What’s something in a book or book series that’s an automatic DNF for you?
What’s something in a book or book series that’s an automatic DNF for you?
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Lots of typos and grammar mistakes. It has to be glaringly obvious though.
Freaking love triangles. Sometimes I can overlook them or not care, but when it’s a main point in the book, I can’t keep going, it’s boring and painful as hell.
Yep! Love triangles are best done as a subplot.
I’m a pretty forgiving reader. A few errors, I can overlook, but if there are multiple typos, grammatical and spelling errors on a single page? Nope.
The biggest though? I must be able to connect with the characters. If I don’t care about what happens to them by chapter ten, I put the book down.
@Bethany This is really all that my preferences boil down to.
Just plain boring.
Seconded
Love triangles. I can’t do it ??♀️ I will DNF at the first hint of one.
Only if I get bored and i can’t follow along
nothing all of the books I’ve read I read through, be it boring or not…
Stale dialogue. Tired plot lines. Characters whose character development depends on their significant other.
If the character is litterally an idiot. Doing stupid or suicidal things all because she is too “emotional” and believes they are right.
@Patrisia I hope you consider actual mental illness for these
@Pamela no no no. I just mean stupid choices. Like in divergent when she just keeps lying to four because she believes she needs to do it herself. Even though it keeps putting them in danger more.
@Patrisia fair enough haha I agree
I’m pretty forgiving as a reader as well, it’s mostly just if i’m a more than 25% in and feel no pull of wondering where the story is going or what’s going to happen. The inciting incident should have occured by then, so just boredom turns me off
That sense of Deja vu that I find with a lot of YA especially within the kindle unlimited books.
I will quite literally put the book down immediately.
@Ashley im interested to explore this more- i just got kindle unlimited and trying to see if it is worth it after the free trial…
All the other girls are stupid bimbo bitches except for me… Im DiFfErEnT
Explicit sex scenes. If I wanted that I would read romance novels ?
If the end of Chapter 1 doesn’t grip me, I’m less likely to continue with the book. I need a real good hook.
If the book just isn’t interesting me by either 25% or page 100, then I stop.
Honestly I have a wide variety of books. I could care less about a simple error here and there. I could even like a love triangle! Honestly… it just depends on my situation and the book. Gotta get the click.
First person, and the first chapter is them waking up and doing their morning routine.
Whining from the main character, particularly when they’re whining about their love interest. Nooooooooope. Instant DNF.
Or- When their inner monologue about their love interest takes up more time than world building. (Cough…. air awakens)
aw shit I was looking forward to reading Air Awakens.
@Mia you might still like it. It just really wasn’t for me.
I loved air awakens! It’s one of my favorite books. Yes the first book is a little slow but once you get to book 2 it’s really hard to put down. I loved the love story part of the plot and thought it had a nice balance of romance and fantasy. Not to complain or say you’re wrong Rachel, it just makes me sad that others didnt have the same experience that I had ? but everyone is different
@Roxanne I made it about 3/4 through book 2 before calling it quits. I really tried. It just wasn’t for me.
Roxanne Winter I actually really liked book 1, so much so that I bought the whole series after I read it. But it was also DNF for me after book 2. I thought it was too relationship heavy/slow plot, which I could tolerate if the romance was good but the MC was just so damn petty and immature!
I am glad you enjoyed it though! ?
When the mc cares more about some love interest than their own responsibilities. Especially in fantasy. Like, if you can time travel why tf are you worrying about some fuckboy? YOU HAVE A TALKING GARGOYLE! YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO ENTER OTHERS DREAMS! AND YOU’RE THE “CHOSEN” ONE. GET YOUR HEAD ON STRAIGHT!
Immature dialogue of older teenage characters.
Useless main character.
First person with way too much tedious details. I prefer reading 3rd person because of this, but I will still read 1st person if it’s not too tedious about their daily routine, etc. Like idccccc. Get to the story line ?
Abuse that’s ok in the book, like rape, sexism,… those topics, when not well handled, makes me crazy ?
I agree. I read a book lately where an attempted rape was treated as a plot device to get the love interest to finally make a move, two seconds later. And then the whole thing was never really touched on again, at least in terms of how the character felt about it.
@Kelly Exactly ! I read one where the topic is about women being sold to be companions to royalty, and are treated horribly but no one finds that horrifying, she gets raped also, because of the brother of the her prince, and no one cares ? OMG. The whole thing made me scream ? I don’t mind worlds that treat women terribly, only if it makes the characters rebel against an unjust system ? and not be like “oh well” …
MCs who are supposed to be sassy and sarcastic but really they’re just whiny and bitchy. The ‘all girls are pathetic except me because I wear t shirts and don’t care about make-up’ trope. I’ve read adult books with the same crap. Instant turn off.
love triangles!!! i hate them
abuse of anyone
Anything that is problematic in terms of how the writer addresses issues like mental health or abuse. I don’t mind if it raises those issues and discusses them properly, but domestic abuse dressed up as a fiery relationship or a suicidal character portrayed as tragically romantic is a definite no
I’m not a huge fan of books written in the present tense. It’s not always an automatic DNF but if I cant adjust to it with the authors writing style I’ll but the book down.
