To DNF or not to DNF - That is the Question
- Jan 23
- 3 min read
I don’t know about you, but not finishing a book was never an option for me before, a little bit because of my OCD, a strong need for closure, and having a feeling that I cannot form an opinion about a book or a story if I don’t see the whole picture.
All of a sudden, I’ve been having this internal struggle with some books in 2025 - to DNF or not to DNF. With a great choice of books out there, I specifically chose fantasy, sci-fi, and fantasy romance. I felt like I would have enough books on my TBR to build a house from them and never have to worry about sitting idly. However, not all books on my TBR have been good for me nor have they given “the vibes” I expected.
After my first DNF, I realised that it’s more than ok just to stop and pick up the next one, especially if the TBR is long.
There are several reasons I DNFed books, but none of them were because the story was “boring” or “slow”. I actually have a category “to be continued” for the books that don’t hold my concentration as they maybe should, and I want to give them another chance when I am ready.
CHECK YOUR TRIGGERS
The first reason, and with that the first book I DNFed at 83%, was the trigger and a very detailed scene, along with the character’s emotional response to a traumatic event. We are all warned about potential triggers in books, if there are any, but it really depends, for me at least, on how that trigger is processed in the story, when it happens, how vivid, and how it impacts the characters overall. I did not have siimilar traumatic event that would cause this; it was more of the point in the story and the connection with the characters I developed that made me disgusted and eventually anxious. The story was good, the plot was great, even the characters were promising, I just wasn’t able to continue.
CHARACTER DOOM
The second book that fell under the category made me wish I never picked it up, and I cursed all the recommendations and reviews I read. So many things were wrong about it, and I stopped at 68%. The female main character and her personality basically distorted something that had the potential to be a good story, and those who know me know that I prefer character-driven stories. Again, the author addressed all potential triggers that involved psychological challenges the character may express, but it was taken to extremes. I was never less sorry for not finishing a book after that one. The freedom was maddening.
THIS IS NOT THE DROID I WAS LOOKING FOR
The third book, and I am saying with complete honesty, was just bad. It was a mash-up of Norse mythology in a modern world, playing with a Romeo and Juliet retelling, hinting some Avengers fan-fiction written in the language of an average 15-year-old. I was very excited to start the book, the description was inviting, the cover was nice, and I like Norse mythology, so it was a promised good time. Boy, how wrong I was. I gave up at 77%, and I still cannot believe that was traditionally published.
MIND YOUR LANGUAGE!
My good friend and book buddy, Rita, told me that you should give a book at least 100 pages chance to decide whether it’s worth it or it just goes into the DNF pile. I wanted to follow her reasoning, I really wanted to, but the last book I DNFed at 9%, which is less than 50 pages, was for my own sanity. The book is somewhat popular, with a little bit less than 4 star overall rating on Goodreads, but for me felt like an unfiltered teenage chat or a diary transferred into a book that is under the new adult category. I know that books written like this have their own audience. The casual language can be appealing and maybe intriguing, but it was just not for me.
Now that I know that not finishing a book did not end my world or ruin the reading experience, I am sure that there might happen from time to time in the future. And that’s ok! For everyone out there, having doubts about DNFing, just give yourself permission to choose what you read for pleasure. Days are short, and TBRs are long.
