Monday, September 15, 2014

DNF Round-Up [2014: Part 2]

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The post where I post mini reviews on why I DNFed (did not finish) these books!
For my past DNF posts, click here!


Mortal DangerMortal Danger
Ann Aguirre

Goodreads Purchase

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Edie Kramer has a score to settle with the beautiful people at Blackbriar Academy. Their cruelty drove her to the brink of despair, and four months ago, she couldn’t imagine being strong enough to face her senior year. But thanks to a Faustian compact with the enigmatic Kian, she has the power to make the bullies pay. She’s not supposed to think about Kian once the deal is done, but devastating pain burns behind his unearthly beauty, and he’s impossible to forget.

In one short summer, her entire life changes, and she sweeps through Blackbriar, prepped to take the beautiful people down from the inside. A whisper here, a look there, and suddenly… bad things are happening. It’s a heady rush, seeing her tormentors get what they deserve, but things that seem too good to be true usually are, and soon, the pranks and payback turns from delicious to deadly. Edie is alone in a world teeming with secrets and fiends lurking in the shadows. In this murky morass of devil’s bargains, she isn’t sure who—or what–she can trust. Not even her own mind…

I’m sad because I was so looking forward to this, but I was sooo bored. I put it down to read something else when it felt like I’d been reading this one for a year, and I just can’t motivate myself to pick this up and continue on with it.

It started out alright, but soon enough it turned out to be all about these 2 paranormal/afterlife “companies” who are in competition with each other with all this political drama. Well, bleh. Also, the love interest is another of those stalker guys who has watched her her whole life – mostly when she was getting bullied and emotionally tortured by her peers while he stood and did nothing (or took notes for his boss or something). But, you know, it’s okay because it was his job; so, yeah, lets jump his bones because he’s hot!? Eh, no, still creepy.

Furthermore, seeing as the girl was bullied relentlessly for years, and now seems to have a serious lack of self esteem from how she describes her past self, she gets out of her shell a bit too easily once she’s made attractive. There’s no lingering insecurities at all; a prettier face perfected her social skills in a second. Not very realistic for a girl who was at the point of suicide 2 seconds earlier. That confidence she suddenly displays would be hidden deeper than that.

Anyways, maybe the last half is an epic showdown of 5-star-ism, but honestly I don’t care to find out.

Blackbird

Blackbird
Anna Carey

Goodreads Purchase

A girl wakes up on the train tracks, a subway car barreling down on her. With only minutes to react, she hunches down and the train speeds over her. She doesn’t remember her name, where she is, or how she got there. She has a tattoo on the inside of her right wrist of a blackbird inside a box, letters and numbers printed just below: FNV02198. There is only one thing she knows for sure: people are trying to kill her.

On the run for her life, she tries to untangle who she is and what happened to the girl she used to be. Nothing and no one are what they appear to be. But the truth is more disturbing than she ever imagined.

The Maze Runner series meets Code Name Verity, Blackbird is relentless and action-packed, filled with surprising twists.

Blackbird is told in 2nd person tense, which I thought would be unique – and it is, naturally – but instead of being a fun change of pace it was just distracting. This was made even worse when I quickly grew frustrated with the cheesiness of the plot. It also doesn’t try to be all that realistic. For instance, some random guy who has never used a gun before, goes up and shoots a woman from a few stories high (who knew it was that easy to hit a target? >.<), kills her, and he’s just all ok with it because she was going to kill someone else anyways. Then I hear he randomly gets eaten by a dog or something odd like that. Anyways, I put this one down a while ago after I got bored, not necessarily planning on DNFing but, but after seeing the reviews of those who finished it, I can safely say I don’t ever plan on picking it up again.

I do think you should try it, though, because it feels like one that will be a hit or miss. 2nd person POV could make for a really awesome read if the story is able to compel the reader into the heroine’s shoes/mind – which Blackbird did not get close to achieving for me, sadly.

The Girl with All the Gifts The Girl with All the Gifts
M.R. Carey

Goodreads Purchase

Not every gift is a blessing.

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class.

When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don’t like her. She jokes that she won’t bite. But they don’t laugh.

Melanie is a very special girl.

This book has an incredibly interesting concept – definitely a unique take on zombies. Also with only a few pages in, I could tell there was a lot of research done to make it scientifically fascinating. But… I just couldn’t get into it. There are several POVs, all in 3rd person which is always hard for me, and I was simply not feeling this one at all at the time. I think it may have been my mood more than the book itself, too.

However, unlike any other DNF books I’ve had, it’s one I’d consider picking up again in a couple of month, especially after seeing all the 4 and 5 star reviews from my friends. I’m a very curious person in nature, so I’m dying to see what this book turns out to be; what brought out so much love for it. If you have read it, what do you think? If I didn’t like it by 30%, do you still think I should reconsider?

Have you DNFed any books recently?

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Canadian blogger, wife, mother, coffee lover, and sarcastic at heart! She has had a love for all things bookish since before Amazon and eReaders existed *le gasp*. You can also find her organizing tours and other fun things at Xpresso Book Tours.

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20 Responses to “DNF Round-Up [2014: Part 2]”

  1. Nick @ Nick's Book Blog

    I’m sad to hear that Mortal Danger didn’t work for you, but I’ve heard similar things from mostly everyone who has read it. It does seem unrealistic that this girl who was about to commit suicide suddenly becomes pretty and then has a ton of confidence. I don’t think I could get behind that. Also, I’m not in the mood for a boring book either.

