DNF, in case you’re new to the social media world of books like I am, means “did not finish.”
Here’s my latest DNFs and why.
1. Oceansong by C.W. Rose
I wanted to love this one, but I couldn’t get into it. The characters felt 2d; the dialogue, awkward and stilted. I loved the setting and the premise, but the writing fell flat.
Also, biceps twitching is not hot so I’m unsure why the author put such emphasis on this.
2. Immortal Pleasures by V. Castro
Show, don’t tell applies here. I may be in the wrong mindset for this book but the first 2 chapters felt like contextual info dumping and I couldn’t get through them. I love a good vampire book but this one was not my style.
3. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
I honestly liked the author’s writing style a lot, but I went down a rabbit hole about the author drawing inspiration from Native ‘residential schools.’
Learning that in the end, the children remain displaced but it’s okay because they’re loved by a random white man made my stomach churn. I think it’s very possible to draw inspiration from real events; The Handmaid’s Tale did a wonderful job of this, but this author missed the mark. Bummed, because it had a good premise and enchanting characters
The Midnight Review 