The 52 Book Club: 2025 / 2026 Challenge discussion

For this April Fool's Day release, the prompts on our April 2024 mini-challenge are inspired by the classic internet prank, a rickroll! (Rickrolling is the unexpected appearance of the music video, “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley song.)

Prompt 2 on our April 2024 challenge is, (Never Gonna) Let You Down.

As with the previous prompt, any part of this phrase may occur in the title or description of the book. You may choose a book somehow related to the phrase “Let you down” or the opposite, “Never gonna let you down.”

You may decide to keep this prompt open until the end of the month. If at the end of April, you have any 1 or 2 star reads, you could fit them under this prompt because they “let you down.” You could also choose an author or genre who have let you down in the past, but that you want to give a second chance, or a book that another 52 Book Club member reviewed and said was a disappointment or “let them down.”

Alternatively, you may choose an author or series that you love and that you know is “never gonna let you down.”

This phrase could also tie into the plot or theme of the book as a whole, featuring a character who is let down by someone or something, who has a fear of letting others down (never gonna), or is feeling the pressure of letting someone down. They may be disappointed by a person, a situation, or life in general. It could also feature a break-up scene in which one character tries to “let the other down easy.”

You could also choose to go with the “never gonna let you down” and pick a character who is extremely loyal.

Here is the link to the Goodreads list for this prompt, feel free to add your book choices and suggestions to it!

Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner
(ARC - releases May 14th)

Featuring a character who is let down by someone or something
(bad reviews)

In 1955, the only female-authored play on the London stage that season, has opened in the West End to rapturous applause from the audience. The reviewers, however, are not as impressed as the playgoers and their savage notices not only shut down the play but ruin Vivien Lowry's last chance for a dramatic career.

We'll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down: Memoir of a Gravedigger's Daughter by Rachael Hanel sounds interesting.

In Kyra, Just for Today, twelve-year-old, Kyra's mother begins drinking after being sober for five years. Kyra's life slowly falls apart as the only person in her life she can depend on let's her down.

I used Wolf-Speaker by Tamora Pierce for this prompt. Diane refuses to let the Long Lake wolf pack down, even at great personal cost.

Never Gonna Let You Down

A memoir by Tim Howard, one of the greatest soccer goalkeepers that the USA has produced. He never wanted to let his mother, his team, or his country down.

For this prompt I read You, with a View by Jessica Joyce. Both the main characters fear letting the people in their lives down as they are both going through transitional phases.

I read Just Mercy and thought that it fit here. A lawyer who is doing his best not to let down those he serves. And the stories of many who have been let down by the system.

Good book. Highly recommend.

For this mini challenge I am choosing Vengeance of the Pirate queen as Sorinda doesn't want to let down Alosa in a mission she has been sent on but she also doesn't want to let down her crew and even more herself.

I read When Good Friends Go Bad by Ellie Campbell. It’s about four women who were school friends and had drifted apart due to a variety of teenaged spats and differences. Years later when they meet in their 40’s, all are at a crossroads in life and in spite of past differences and betrayals, they are all there for each other to support them in moving on.

I read The Life We Bury (Joe Talbert, #1; Detective Max Rupert, #1) by Allen Eskens.

Joe and Jeremy have been let down by their mother all their lives. In contrast, Joe is determined not to let down his brother or his girlfriend.

I read The Summer List by Amy Mason Doan which is about a friendship that is strong, then breaks, then begins to rebuild. https://cdnbookworm.blogspot.com/2024...

I read A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen.

Why do we read her? Because Jane Austen never lets us down

I listened to Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent - characters are let down by their families, professionals, society. It's been a long time since I sat still & listened to a book without doing something else at the same time. I could not stop listening, & I'm still thinking about it days later. Truly brilliant.

I went with the idea of 'never let you down,' and read 'Nöthin' but a Good Time' by Tom Beaujour & Richard Bienstock.

It's a music history about 80s hair bands and how they were all about having a good time, and giving their fans a good time as well. They were all about never letting people down, at least when it came to the music.

I read Blown Away by Rob Biddulph, 5 Stars

I read Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella


I am using this book for this prompt because I felt "let down" with this book and author.