Young Adult Reads discussion

Do you quit reading a book if you don't like it? Or do you fight your way through until the end?

I hate to leave a book unfinished, even if the book makes me want to claw my eyes out. I've left three books unfinished in my life and one of them I'll eventually try to go back to because the writing was good, but the content was scary (I'm a wimp!!).

I try! I really try to get through books. However, I have a few books I have left unfinished. I think of books like dates. If we aren't getting along and having fun, it is best just to call it a night. I try really hard to give everyone a chance, but sometimes we just don't "click." I accept the fact that not all books are for all people at that time.

Yes I do. If I'm in the mood, I'm going to finish it.

I finish the book even if I can't stand it. I have only left one book unread. Everyone I have talked to liked that book so I may one day go back and try and re- read it.

I almost always finish a book, even if I hate it. I feel like I owe the book, so I finish it to make it feel better about itself. If that makes any sense...

NEVER! I'm too compulsive to leave a book unfinished. I feel like if I give up on a book, the book has beaten me or something. And like Alivia, I feel like I owe it to the book to give it its whole effort to try and impress me. The author didn't intend for you to only read part of the story, so it's only fair for me to read the whole thing. I can't even remember the last time I didn't finish a book--there was one book I didn't finish and it haunted me until I finally dug it up and forced my way through it.

I just refuse to give up, and while sometimes it gives me a major headache from all the crap I end up reading, I'm proud for not giving up.

Yep and I have no remorse about it. If I come to the point of where I really just can't stand to continue it, I'll skip to the Back of the book and see how it ends lol I'm bad at that!

Yeah...but I'll try to finish it before totally giving up on the book or try to finish the book when I heard something good about the book.

I do finish a book. If I don't like it I relegate it to the bathroom....and then it gets read, even if it takes a year.

Lol at Jennifer. :).

I hate not finishing books, so even if I do quit one(which I've been doing more and more lately with ones I don't like), I'll usually end up starting it at some point later on, and finishing it. When I quit a book, it bothers me later.

I don't know if I "quit" books so much as life just happens. If I wasn't really happy with the book to begin with, then I don't really fight to get back to it. Then the next thing you know it's been a few weeks/months and you are like "Screw, if I want to continue reading you, I have to start back at the beginning just to get back into the know of where I left off." Then you have the conundrum; do I bother rereading half this book (that clearly had me at the edge of my seat cough cough) just to finish it? Or do I go on the hunt for something new and juicy to read? Juicy gets me every time!

I try my level best to finish it but in circumstances beyond my control i just give up. Recently i quit on 2 books. I feel bad for being so impatient but if the book is beneath my standards i don't show mercy.

It is rare but I have been known to do it 4 times. 1 was Withering Heights, I just wasn't into it and I can't do the classics, the way they are written. After that my grandma tried to give me Tess of the d'Urbervilles, I barely read that before going 'This is the same!' another book, I don't remember what it was called it was some Historical Fiction on when Australia started being settled for real (ie wealthy families, not prisoners). But it literally put me to sleep I'd read like a couple paragraphs and be out. The last was just last week, Cloud Atlas, I just couldn't get into the writing style so I had to put it down even though I was really excited to read it :/

Usually though I just finish them I always think 'it might get better!' and then by the time I've realize it won't I feel like I'm already too far into it to bother with quitting, it's just like, no no, I need to finish this

I almost never stop reading a book once I've started, but a couple of days ago I had to stop readingFloodafter 160+ pages. I just could not get into it. Too many facts and too little emotion. I absolutely hated to do it, but I stopped. I think I gave it a fighting chance. Why force yourself to read a book you're not thoroughly enjoying when there are so many wonderful books out there?

It depends on how BAD it is. Sometimes I'll put it down for awhile and come back to it (which is the case right now) but there are times where I will just stop reading it. Most of the time I can stomach it haha

Tonyalee wrote: "It depends on how BAD it is. Sometimes I'll put it down for awhile and come back to it (which is the case right now) but there are times where I will just stop reading it. Most of the time I can st..."

I agree with you. For me it just depends on how bad the book is. If I just can't deal with it anymore, then I put it down.

I can never quit a book because even though I dislike it I need to find out what happens, But I czn leave the book for a while and come back if I really dislike it but I will try and read it later :)

I can't ever put a book down if I started it. I just keep solidering on no matter how painful it is.

Life to too short to read a book I'm really not enjoying. So yes I have stopped reading a few books. I couldn't finish Cell by Stephan king, or Girls in white dresses. I think there was 1 or 2 more but I can't remember..

I have never been able to drop a book that I didn't like, I have to know how it ends, but I have this thing about skipping to the end. That is one thing I will never do.