I also dislike when books are written poorly with simplistic, repetitive language and little to no plot or character development. I like nothing less then flat characters who don’t have any chemistry between them.
Sci-Fi. I don’t like this genre. So much. And also, fast-paced writing styles like the dulogy by Sara B. Larson (it’s irritating to read because the scenes doesn’t make sense)
Honestly I’m pretty forgiving and rarely dnf – I’m too nosy I have to know what’s going to happen. On the rare occasions I have dnf a book it’s just because the writing was poor and it didn’t amount to anything more than words on a page ?
the author’s writing style
self pity drama and pregnancy.
Surprise sci-fi when I expected supernatural.
If I have to force myself to finish a book then I’m done with the series.
Special Snowflakes
Too much purple prose or flowery language to describe things. I hate The Night Circus (unpopular opinion, I know) and recently DNFed Muse of Nightmares and Wintersong because of it. I couldn’t even listen to them on audiobook. I was bored to tears.
Over descriptive books are so boring. I try to push through books that I don’t like if they’re extremely popular. I feel like sometimes maybe I’m missing what people love. Strange the dreamer and vicious were this years DNF
Overdescriptive books and poor writing style.
Stupid main characters
If its based in the past and they screw up historical events…
When the MC’s personality suddenly changes. I don’t like it when they start to act or say things that don’t match their personality, that’s a big nono to me. OR when they don’t end up with the character I liked ?
If there’s no build-up to the romance. I want to feel it by the time it happens.
If there’s a love triangle! I just hate it so much and it makes me so annoyed, so if it turns out that there is one I seriously just gives up? It frustrates me that I feel this way about love triangles though, because there is so many popular books with them in?
Ugh yeah love triangles… I hate them too! But it’s not an auto DNF for me 🙂 thankfully, otherwise I never would’ve finished the black mage series and the last two books are absolutely amazing! <3
I haven’t heard of them but if they’re so good I might check them out?
I liked the first one but go annoyed at the love triangle crap in book 2… Book 3 and 4 blew me away 😀 Also because those books were not what I expected xD I expected a light YA read xD
Is there a lot of focus on the love triangle? And does it like… disappear??
I thought it was very annoying in book 2, but it disappears 😉 I’m not sure it’s that bad :p (I just really hate it and tend to focus on it if it’s there xD)
Okay, I think I’ll give it a try ??
Yaaaaay! ? I really hope you’ll like it! ?
I hope so too?
Whiny girls who can’t handle being without their boyfriends for 5 minutes, and/or assume their boyfriend is dead and immediately hook up with someone else.
Bitchy characters.. from what I read as in the prologue or the first chapters I usually decide if I like the characters at least enough to continue but if not then automatically a dnf
Vampires. I don’t know why.
A YA love triangle or when a romance is just surface level.
Too much repetition. It drives me crazy. Once or twice is fine, but anymore is excessive and distracting.
@Heather exactly! This I hate this!!! Its like ok this isn’t realistic!!
If the main character isn’t strong enough, personality/attitude-wise. They can be a bit beaten down, but they have to have the spine.
Too much “fluff” and not enough substance. If I know more about the setting than about who the character is, what drives them, and what their goals/wants by 1/3 in than I am not interested in the book. I only try to finish them for my job, but it is often painful. ??♀️
Love triangle – between brothers ?
Terriblt illogical characters
I dislike the Kingmaker, Kingbreaker series by Karen Miller. I read the first book, The Innocent Mage, which is about 650 pages, and the climax happens on the last page, so I was shouting, “That’s it!?” I have book two, The Awakened Mage, but I’m not going to bother reading it.
Well from reading all the comments I’m definitely going to be the only one who doesn’t dnf anything…. I find it hard for me personally to judge a book a hundred pages in or by the first or second chapter….most of these writers put their heart and soul into the books they write , I think what the author’s do is amazing…. that’s my two cents worth…????
@Mysti My thoughts
when excessive amounts of slang are used in narration. i tried to read a book about some aussie kids and fairies but i couln’t finish it because of an the slang
Annoying MC. The reason I DNF’d The Selection series. I.just.could.not.
I can only stand reading in 1st POV. 2nd and 3rd give me bad anxiety. Its frustrating cause they can have great plots, I’ll get acouple chapters in and then I’m all sweaty, shakey and frustrated. Idk why..
@Katrise, 1st person is my favourite, but I can read 3rd too.