    Ha! I’m glad I didn’t even bother picking up Blackbird. I knew it wouldn’t be the book for me as soon as I found out it had a 2nd person POV. That would distract me too. Also a cheesy book? NOPE!

    The Girl with All the Gifts! I saw you getting excited for this book some time ago. I hope you’ll decide to pick it up and it will be a stronger read for you the second time around.

    Thanks for sharing the reviews, Giselle! I can safely say I will be staying away from these.

  2. Erin @ The Hardcover Lover

    I wish I didn’t finish Mortal Danger, but I won an ARC, so I forced myself to finish it because my blog was just getting started.

    It wasn’t a great book at all. I was so offended by Edie. And the romance just felt so forced. But the political battle was not mentioned at all in the synopsis, and that is the biggest part of what I read. I felt mislead.

  3. Michelle @ In Libris Veritas

    Is it bad I totally forgot I was reading Mortal Danger…I put it down a week ago to try and finish u another book and just forgot. It’s not bad, but I’m not as invested as I wanted to be. Plus I’m having a bit of trouble with the flip in her personality as well.

  4. Faye D'Social Potato

    Awww, I’m super sad that you didn’t get to love The Girl with all the Gifts because I adored that book a lot! I completely understand if you didn’t, though, but I definitely agree that you should reconsider sometime in the future. The first thirty percent can be a little broing, but the later parts are super philosophical and you’ll love it if you like thought-provoking series 😀

    And I completely agree with your reasons for not finishing Mortal Danger. That book was so all over the place and I was sick of how it was becoming so messy. And that romance was a little weird, considering how it felt they rushed into it so soon and became all over each other without substantial development.

  5. Annette

    I really enjoyed Blackbird (and he doesn’t get eaten by dogs). I recently DNF’d Get Even, which I’ve rad a lot of good reviews for. Everyone’s different, and I think my mood sometimes has something to do with how much I enjoy a book. I have Girl with all the Gifts on my list to read someday.

    • Giselle

      I was told they find this dog fighting ring and it’s hinted at that he gets eaten or killed or wtv. Not outright mentioned but hinted at. I’ve decided to skip on Get Even – I didn’t have the best of luck with her last book and this one gives me a bad feeling >.<

  6. Liliana @ Lili Lost in a Book

    I actually have not read any of these books, which I am glad for now! lol
    Lately the only book I DNF’d was Insanity by Susan Vaught. I don’t DNF many books but that one was just, ugh! I was very confused as to what was going on 🙁

  7. Elizabeth @ A Thousand Lives Lived

    I agave rarely DNFed though I will put down a book for some amount of time and come back to it if I don’t feel like reading it. If I’m not in the mood and set a book down I don’t consider it DNFing. But if I just *know* I can’t stand the read a book anymore because of the book not me I will DNF it if that’s the case. Anyways thanks for this, I wanted to check these books out because I I’ve seen mixed feelings like Mortal Danger. Again thanks!

  8. Rashika

    Did you know that women with pretty faces also have insecurities?!?!? *gasp* It’s silly how her becoming pretty basically makes her lose all her insecurities. It’s actually kind of disappointing and a little shallow. I am sorry you didn’t like Mortal Danger more, Giselle. 🙁

    Blackbird sounds like an awesome book though #sarcasmintended. USING A GUN ISN’T EASY. And the kind of message that sends is NOT good. SERIOUSLY. It’s just disappointing since I was looking forward to the book too.

    I am genuinely surprised to see The Girl With All The Gifts here though, especially since it got sooo many raving reviews! I am hoping when you give it a second shot, you’ll like it more! 🙂

    Lovely minis, Gee!!! <3

  9. Mel@thedailyprophecy

    I loved The girl with all the gifts and how everything wraps up in the ending, but perhaps it’s not the book for you if you struggled so much. The writing-style and different POV’s worked for me, so I’m not sure.. I’m surprised to see this one on your list though, I thought you would really like it.

  10. Danielle

    Oh no, I’m sorry TGWATG didn’t work for you! That’s my book of the year so far. Different strokes, though.

    I’ve seen two DNF reviews of Blackbird from people I trust this week, I don’t think I’ll pick that one up.

  11. Bonnie @ For the Love of Words

    Mortal Danger and Blackbird seem to be common DNF’s these days.
    Oh man, The Girl With All the Gifts was pretty fab, sorry you didn’t enjoy it! I’m trying to remember but I think the beginning was a bit slow for me too. It wasn’t super action packed but what I liked most about it was the explanation of the zombies. With most of those stories, zombies just are, you know? There’s a super detailed explanation given that is actually more than a little possible in the world today, which made it super creepy. The ending was pretty shocking and unexpected too. If you give it a 2nd try I hope it ends up going better than the 1st. 🙂

  12. Chyna @ Lite-Rate-Ture

    I understand why you hated Mortal Danger! I loved it but when I got to read more reviews about it…my view on it has been…hehe The storyline really was the problem but idk what made me like it HAHA I love Ann Aguirre so I might have been biased.

  13. jazmen

    I’m in the process of reading this. It’s just difficult to keep up with because of that 2nd person telling but I’m keeping at it. I understand how it could be a DNF though.

  14. Daniela

    My roommate bought, read and raves about “The Girl With All the Gifts”. Although the reviews are good, I have not felt the urge to start it.

    In regards to you’re DNF question, I usually try to power through books, hoping (sometimes in vain) that they become better, at 30% I think that is a accurate portrayal of the author and their writing style, therefore if you didn’t like it then, you probably won’t like it now. But you know fresh eyes and all, maybe you will 🙂 Good luck