — 16,020 ratings
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64

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3.87 avg rating — 142 ratings
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64

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4.20 avg rating — 783,387 ratings
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67

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4.16 avg rating — 70 ratings
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68

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3.61 avg rating — 13,249 ratings
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69

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4.26 avg rating — 59,081 ratings
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70

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3.97 avg rating — 2,868,864 ratings
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71

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4.08 avg rating — 160,494 ratings
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71

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3.80 avg rating — 5,463 ratings
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73

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4.31 avg rating — 48,933 ratings
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74

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3.67 avg rating — 4,555 ratings
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75

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3.95 avg rating — 61,808 ratings
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76

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4.22 avg rating — 2,028,072 ratings
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77

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3.60 avg rating — 5,988 ratings
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78

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3.84 avg rating — 16,938 ratings
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78

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4.11 avg rating — 272,099 ratings
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80

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4.22 avg rating — 2,028,072 ratings
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81

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4.27 avg rating — 1,634,863 ratings
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82

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3.89 avg rating — 278,393 ratings
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83

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4.41 avg rating — 3,174,893 ratings
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84

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4.02 avg rating — 42 ratings
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84

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3.77 avg rating — 2,682 ratings
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84

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3.96 avg rating — 164,138 ratings
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84

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 45 ratings
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84

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4.60 avg rating — 5 ratings
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84

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0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings
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84

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4.17 avg rating — 6 ratings
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84

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2.33 avg rating — 3 ratings
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84

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3.83 avg rating — 6 ratings
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84

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3.80 avg rating — 20 ratings
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84

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3.28 avg rating — 18 ratings
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84

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3.94 avg rating — 31,479 ratings
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84

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4.24 avg rating — 33 ratings
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84

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4.03 avg rating — 4,785 ratings
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84

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4.29 avg rating — 124,228 ratings
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84

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating
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84

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3.74 avg rating — 446 ratings
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284 books · 100 voters · list created April 1st, 2013 by Jaylee (votes) .
63 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Jaylee 4361 books
179 friends
Lauren 89 books
79 friends
Jensen 44 books
63 friends
Emily 323 books
1 friend
Zinnober 9 783 books
0 friends
K 59 books
0 friends
Sarah 13944 books
226 friends
Talyah 1865 books
75 friends

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Comments Showing 1-6 of 6 (6 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Sarah (new)

Sarah Should Divergent really be on here?


message 2: by Shelby (new)

Shelby Suderman Coolcurry wrote: "Should Divergent really be on here?"

That's just what I was thinking. I haven't read it but I saw the movie, and that was definitely romance focused . . .


message 3: by Katsuyo (new)

Katsuyo Shelby wrote: "Coolcurry wrote: "Should Divergent really be on here?"

That's just what I was thinking. I haven't read it but I saw the movie, and that was definitely romance focused . . ."


It is, but the plot isn't. It's been a while since I read the first book, but as far as I can remember the romance is pretty separated from the main plot.


message 4: by Jaylee (new)

Jaylee Katsuyo wrote: "Shelby wrote: "Coolcurry wrote: "Should Divergent really be on here?"

That's just what I was thinking. I haven't read it but I saw the movie, and that was definitely romance focused . . ."

It is,..."


Oh wow this is an old topic. Haha. Divergent the book has a romantic sub-plot, but it's extremely understated. Lol I made this plot in 2013 because I was an angry child sick of reading blurbs about really cool fantasy plots that just devolved into romance, and for that, I say Divergent doesn't do that at all. It's 100% about the plot.

(but also I write romance novels now and am laughing at myself that i was so Mad about this six years ago)


message 5: by Sarah (last edited Jan 29, 2019 05:55AM) (new)

Sarah Jaylee wrote: "Katsuyo wrote: "Shelby wrote: "Coolcurry wrote: "Should Divergent really be on here?"

That's just what I was thinking. I haven't read it but I saw the movie, and that was definitely romance focuse..."


I think what I was looking for was books without much or any romance at all. Which is still something I would like to find! But now I have a lot better idea why than I did six years ago...


message 6: by Dana (new)

Dana Salman "Do you immediately drop a book if the back reads something like "After [female protagonist] meets sexy mysterious bad boy...""

Probably an old list by now but that description is exactly me XD. I just want a good fantasy story, not a shallow romance. Hope I'll find something to like in this list! (Also love that The Book Thief is in the top spot!)


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