DNF Review: Grim by Anna Waggener

Title: Grim
Author: Anna Waggener 
Release Date: June 1st, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Page Count: 320
Source: ARCycling

Rating: DNF

When Erika wakes up after a horrific car crash, she finds herself somewhere between earth and heaven, between life and death. She doesn’t want to accept help from Jeremiah, who she’s not sure she can trust, even as she finds herself drawn to him, following him into a grim city of souls. She’s not sure who wants to help her and who wants to hurt her. And she’s desperate to get back to her children.

Shawn’s never thought about having to shoulder the responsibility of caring for his young sister Megan and his reckless older sister. And he never imagined that the three of them would find themselves in a haunted wood, sometimes chased, sometimes assisted, never sure where they’re headed.

With Grim, the terrifically talented Anna Waggener delves into the place where myth becomes reality, where family can distort you as easily as it cares for you, where death and eternity meet.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

So the summary of this book is totally up my alley. It's maybe not totally YA? But it was offered up on ARCycling and I was CURIOUS. Therefore, I grabbed it. 

I'm really sorry to say this one just wasn't for me. I liked the story with the kids, the bit in the real world. I thought the way they dealt with the grief of losing their mother was fairly brilliant. I just got really stuck on everything with the mom. She was where? Doing what? With who? I don't understand at all and I just couldn't get past that kind of confusion. 

Which is when I put this book down. I was maybe 40-50 pages in when I realized this back and forth just didn't work for me. The book distracted me and put me to sleep and I really had ZERO desire to keep going. So I finally decided to DNF this book. 

Am I still a little curious as to what the what is going on in this book? Yeah. Will I ever pick it up again? I really don't know. I really did enjoy the kids' story and would like to know what happens to them, but I'm really not sure if that'll be enough to make me give it another go.

Have you picked this one up? Yes? No? If yes, tell me what happened? Or maybe if it's worth it for me to give this one another try? PLEASE. TALK TO ME AND ALAY MY FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).

The Art of DNFing

Fact: I don't like coffee. I just like saying Coffee Clutch in my best and deepest New York accent. Considering I'm a New Yorker, I'm pretty freaking good at it. So I've got my tea and I hope you have your heated beverage of choice, because it's time to gab the day away.

I don't know if you guys know this about me, but I'm a pretty stubborn gal. Like, once I get an idea in my head, it's in there and THAT'S IT (in case you're wondering what that looks like, THIS BLOG is a perfect example).

This whole thing backfires on me sometimes, though. EXAMPLE: I'll become friends with someone and another friend will tell me it's a bad idea but I'll be like "Whatever, whatever I do what I want." Then three months later I'll be griping over how much I hate the person I was so adamant about becoming friends with in the first place. This is because I have to come to the conclusion that said person is wrong for me ON MY OWN. My friends find this whole process highly entertaining.

No, we'll be friends forever. I've gotten really good at tolerating people laughing at me.

Anyway, anecdotes aside, my stubbornness is a MAJOR problem when it comes to reading and DNFing. DNF stands for Did Not Finish. It means I've tried my best to get into this book and love it, but I just can't so I'm going to put it aside and not finish it. Why do I have a major problem with this particular book nerd term? Because I, for some reason, honestly believe that if a book SOUNDED good enough for me to pick up, it should be good enough for me to FINISH.

I just love that he's blue. Oh Arrested Development.

I know some people have POLICIES. They'll read 50-150 pages of a book and if they don't like it after that, they'll stop. But my neurotic, obsessive compulsive nature makes this very hard for me. I mean, I haven't been diagnosed with OCD or anything - but that's because I can still mostly function like a human being and only OCCASIONALLY have to stop and reorganize books at bookstores or in the library (JUST KIDDING, that's always).

But aside from the OCD, what if whatever happens after page 76.8 is THE best part of the book? What if I miss out on an amazing read because I couldn't force myself to get beyond page 94.6? You guys. I  HAVE FEAR OF MISSING OUT AND I CAN'T EVEN DENY IT.

Anyway, OCD or other, I just CANNOT DNF. Until, that is, last month, when I won this one book from ARCycling (AKA My favorite thing ever) and I started it and I just COULDN'T make myself read more than 50 pages. Like, I would fall asleep, even when it wasn't bedtime. This is when I thought to myself: "IS THIS WHAT DNF LOOKS LIKE?!" Then I proceeded to sing and dance because I'm not TOTALLY DNF-Defective.

