Top Ten Tuesday

#TopTenTuesday: Reasons for DNFing

Dini @ dinipandareads20 Comments

We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week’s topic is Petty Reasons You’ve DNF’d a Book (Or reduced its rating. You don’t even have to say what the book was if you don’t want to! DNF means “did not finish”.)

I was tempted to skip or go rogue today because I’ve done an LTB on DNFing before and I wasn’t sure if I was really feeling this topic. In the end, I decided to just wing it and try to get a list of ten even if they’re not petty. 😂 I only managed nine but one more for why I reduced a rating. I’m not naming book names specifically either. It should go without saying that all of this is subjective and what doesn’t work for me might work for others, etc. There’s nothing wrong with DNFing but I also don’t believe in trashing authors or books I’ve not enjoyed or the readers who love them just because it wasn’t for me. Now with that out of the way, let’s check out this list!

1. The writing is poorly edited and doesn’t flow well. I find it frustrating when sentences read very clunkily or the story jumps around too much. It tends to take me out of the reading experience.

2. Other reasons the writing didn’t work for me such as too much “telling” rather than “showing” and overly descriptive prose. I can enjoy the latter so long as it doesn’t bog down the story and I don’t have to continuously re-read passages to understand what’s happening.

3. The plot is not plotting and the logic is not logic-ing.

4. The characters are written to be so unlikeable and irritating that I don’t want to spend any time reading more about them. I want to be able to root for MCs but even if they aren’t supposed to be likeable, it’s fine as long as there’s more to them than “that’s just the way they are.”

5. Cringeworthy dialogue that makes it painful to read their conversations. It’s not fun when you’re constantly cringing every time a character opens their mouth! 🤭 Even worse too is when it’s their inner monologue that’s so cringe you can’t handle it.

6. The story doesn’t deliver what it said it would. A bit similar to #3, but it’s more like if the blurb says one thing and the story delivers something completely different. It’s jarring! If you say you’re going to be A then be that and not C or F, if I’m making any sense. 😂

8. No chemistry or investment in the characters. This is especially true if I’m reading a romance! There has to be chemistry between the MCs and it’s hard to be sold on their HEA when you don’t feel their connection, and makes it hard to feel like the slog is worth it.

7. Simply because I was bored to tears! If I can’t make it past a couple of pages each time I pick a book up (cos it sends me to sleep or my brain pulls me in a different direction) then it’s next, please.

9. The subject gets too uncomfortable or I’m unprepared for the topics that are brought up. As an emotional & mood reader, I have to mentally prepare myself for emotionally challenging stories and if it doesn’t fit with my mood or what I’m ready for at the time.

10. Authors behaving badly. There have been a few instances where I’ve removed my ratings and reviews because an author says or does something that harms minority communities. Yes, there’s always “separating the art from the artist” but I’d rather not contribute to giving them a platform that allows them to spread messages that hurt others!

What are some reasons you DNF? Do you relate to any of these reasons? Are there times you’ve DNF’d for petty reasons? I’d love to know! 🤭

20 thoughts on “#TopTenTuesday: Reasons for DNFing”

  1. I love seeing your list of reasons and I can certainly relate to a few of these! When I’m bored with a book is when I really struggle. Reading will feel like such a drag and I lose hope quite quickly! 😅

    The cringe-worthy dialogue is painful is another way, sometimes it can be entertaining but other times, it is a constant eye roll!

    The telling over showing as well, eek!

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  4. Definitely agree on the cringeworthy dialogue. I just finished a HF novel in which an airman falls in love with a female support officer, and the way they talk sounds like a middle-schooler trying to write romantic dialogue. Painfully stilted — I just started skimming until I got back to the shoot `em up bits.

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  10. Yep. ALL of these… but then why don’t I do it and keep reading?! Why?! Haha! I really loved #3! Wait- didn’t we think about DNF’ing First Binding?? Or maybe you did but it was an ARC for me and I couldn’t stop. haha. I am glad we finished it because I did end up liking it, for the most part. Thanks for sticking it out with me!! ❤

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  11. You made me cackle with number three, but if the plot and is non-existent and there is no logical rhyme or reason to what is going on, I would abandon ship as well. Number 9 was such a great way to word that. I think I put it as darker than expected, but what you said is exactly what I was trying to say. I cannot enter into a book thinking I am getting ice cream and rainbows and then find like murder and rape.

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  13. I agree with all of these except #10. I’m good at separating art and artists, especially because I pay very little attention to what authors do in their lives other than their writing. I’m usually the last to know it when an author has done/said something problematic.

    Happy TTT!

    Susan

    http://www.blogginboutbooks.com

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  14. I definitely have a list of Do Not Read authors. Let’s face it, there are too many good books out there to give money to authors who it turns out are terrible people. I always complain “so many books, so little time.” So why waste my time? Although I don’t know that I’ve ever gone back and took down a review, but I think I would if I came across an old review of mine that I no longer can support.

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  16. Chemistry can really make or break a romance. I can forgive a lot if I like the back and forth between characters. Yes to number 10 as well. I cannot and will not separate the art from the artist. You don’t deserve me promoting your book if you are a bigoted individual.

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