12 Responses

  1. Angela
    Angela at |

    I think if a book is a DNF you can’t really give a good review because you don’t know how the story would have developed but you can give a sort of statement were you say that you DNF and the reason(s) why?
    Luckely i read for pleasure but i always try to finish a book even if i don’t really like it but if i really really really don’t like it i will give up but i won’t review it but i will put it on the DNF shelf. There are so many great books out there so i’m not going to waste my precious reading time on a book that i really don’t like.

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  2. susana
    susana at |

    That’s an interesting question (and some very good answers) In my opinion, you shouldn’t really rate it, if you have not finished it. You can write a review stating the reasons why you decided to drop it, or why it did not work for you. It has happened to me a couple of times, and that’s what I do! 😉

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  3. Lisa
    Lisa at |

    I don’t rate books I DNF. I simply state the reason(s) I quit the book and shelf it as DNF then move on to the next book. I used to be one of those people who forced myself to read everything no matter how much I hated it, then I decided why put myself through this kind of torture when I have so many other books sitting on Mt TBR waiting to be read already.

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  4. Tanja
    Tanja at |

    Thanks for the interesting questions and for the answers. I don’t rate DNF books. I feel it is not fair to the autor, because you didn’t finish the entire book. Sometimes I get back to the author with the reasons I didn’t finish the book.

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  5. dee
    dee at |

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts on dnf-books with us. I try to read all my books. I mean, I spent money for them, so I must have had a reason, why I bought them in the first place.
    I belong to those of you, who struggle a lot with bad editing, even though English is not my native tongue. And when rating a badly edited book, I tend to subtract one or two stars just because it spoils the party.

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  6. Purple Reader
    Purple Reader at |

    Thanks for Q&A and other comments. I’m going to deviate here. I think it’s perfectly fine to review DNFs. The DNF is a review in itself, and I think you can write what you thought, just like you would for a 1 or 2 star rating. If you can only get halfway thru, then that’s telling and helpful info to a reader. I don’t need to know how a story ends if it’s bad up to that point. Ditto for poor editing, b/c readers wanna know. And if there is bothersome content that was a surprise, then eliminate that surprise for readers who would also be bothered. Tell me the reasons for DNF, and I’m an intelligent adult to decide if for me those reasons count or I want to give a try anyway, which I have done at times and enjoyed the book.

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  7. heath0043
    heath0043 at |

    I think a reviewer should still write a review on a DNF book telling why they didn’t finish it. if I’m interested in a book and read a review on it, I want the truth from the reviewer, good or bad.

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  8. Ami
    Ami at |

    As I am a guest reviewer on a different blog, I do submit DNF review and it’s up for the blog to post it or not. Personally I always think offering reason why a book is a DNF book is still fair and honest for both authors and readers (visitors)

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  9. Carolyn
    Carolyn at |

    I have no problem seeing DNF reviews, though I always feel bad for the author. Sometimes it is for something that’s just a problem for a reviewer, a certain kind of content, not just “this is a bad book.” I actually just had to DNF a book and wrote a review of it, and it was definitely a case of me just not able to deal with a character’s traits, whereas other people would probably be fine. His character just was not someone I was going to be able to deal with over a whole book, but I was enjoying another aspect of it, so I’m hoping people could judge for themselves whether the book was for them. I don’t blame any of the reviewers for a DNF on bad editing, because that’s just frustrating when you’re trying to be immersed in a story, so I appreciate the heads up on that kind of thing.

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  10. Trix
    Trix at |

    I can understand the reason for a DNF, as long as it’s as detailed and thoughtful as the review itself would have been.

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  11. H.B.
    H.B. at |

    I usually try to finish any books I read but sometimes i just can’t and I understand the difficult decisions on whether or not having to finish a story.

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  12. 16forward
    16forward at |

    I always try to finish each book I start, even if I’m sure I’m going to have to give a 1 or 2 rating. Poor editing is a major turn off for me. If an author is willing to put themselves out there with their ideas, I admire them for that, but feel they should take the time to ‘clean it up’ before publishing. Everyone should take pride in each of their books. One bad review can totally put me off an author. They do themselves a disservice to not find honest editors…even if they’re just friends or contacts they’ve made over the internet.

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