 And while I still have the book in question (Grim by Anna Waggener), I don't think I'll ever pick it up again. It's one of those summary-misleading, confusing shenanigans that make me sad because a book that sounded like the bomb dot com is actually a book whose plot I totally can't wrap my head around. Not to mention I had a whole stack of other books I was way more interested in!

Sherlock, reading one of the aforementioned, more interesting books

So what should you have taken from all of this?

• I suck at DNFing because I am a crazy, stubborn person
• But I CAN DNF if a book honestly makes me feel like it's taking time away from really awesome books I'd rather be reading - which you'd think might happen more often... but it doesn't.

How about you guys? Do  you have a page deadline when you give up if you're not into it, no matter what? Or can  you go on and on in a hateful, neurotic, Gaby manner? Both options are legitimate and TOTALLY healthy, I promise, I just want to hear about your compulsions. A lot. In the comments below.

Top Ten Books I WILL Be Reading This Spring (14)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This one was kind of easy for me since I actually have A LIST of about 50 books in my immediate TBR pile that I'll probably be sticking to. Mostly because I'm abroad and I only have a certain number of books/e-books available to me. So here are the top 10 books I anticipate making my way through from the start of Spring (March 21st) through the end of April. And y'know what? To make this thing interesting, at the end of April, I'll post a list of books I've read in the time frame previously mentioned and see how good I am at STICKING TO THE PLAN. I can't promise I'll be 10/10. I get distracted by shiny, new things often. But I think this'll be an interesting experiment, if nothing else.

1. Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

I love me some Steampunk. And Gail Carriger. I can only imagine what THIS author's foray into YA is going to look like and I'm very excited to FINALLY take this one off my shelf and READ IT.

2. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Everyone has been talking about this one and I've just been lazy about getting to it. Time to fix that, don't you think?

3. Geek Girl by Holly Smale

I got this book at the launch party the other week. Not only do I find bully books to be PROFOUNDLY IMPORTANT, but I also think Holly Smale is adorable.

4. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

I love Peter Pan. Sososososo much. I finally got this book from my library (in e-book form - I have the hard copy at home, but well, that's at home, not here) and I won't let my loan expire without reading it!

5. Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Another library loan I WILL NOT LET EXPIRE (again) without reading. I love fantasy and everyone I know who loves fantasy loves this one, so it's happening. Before the end of April.

6. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Let's talk about AUTHORS I LOVE. Maggie Stiefvater? Definitely one of them. I hate that I haven't read this one yet, so Imma fix that.

7. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Period pieces, how I love thee, let me count the ways. Okay, I won't because we'll be here all day. I hear this one's hard to get into, but I think I can handle the challenge. 

8. Mind Games by Kiersten White

I won this one through ARCycling and I try to get through my ARCycling books in a timely fashion because the whole system is so entirely wonderful and I want to keep all of the wheels turning properly.

9. Grim by Anna Waggener

But I'm a hypocrite because this is an ARCycling book I've hard for a while and just haven't gotten to. Another thing I must fix before the end of April.

10. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

This is another book people say is hard to get into. But it comes HIGHLY recommended, so I'm going to give it all of my attention and every best effort I have.

I kinda made a challenge for myself out of this Top Ten Tuesday, didn't I? Make sure to stop by at the end of April to see how I did. And be sure to let me know what your list looks like in the comments below!

Stacking the Shelves (9)

"Stacking the Shelves" is a weekly feature hosted by Tynga's Reviews

It's been a slow book week for me. But I think that might be a good thing...

WON

1. Grim by Anna Waggener

I love ARCycling. I really, really do. Please, ARCycling, always be as amazing (or even more amazing) as you are right now.

2. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

I won this and Shatter Me from a giveaway on 4 Chicks and a Muse. I already have a copy of Shatter Me but now I have a spare for lending or gifting or donating or something. 

BOUGHT

3. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

I told myself I wasn't allowed to buy any books while abroad. I just don't have the space. But I went to the giant Waterstones in Picadilly Circus and I've had my eye on this one for a LONG TIME, so I couldn't say no. I mean, there are illustrations! The main character's name is Nobody! Also, I figure I should buy at least one book while I'm here as a memento or something. I would say this is a pretty good one.

4. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

This was a $1.99 ebook buy. I don't think I need to say more.

I'm so proud of my self control this past week. How did you guys do? Let me know in the comments below!