When To Abandon A Book

I ran across this quote taped up in my B&N awhile ago and it really got me thinking. At the time I was reading something that wasn't really keeping my interest and overall a huge disappointment. After a lot of internal debate I almost set it aside for good, As of today, I wish I had.

Part of my book addiction stems from the feeling I get when I finish a book. When I close the cover I feel triumphant, as if I've conquered that world and trudged through all of the obstacles right alongside the hero. When I finish a series, the sense of accomplishment is even greater. Stories, whether I'm reading, watching, or writing, are a way for me to escape the mundaneness of day to day life. And don't get me wrong, I LOVE my happy little life. But for me, books are a portal to another time, another realm, where anything is possible. Stories help to tame my adventurous spirit and my wanderlust, without the cost of plane tickets or a time machine.

But what if a book isn't doing that for me? What if the writing is sub-par or the characters are annoying? Should I just give up all the time and commitment I've already invested in it? Not to mention the hard earned money I paid for it. A lot of times, I'm reading ARCs for other authors and committed to finishing and reviewing the book. What's worse, is a boring book will take me much longer to finish.

My question is, when is it okay to abandon a book? Taking in all the factors of money you paid and any commitments you verbally made to it, where is the line. I'd hate to buy a beautiful book, hate it, but have it sit on my shelf unfinished. It feels like giving up before the race is over. Before the battle is won.

What's worse, is what if this book is part of a series? What if it's the second book in a series? You already own the first two, but the second one was so bad that you have no interest in the third. It may not seem like a big deal, but those gorgeous books are displayed on your shelf with a piece missing. That would never fly on Instagram. It's just not right!!

But what do you do? Do you waste money on a book you have no interest in reading, just for the sake of appearances? Do you really want to support an author that disappointed you? Do you leave that world unconqured and abandon the quest halfway through? And what about when the movies come out? Will you go see them? You can't just ignore a movie of a book that you read.

This is my struggle and it is real. Someone help me out. What's the right thing to do??

#booknerdproblems

Book Review: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Synopsis

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

Review

 

Despite it not being what I expected, I enjoyed Red Queen enough to add the next book Glass Sword to my birthday list. It wasn't one I wanted to rush out and buy, but one I was looking forward to reading.  

Overall, this sequel was quite a disappointment. Aveyard's usual turn of phrase which I adored in the last book, was spaced few and far between. The whole rebel military unit setting was not my particular cup of cocoa, but what really bothered me most was that Glass Sword was like reading an alternate version of Mocking Jay; all the melodrama and self loathing without any of the good parts. Mare was frustratingly negative, winy, cowardly, cold, and harsh through the entire book. It was like dealing with Katniss on the brink of her breaking point all over again.

Here's the difference though-I actually liked Katniss. Sure she was over dramatic and a pain in the rear all through book three, but it had taken two whole great books to get there. I felt like she and I had been through more than what I had witnessed with Mare. Because of that I was able to deal with Katniss's suicidal mind set much easier. I guess Mare and I don't click. And I guess that's the real reason I didn't like Glass Sword. It all takes place through Mare's POV and most of the story is told through her jaded thoughts and opinions. There were times I just wanted her to shut up and let the actual story happen.

What saved this book for me was the ending, which was pretty good, it just took way to long to get there. Before I read the ending, I was convinced I wasn't going to pick up the next book. But alas, I feel bad just leaving things where they ended so I'd like to know what happens next. Regardless, the third book is not high on my priority list. 

2.5 stars

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