Everyone gets the occasional bad apple
Find out why these books didn’t make the cut.
It’s almost time for a new year to begin so.. Out with the old!
I don’t typically DNF books, at least, not until recently.. (Thank you, blogging community for arguing the benefits of opting out!) After all.. with how many books there are? It makes little sense to be struggling, wincing, and waffling our way through a bad penny.
The sad and simple fact is that not every book is right for every person.
There are sooo many reasons you lose interest in a book. It can be as simple as being in the wrong mood.. but not always. Sometimes they’re confusing, boring, frustrating or just plain disappointing.
(Pick your poison.)
Whatever the reason, there will always be a book you don’t want to pick back up..
Here are some that just didn’t do it for me.
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Under the Harrow by Flynn Berry
When Nora takes the train from London to visit her sister in the countryside, she expects to find her waiting at the station, or at home cooking dinner. But when she walks into Rachel’s familiar house, what she finds is entirely different: her sister has been the victim of a brutal murder.
Stunned and adrift, Nora finds she can’t return to her former life. An unsolved assault in the past has shaken her faith in the police, and she can’t trust them to find her sister’s killer. Haunted by the murder and the secrets that surround it, Nora is under the harrow: distressed and in danger. As Nora’s fear turns to obsession, she becomes as unrecognizable as the sister her investigation uncovers.
From the word go we’re subjected to the main character’s almost continuous stream of depressing internal monologue.. to the point that the already dreary storyline felt tedious and stagnated.
It’s a shame, too, I wanted to like this one.
The Project by Courtney Summers
Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died in a tragic car accident, her sister Bea joined the elusive community called The Unity Project, leaving Lo to fend for herself. Desperate not to lose the only family she has left, Lo has spent the last six years trying to reconnect with Bea, only to be met with radio silence.
When Lo’s given the perfect opportunity to gain access to Bea’s reclusive life, she thinks they’re finally going to be reunited. But it’s difficult to find someone who doesn’t want to be found, and as Lo delves deeper into The Project and its charismatic leader, she begins to realize that there’s more at risk than just her relationship with Bea: her very life might be in danger.
As she uncovers more questions than answers at each turn, everything Lo thought she knew about herself, her sister, and the world is upended. One thing doesn’t change, though, and that’s what keeps her going: Bea needs her, and Lo will do anything to save her.
I had pretty high hopes for this book but the main character needs an attitude adjustment. No, really, she has some serious anger issues. That and her lack of maturity really turned me off.
This is probably the only DNF I may revisit in the future but.. I wasn’t impressed.
Queen of All by Anya Leigh Josephs
Jena lives on her family’s struggling farm and in her beautiful friend Sisi’s shadow. She’s not interested in Sisi’s plans to uncover the Kingdom’s darkest secrets: the suppression of magic, and the crown prince’s systemic murder of those who practice it. Jena only wants to keep a secret of her own—her changing feelings for Sisi. Yet when a letter arrives summoning Sisi to the royal Midwinter Ball, Jena has no choice but to follow her into a new world of mystery and danger.
Sisi falls into a perilous romance with the very crown prince she despises. Desperate to save her, Jena searches for answers in the halls of the palace and in the ancient texts of its library.
She discovers that the chance to save her friend, and their world, lies in her own ability to bring the magic back and embrace her own power.
This book actually managed to p*ss me off.
There is probably a good story buried beneath the insulting bull this poor main character endures.. but I can’t tolerate sitting through anything that repeatedly calls a young girl fat, ugly, and average. That is not okay and I don’t appreciate it being a book geared towards younger people who may see this behavior as acceptable.
It isn’t.
The Essence of Evil by Rob Sinclair
He’s your attacker.
He’s a murderer.
He’s your twin.
When DI Dani Stephens returns to work after an attack that almost ended her life, she’s quickly plunged into a horrific new case, as dead bodies are discovered on the streets of Birmingham.
But with no link between the victims, Dani has to get inside the killer’s mind – so turns to the murderer she knows best. Her own twin brother…
But what makes a psychopath? Can understanding her twin help her find a murderer who leaves no trace? As the circle closes on Dani, the clock is ticking and she needs a breakthrough – before she becomes the latest victim.
No real complaints about this book. It just didn’t keep my interest.
Survive the Night by Riley Sager
It’s November 1991. Nirvana’s in the tape deck, George H. W. Bush is in the White House, and movie-obsessed college student Charlie Jordan is in a car with a man who might be a serial killer.
Josh Baxter, the man behind the wheel, is a virtual stranger to Charlie. They met at the campus ride board, each looking to share the long drive home to Ohio. Both have good reasons for wanting to get away. For Charlie, it’s guilt and grief over the shocking murder of her best friend, who became the third victim of the man known as the Campus Killer. For Josh, it’s to help care for his sick father—or so he says.
The longer she sits in the passenger seat, the more Charlie notices there’s something suspicious about Josh, from the holes in his story about his father to how he doesn’t want her to see inside the trunk. As they travel an empty, twisty highway in the dead of night, an increasingly anxious Charlie begins to think she’s sharing a car with the Campus Killer. Is Josh truly dangerous? Or is Charlie’s jittery mistrust merely a figment of her movie-fueled imagination?
One thing is certain—Charlie has nowhere to run and no way to call for help. Trapped in a terrifying game of cat and mouse played out on pitch-black roads and in neon-lit parking lots, Charlie knows the only way to win is to survive the night.
Riley Sager’s books have been getting quite a lot of good press.. and it baffles me. This is the second book of his that I’ve picked up, (the first being Home Before Dark,) and I’m more disappointed than not.
