How to Know When to DNF a Book: Learn to Say No to Mediocrity

Ever pick up a highly-anticipated book, only to find yourself miserably slogging through the pages? I have, many, many times. And yet, for the longest time, I would make myself power through it anyway. Only recently did I realize that making myself finish a book I couldn’t get into was seldom (if ever) worth the effort.

In fact, trying to push through a bad book would usually result in a months-long reading slump. And my mountainous TBR pile and the 2.2 million new books published every year dictate that I don’t have time for mediocrity.

And that’s when I began to embrace the DNF.

What does DNF mean? It stands for Did Not Finish, although it’s not uncommon to hear the term used as a verb on BookTok or Bookstagram. (“I DNF’d this stinker in the first few pages!”) The DNF is your secret weapon to getting through your TBR pile and still feeling fulfilled.

But how do you know when to DNF a book? How do you know when you should stop and when you should keep going? Here we’re going to break down the stigma surrounding DNFing books, why it’s okay, and prime signs it’s time to put down that literary dumpster fire and move on to the next book.

Why People Struggle with DNF Books

If you’re one of those people who rarely DNF books because it makes you feel bad, it’s time to take a closer look at why that is and address the fears that surround those reasons. Here are the ones I commonly fell prey to:

“What if It Gets Better?

This is easily the number one reason why I have trouble putting down a book after I’ve picked it up. After all, many books – some of my favorite books, even – took a considerable investment of time before I was hooked. (Babel, and The Stormlight Archive, for example.)

But there’s a difference between reading books that have a slow start and books that you just know in your heart of hearts is not for you. Learning how to tell the difference is the number one skill needed to become a DNFing pro. (More on that later!)

The Sunken Cost Fallacy

If your justification for powering through an unenjoyable book is “I paid for this book,” or “I already spent x number of hours reading it,” then you have succumbed to the sunken cost fallacy, which is defined as a cognitive bias that drives you to continue because of the time, money, or effort you have invested even when there is clearly no value in finishing.

I fell victim to this a lot as well. I mean, books are expensive, for one. And I can’t tell you how many times I said to myself, “Well, I’m already 40% of the way through, I might as well just finish it.”

You can mitigate your chances of falling into the sunken cost trap by sticking to free, cheap, or borrowed books and establishing a “trial period” for your book ahead of time.

For example, if it’s a new author or a book I’m not sure about, I’ll borrow it using my Libby app (even if it means I have to wait a few weeks to read it), or I will buy the Kindle version which is a lot cheaper than the physical copy.

Then I will say to myself, “Alright, this book is 600 pages long, I’m going to give it 80 pages to decide if it’s for me.” Then at 80 pages, if the book is showing a lot of DNF signs, I will put it down and move on to the next one.

Everyone Else is Reading It (And Loving It)

Oh BookTok, how many times will I let you betray me? How many times will I see countless glowing reviews on the same book, only to pick it up myself and think, “What is this? Am I even reading the same book?”

That’s not to say I haven’t found great books through bookfluencers’ suggestions, but the truth is, not everyone is going to like the same things.

Tastes diverge even within the same genre.

For example, fantasy books have all manner of subgenres and writing styles. Some people like dark academia with dragons. Others like fae romances with little world-building. Some people prefer first-person narrative while that style of writing makes other readers cringe.

If the writing or type of book clearly isn’t for you, it’s not going to magically get better. Put it down and move on.

Also, getting a feel for what subgenres you like will help you avoid reading something out of FOMO, reducing the number of books you have to DNF down the road.

Signs It’s Time to DNF

Now that we’ve addressed your fears behind DNFing books, let’s get into the nitty gritty of when it’s time to review and DNF a book.

Truthfully, any time is fine to DNF a book – you never have to feel guilty or bad about quitting, even if you only have a handful of pages left. But having some metrics or a DNF gauge, if you will, can help you make the decision with more confidence.

Here’s what triggers my DNF reflex:

It’s Not What I Expected (In a Bad Way)

Sometimes a book gets billed as one thing, but as you start reading, it quickly becomes apparent it is something else. Usually, you can tell by the second or third chapter what kind of book it is, and if that genre or subgenre isn’t up your alley, there is absolutely no reason to continue it.

The Writing Style Makes Me Cringe

To start with, I don’t like to say that any book has “bad writing.” (Maybe books that could use more editing.)

