I am not going to lie, I have a really hard time DNFing books, and a lot of the time I will make myself suffer through a book just so I can count it towards my reading goal for the year. However, I find this quite problematic. The same way reading a phenomenal book can put me in a reading slump, reading a bad book can also put me in one. A bad book just absolutely ruins any and all plans of reading for the foreseeable future for me, and again, makes me not very happy. If you’ve read my “Crafting the Perfect Reading Day” blog, you’ll know I cherish my reading time and loathe anything that takes it away from me.
Again, it takes a lot for me to find the courage to stop reading a book, and I envy the people who can do it at the drop of a hat. Especially once I get too far into a book, I almost feel like I’m obligated to see it through, and then at that point I’m just hate-reading. Hate-reading definitely puts me in a slump, because then I have to sit with the fact that I just read something I hated and I can never get that time back. I could have been reading something great.
The things that will get me to DNF a book are boring plots and lackluster characters. If there’s no conflict, no drama, no room for character development, I’m done. Sometimes really annoying characters or characters who refuse to change or admit they’re wrong can put me off as well. I want realistic characters that have an opportunity to grow and evolve throughout a story. If a character is the same from the beginning to the end, what was even the point?? I like books with really strong plots and noticeable character development, and if a book doesn’t have either of those, then immediately no.
All this being said, I still feel guilty DNFing sometimes, especially as a writer and aspiring author. I will never write a scathing or hurtful review; I understand the time and effort it takes to write a book, and I feel bad whenever I can’t finish a book because I know it’s someone’s pride and joy. But, again, not every book is a winner, and that’s okay. DNFing is okay!! I’m reminding all of you and myself of this fact because life is too short to waste it on reading bland books.
I can say I have DNF’d some pretty popular books, and I am not afraid to admit this! Especially with BookTok, once a book becomes overly hyped, I’m almost put off by it. I kind of refuse to read popular BookTok books because I’m not only afraid of being let down, but also because taste is subjective, and I think my taste is not always aligned with what is most popular in the world of reading. Which is why I DNF’d Twisted Love by Ana Huang and Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood. Now, in my defense, I love just about everything Hazelwood puts out, and I actually have plans to go back and reread Love, Theoretically one day. I genuinely don’t remember why I stopped reading it. I’ve heard nothing but good things, so maybe my taste is skewed, and I need to rethink my choices. But that being said, I have no regrets about DNFing Twisted Love. The series is so overhyped in my opinion, and I felt like I knew the entirety of the plot by the halfway point. I will not be revisiting this title, I fear. I guess that’s another thing I can add to the list: a plot that moves too fast is a no for me.
Either way, I think we all need to read books that make us happy. Finding a good book is such a rewarding feeling, and I’m tired of wasting my time on stories that make me feel absolutely nothing. Do not fear the DNF, for it can lead you closer to your next favorite read!
Bryanna Thompson, Pine Reads Review Writer