‘Survive the Night’ was like watching a bad horror flick.. the kind where the main character keeps making terrible decisions and you feel obligated to correct them by loudly questioning their every choice.
My husband finally asked me why I was reading something that was so obviously frustrating, and when the only answer I could come up with is ‘I really don’t know,’ I knew it was time to throw in the towel.
Shame.
A Christmas to Remember by Jenny Hale
Everyone loves Christmas – don’t they?
Carrie Blakeloves her job as a nanny but, while her friends are settling down, all of Carrie’s spare time is spent with other people’s families. Though it breaks her heart, her New Year’s resolution is to embark on a new career and fix her love life.
As Carrie starts her last job, she’s sure she’ll be going out on a high – the house is amazing, the kids are adorable, and she’s in charge of decorating the tree!
The only problem could be her boss… Single dad Adam Fletcher might be both handsome and successful, but he’s always working. Doesn’t he realise he’s missing out on precious moments with his son and daughter?
As Adam’s family arrive for Christmas, including his sensitive sister, Sharon, and his fun-loving, elderly Grandpa, Walter, Carrie realizes that she might just have found the perfect allies in her quest to persuade Adam to loosen up. There’s still time for Carrie to make this the best Christmas ever… After all, Christmas is the time for miracles, isn’t it? Let the festivities begin!
This one was supposed to lift my spirits and help me find a little Christmas cheer.. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. The main character actually managed to drag my mood down further and I just don’t need that right now. Happy thoughts, that’s what the doctor called for, and I didn’t find them here.
Happy (almost) New Year and thank you for taking the time to check out my post!
With all the books I picked up and loved this year.. I feel fortunate that I had so few unpleasant reading experiences. It ended up being a great year for reading.
I hope your year was also full of wonderful stories and that the next be filled with many, many more.
I’m still trying to get comfortable with the idea of DNFing books but there are too many books we want to read to be reading the ones we don’t enjoy so..
Here’s to moving on.
Do you DNF books?
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I used to be very hesitant abt dnfing books but I usually ended up in a slump if i forced myself to continue. The blogging community pretty much warmed me up to the idea too.
Agreed! It’s a shame because you want to like every book you pick up but, unfortunately, that’s just not how it works.
It’s nice to have so many people we can learn and grow with!
Dnfing books can be very satisfying for some reason sometimes, right? 😂
I used to be bothered but it feels like to not continue on with a novel you’re most probably not gonna like and pick up another one. Great post!! I’m probably not reading these books. Lol.
It’s like slamming the door when you’re angry. It serves no real purpose but you feel better somehow. 😆
I agree! It still bothers me but I don’t want to miss out on a really great read by trying to force myself to finish one that isn’t working for me.
Thanks, Nehal! And you might still like them.. I just know I didn’t. 😅
I think its interesting when books get great reviews, and then for some reason, they just don’t work for us as individuals… or the other way around. I used to read every book to the end, Sheri, but I don’t any more. There are so many good books out there, why waste our time on ones we don’t enjoy. Happy Reading and Happy Holidays!
It’s also frustrating. There are books you get so excited for.. only to find out that they’re nothing like what was advertised.
And it seems like most of us have reached the point where it’s more a waste to force yourself than it is to just move on.
Thank you! And to you as well!
Yeah. I tried reading Erikson’s “Gardens of the Moon” three times because it’s one of the top rated fantasy novels. I just could not get through it. I actually like it that we all have different tastes. It makes for an interesting adventure as a reader and a writer.
That’s strange, I haven’t heard of that one.. but now I’m curious. My kryptonite seems to be The Folk of the Air series. I’ve tried reading it half a dozen times and have never made it passed chapter 5.
And I agree.. It would get awfully boring if we all liked the same things!
Stay safe and have a beautiful week.🌷
I used to finish everything, I kept thinking it has to get better. Then, I decided that there are too many good books to read, to suffer with ones I am not enjoying. One of the main reasons I have for not finishing a book is vulgar language. The odd swear word is okay if it is necessary for the tone of the book, but constant swearing and sexual language, turn me off.
Of course.. I think we all want every book we pick up to be a great read but it gets to a point where trying so hard to make it work, just makes it a worse experience.
I can see why that wouldn’t be pleasant!
I tend to avoid whining.. I can’t sit through hours of the angsty, ‘poor me’ kind of characters.
Have a great week, Carla, and happy reading!
First of all, I’m so glad that you joined the DNF club! Even though I’m usually frustrated and disappointed and sad when I DNF a book, I’ve found that if I don’t, I’m always more frustrated, disappointed, and angry if I should DNF it and push through instead. I haven’t read any of these books, but your reasons definitely resonate with me. Here’s to finding books that sit better with us, and having less DNFs in 2022!
Thanks? I always feel kind of terrible for the author.. it’s one thing to just not like a book and another entirely to post a review about all the reasons why.. But you are right. It messes with you when you try to force yourself to keep reading.
Cheers to that! I have a good feeling that 2022 is going to be fantastic for reading.
I get that, but enjoying a book is such a subjective experience. And I’ve read a book despite bad reviews and still enjoyed it. Not every reader loves every book and that’s okay!
I like that our reading experiences are all different, that our perspective is unique, it wouldn’t be any fun if all of us agreed on everything.
That’s what makes it so interesting to talk to others about books!
It is a great thing to be able to share and discuss the books we love.. or don’t. I know it’s lead me to some really fantastic reads!