And like any art, fiction is about perception. One person’s cringy dialogue is another person’s favorite quote. But as I mentioned earlier, not all books are for all people. So if the writing style is making me roll my eyes within the first couple of chapters, there’s no reason to expect it will get better as the book progresses.

It Conflicts with My Personal Values

There are some subjects and viewpoints I just don’t want to read about, and thanks to my new DNF skills, I don’t have to. Remember that you don’t either.

Reading it Feels Like a Huge Chore

There’s getting through slow spots in a book, and there’s having absolutely zero connection with the characters, plot, and narrative. By a few chapters in, you should care about something that’s going on. If not, you’re not likely to by the end, either.

Reading is my hobby. Hobbies are supposed to be fun. If I’m not having fun, I’m moving on.

I Am Certain the Book Will Not be More Than Two Stars

I recently have stopped finishing books that I strongly suspect – that no matter what happens in the rest of the book – it will be less than a three-star read in my opinion. Mostly, it’s because I don’t like writing a negative review on my Goodreads or blog post. I mostly only want to talk about books I enjoyed.

How to DNF Like a Pro

Again, there is no “wrong” way to DNF a book. But here is the system I’ve been using and it works well for me:

Give It a Fair Chance

Some books have a slow start but are absolutely worth reading. For example, Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb is famously slow-paced, but the character work is so excellent that by the time you’re a few chapters in, you feel as immersed as if you’re living alongside the characters.

However, it shouldn’t take a book longer than that to get cooking. I don’t have time for books that only get good in the last 100 pages.

So before starting a book, decide on how many pages will serve as the book’s “audition.” I usually give about fifty pages or about 10% of longer books, which – perhaps not so coincidently – is about how long the Kindle free sample downloads are. If I get to the end of the free sample and it’s not doing it for me, you can bet I’m not going to buy the book.

Conduct a Post-Mortum on your DNFs

If you are conscientious about when you give up on a book, it can really help you reduce the number of times you need to exercise your right to DNF.

Start by identifying why you didn’t like the book. Was it the writing style? The genre? The tropes? You can find patterns in the books you didn’t like and use that information when making future book choices.

For instance, I much prefer epic fantasy books written in close third-person narrative. I (surprisingly) have learned I love dark academia, dragons, cool magic systems, and political intrigue. I am not big on first-person narratives (with some exceptions) or romance-centered books that overshadow the plot.

Honing in on exactly the kind of books I like reading most over the last few months has helped me make better picks across multiple books.

Can’t Bring Yourself to DNF? Try These Alternatives

Sometimes it’s not about the book, it’s about me or the headspace I’m in. Sometimes it’s about how busy life. Sometimes, it’s a grey area where I’m interested but not quite interested enough. In those cases, there are other things you can do other than abandon the book:

Skimming to the End

If you’re at least halfway through the book and aren’t feeling it, but want to have closure on what happens next, you can absolutely skim to the end. I promise the literature police won’t come beating down your door for some perceived reading infraction.

Taking a Break

Sometimes, you don’t need to DNF a book forever; you can just put it down and return to it when you feel ready.

For instance, I tried reading Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson two or three years ago, but I wasn’t ready for it yet. I was just starting to get into fantasy books and I couldn’t handle all the world-building. Then I started reading it again from the beginning a few months ago and absolutely loved it.

Switching Formats

Sometimes, it’s not the book’s fault, but how you’re consuming it. For example, if you’re overwhelmed by how long it is or don’t have a lot of time to read multiple books, try listening to the audiobook version, which allows you to read the book while you’re doing other things like commuting to work or making dinner.

Sometimes switching from paperback to e-reader can also help. Once, I was reading one of those mass-market paperback books that was 1000+ pages long and really uncomfortable to read. It was actually hurting my hands to hold it open and it made me not want to read it anymore. Then I downloaded it on my Kindle and suddenly I was into the book again!

Final Thoughts: Embrace the DNF

DNFing is a personal choice to be sure, but remember that your time is valuable – especially your leisure and reading time! I promise you, learning when to DNF a book will improve your reading life by 100%.

Whether you decided it’s not right after the first half or simply weren’t in the mood for it after the first chapter, you can DNF books guilt-free and know that the next good read is just a book away!

FAQ