I don’t finish every book I start. Of course, I would love to say that I do, but sometimes you just have to DNF a book that isn’t making you fall in love with it.
These are 10 reasons I’ve DNF’ed a book.
1. The Writing Style
Sometimes a writing style just isn’t for me. I don’t love novels written in verse or stories that take an entire paragraph to describe the dust on top of a TV remote.
Other times, there isn’t anything specific that I didn’t like, but it just doesn’t work for me.
2. The Plot Isn’t Strong
When I read a book, I want to fall in love with it. I want to feel like the story is real. But if the plot feels flimsy or underwritten, then I probably won’t finish the book.
3. I Can’t Stand The Characters
Characters can make or break a book. If I don’t like the main characters, I probably won’t continue reading a book.
Some of the main issues that I find with characters are they don’t have any likeable qualities, they show only a singular emotion, or they feel two-dimensional.
4. Too Many Side Characters
I recently DNF’ed a book for this among other reasons. Side characters make up a healthy portion of a story, but I don’t like having to keep track of a baseball team and a whole stadium of fans when I’m trying to read a book.
I do actually enjoy have a good cast of side characters that add something to the story, but I want them to be distinguishable and unique.
5. The Romance Is Terrible
I’m not usually the kind of person who picks up romance novels, but romantic subplots tend to be super common in both YA and adult literature. Because it is so common, I often find myself either rooting for the characters or asking myself, “what did I just read?”
I want to feel the chemistry between the characters, watch them fall in love, and it feel real and natural.
6. Spicy Scenes
On the subject of romance, I enjoy clean romance. I don’t want or need to know about private exploits because it’s none of my business.
7. The Story Is Too Long
I’m not the kind to shy away from a 600 page book. But if 400 of those pages used talking about things that have absolutely no bearing on the story, I will get a little upset.
When a book takes as long as necessary to tell the the story, I am more than happy to stick it out for several hundred pages, as long as it’s interesting.
8. The Book Is Poorly Edited
Even in traditionally published books sometimes miss the mark when it comes to editing. My issues with editing aren’t based on finding the occasional typo. Instead it has to do with big plot holes and chapters that don’t make sense.
9. I’m Not In The Mood
I am not always a mood reader, but sometimes if I’m not in the right headspace, I’ll put a book down and try again later.
10. I Forgot About The Book
This one isn’t necessarily the book or the author’s fault, sometimes I just forget to finish a book. I really try not to do this, but it happens occasionally.
Should You DNF A Book?
While there are a lot of different opinions about whether or not you should DNF a book, if you don’t like it, there’s no point in carrying on.
What will make you DNF a book? Let me know in the comments.
