DNF or the act of not finishing a book is a semi-controversial topic. On one side you have people that will not DNF a book for any number of personal reasons. On the other side, you have people who will DNF a book for any number of reasons such as not liking the main character, the plot being too slow, or they are just not having fun. Until recently, I fell within the first camp and had never DNF'd a book before.
In 2020, I read and completed 50 books. Although there were a few that I didn't particularly care for, I trudged on and finished each one. Not finishing a book never occurred to me. Last year, out of the 80 books that I read, I DNF'd only a single book and that was after the passing of a loved one. I told myself that I would eventually try that book again and to be honest, when the sequel comes out, I probably will. This year, however, I have mentally decided that if I am not loving the book I'm reading, I will read 100 pages or 1/4 of a book and if I'm not having a good time or I just can't continue then I will DNF it. I came to this conclusion after a very long and arduous battle with reading FOMO (the Fear of Missing Out). I realized that I was allowing FOMO to control whether I finished a book or not and thus possibly putting me into a reading slump. No more! I do not want to be beholden to a book simply because I'm hoping it will get better or because it is an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) from a publisher. Reading should be about enjoyment and that is exactly what I plan to do going forward.
Within this past month, I have DNF'd two books which were both ARCs from NetGalley: Age of Ash by Daniel Abraham and Sundial by Catriona Ward. I found that both of these books lacked any real substance that I could follow or found to be intriguing enough to continue with. Age of Ash had a lot of potentials, but the pacing and unnecessary descriptiveness weighed down the overall interesting storyline. Within Sundial, I found myself once again not wanting to pick the book up. The dual timeline perspective was interesting, but I didn't feel that the mystery of the novel was enough to keep me going. I was straight-up bored, which is not something anyone should be in a horror novel. Add to it the poor GoodReads ratings and I just didn't feel that continuing on would be worth it. Below, I've included the synopses for both books. I would definitely not say they were "bad", but rather, just not for me at this time.
The Synopses
Age of Ash
by Daniel Abraham
Published on 02/15/2022
Audiobook Narrator: Soneela Nankani
** I was given this E-Arc copy of Age of Ash by NetGalley and Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review. **
Synopsis
Age of Ash is the first in a new trilogy by Daniel Abraham, a co-author of The Expanse series. This book is written from the POV of several different characters but finally settles upon two primary POVs: Alys and Sammish, who are two friends that live in one of the poorer neighborhoods of Kithimar. The story begins after Alys' brother Darro is murdered and Alys finds a dagger and some gold coins within Darro's secret apartment. Alys and Sammish then work to understand who murdered Darro and why. As they begin to learn the truth, larger truths about the city they live in begin to unravel as well.
CAWPILE Rating
Character:2
Atmosphere:2
Writing:2
Plot:0
Intrigue:2
Logic:3
Enjoyment:0
Total CAWPILE SCORE: 1.57
Rating: 1 Star
DNF at 50%
(Although I did not finish this book, the ratings are based on what was read.)
Sundial
by Catriona Ward
Published: 03/01/2022
Genre: Domestic Thriller/Horror
Pages: 304
Audiobook Narrator: Katherine Fenton
** I was given this E-Arc copy of Sundial by NetGalley & Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review. **
Synopsis
Rob's life is complicated. Stuck in an abusive marriage, all she has are her daughters to hold on to. One evening after a dangerous incident occurs between the two girls, a discovery about Rob's oldest daughter Callie fills Rob with so much horror that she decides to take Callie back to where she, herself, grew up: Sundial. In perspectives that shift from the current day and the events that occurred in Rob's childhood at Sundial, a mystery unfurls that leaves the reader horrified.
CAWPILE RATING
Character:3
Atmosphere:4
Writing:4
Plot:0
Intrigue:5
Logic:0
Enjoyment:0
Total CAWPILE Score: 2.29
Rating: 1/1.5 Stars
DNF at 50%
(Although I did not finish this book, the ratings are based on what was read.)How often do you DNF books that you are not enjoying? I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject! Leave a comment down below. If you are not already, please feel free to follow me on Instagram @the_litterature.
Until next time, friends,
The Litterature
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