I try to finish it even if it's really boring, just because I feel bad when I don't, but if I really starting disliking it I just skim through the remaining pages.

The only book that I scimmed through was Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I would never suggest that book to anyone to read.

I'm the king of quitting books that annoy me. (Queen I guess is more appropriate...) I just can't waste my time on books that annoy me, because I'll remember it the whole way through the book and never let it go. I'm the Jerry Seinfeld of reading.

no. I dont start a book then stop. I finish it to the end.

I can't force myself to keep reading a book that I'm not enjoying at all. if the book had good moments then I'll continue to read it

I will read the first 50 pages or so and not finish a book but that's because when I read that few pages I don't really consider I've started it. When I read more than that I will almost certainly finish a book, even if I put it down for a few months (or years in the case of The Lord of the Rings) in the middle.

I hate wasting time on a book that I'm not enjoying (I always think "Why keep reading this when I could be spending my time on something that I enjoy."). But I do try to finish everything eventually--I feel like I owe that to the author. Above, Jennifer mentioned keeping a book in the bathroom so it gets read eventually, and I may have to try that with a few that are currently in my DNF pile. :)

So for everyone that keeps reading- do you then go and give it a bad review?

I personally don't keep reading. I have close to 100 books on my nook right now. If I don't like something, I just delete it and move on. I used to feel like I had to finish, but now there are so many books out there I just don't feel the need.

I do sometimes, I try not to, but I read for fun.. So if I don't like a book, I'm not enjoying my leisure time...
Now that I have an ereader I leave books unfinished a lot more often, because I don't have the remorse of having spent a lot of money in a book Ia didn't read. Ebooks are quite cheap.

I, apparently, am a sucker for punishment so I do keep reading. I think I've only ever NOT finished about 5 books...they were just so freaking awful!

I DO give it a bad review, but I usually justify why. Terrible writing, bad grammar, formatting problems, lame characters, etc.

I don't know how so many of you can force yourself to keep reading. I am with Guillermo and find having my nook makes me just move on so much easier. I have started and not continued with probably over ten books this year alone.

I would force myself to read it until I know that nothing better is coming out of it.

I really hate to bail on book midway through, but I've always followed "the 100 rule." I take 100 and subtract my age, and that's how many pages I'm required to read before I can abandon a book. It's the only advantage of growing older.

I've given up on a book one and a half times. One was a brick of a book and I really wanted to like it. I was so excited I bought it on the release day. I got halfway through before I realised these were hours of my life I'd never get back. The half a time I got to halfway again and skimmed the rest.

I don't like doing it. I'd hate to think someone would give up halfway through my book!

I generally don't like to give up on books and continue on through reading it, usually skim reading. This has only happened a few times mind, particularly with Catch-22 and The Windup Girl

No, I always battle on. Often books that I've taken a disliking to actually wind up surprising me. Even if they don't, I don't feel as though I'm in a position to offer fair critique if I haven't read the whole thing.

I give up on the book I'm paient and will give it 50 pages or 100 it depends on how boring the book is if it's slightly boring i'll read a bit more but it's a waste of time reading a book if your really not enjoy by 50 or 100 pages usually you'll know if you like that book or not.

Hmm. It depends.

There are those books where I can't read past the first sentence. Where I physically cannot get my head into it. Pretty rare though.

Then there are some books where I lose interest after a while. Where I just couldn't be bothered picking it back up. Happens sometimes.

I finish most of my books though. I'd say about 19 in 20. Most of the times I'd go onto the next in the trilogy/series. Sometimes I don't. Depends.

I only give up on a book in two different scenarios.
1. I've struggled through the first half of the book and it simply isn't getting better in terms of action or character interaction. It takes a lot for me to throw in the towel, but I have on the occasion that I canny take anymore.
2. I cannot stand the immaturity of a writer. And this I can always detect early on. I may adore the topic of the book, but if the language sucks? Bye, bye.

Kennedy wrote: "I only give up on a book in two different scenarios.
1. I've struggled through the first half of the book and it simply isn't getting better in terms of action or character interaction. Same as me i can love what it talks about but the author's writing and way they write it is boring and i can't get myself to read it.

most times yeah. I try to get through it but.. eh if its really that bad, I just cant

i physically can't even when i try my brain just gives up on it and i just can't

Even if I find I'm not fond of a book I like to give it a fair chance to see for me if it will pick up a few chapter in. BUT and I mean BUT, if a book starts out "dry" and continues that way than yes I will stop reading instead of me taking longer to read it.

i'm paitent with books up to 100 pages before i decide if i like it or not if i don't like it by then i put it down.