Friday, September 18, 2015

DNF

Occasionally this happens to me. In this case I do think it was a question of timing...

Standalone
432 p.
Published: 9/15/15
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: NetGalley and publisher for review
Over two decades have passed since the fire at Elmbridge High, an inferno that took the lives of three teenagers. Not much was known about the events leading up to the tragedy - only that one student, Carly Johnson, vanished without a trace...
...until a diary is found hidden in the ruins. 
But the diary, badly scorched, does not belong to Carly Johnson. It belongs to Kaitlyn Johnson, a girl who shouldn't exist Who was Kaitlyn? Why did she come out only at night? What is her connection to Carly? 
The case has been reopened. Police records are being reexamined: psychiatric reports, video footage, text messages, e-mails. And the diary.
The diary that paints a much more sinister version of events than was ever made publicly known.
My thoughts:

I don't dnf too often, but I did in this case. I also feel that it was a me not you kind of situation. The format was unusual but that also made it interesting. The diary format always takes me a while to get into the story and this was no exception. It was actually written as a case file with diary entries and that is what gave me problems.

I was fully getting into the story but the "notes" given by the investigator kept pulling me out of the story every time. Finally when another POV was introduced between the notes I just gave up. I actually think this would make an excellent movie and would really get into the telling of it easily in that form. As it was, I just couldn't keep myself in the creepiness of the story.

I do plan on trying it another time. I am a bit burned out and that probably played into this for me. I think when I'm ready to tackle something different, this may be on the top of the list.

Do not take my word for it, Maja at the Nocturnal Library has an excellent positive review of this book.

20 comments:

  1. Sorry this didn't work for you Melissa! I loved it which really surprised me - typically a format like this would be a struggle, so I completely understand why you had a hard time:)

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    1. Thing is, is that I know I would have loved this on screen more than I did the book. I will probably try it again at another time.

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  2. I rarely DNF but I've started to just because I think it helps preserve my reading sanity and prevent burnout.

    Thanks for sharing anyway - this could help put the book in the right hands.

    Karen @For What It's Worth

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    1. I think I would have been more burnt out and not given the book a fair shake if I kept on reading.

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  3. I've heard mixed things about this one. I think it might be too much for me, but I guess I don't really know. I have enough to read so I'm not able to rush to get it anyway. I'm sorry it was a DNF for you though!

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    1. You might actually really get into the format! I really might just be me. :)

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  4. This really was a crazy read so I can totally understand why it wouldn't be for everyone! It did pick up towards the end and get creepier but it still was messed up LOL!

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    1. I do think I'll try it at another time. I've done this before and felt differently in the end.

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  5. It happens. It's impossible to love every book we meet. Good job for staying objective

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  6. True, I do not see a lot of dnfs from you

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  7. Erg that doesn't sound like the format format for me. Bummer it didn't work for ya. Hopefully the 2nd go around will click. I had that with JD Robbs series. I had a hard time getting into the first book but 3rd try and flew through (and read like 40 of the books in the series in less than two months following that lol)

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  8. Oh sorry to see it wasn't for you. I heard great things about this one...

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  9. Ahh, I always get so confused when I hear mixed messages about a book. The cover for this is so, so beautiful and I know Maja enjoyed it a LOT so I hope I can like this one too. I'll just have to give a shot, it looks like. Thanks for such an honest review, Melissa!

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  10. Bummer, I just started this on audio...between Ali and Maja I had to have it..and I admit I was all what, wait, what at the beginning.

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  11. It looked interesting, so that's too bad. I don't really like the diary set-up either.

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  12. The premise for this sounds iteresting as does the format. I'm sorry to hear it was a dnf for you, I hope your next read is a good one :-)

    Sharon - Obsession with Books

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  13. Hmm interesting. I actually like a format lie that, but it needs to still flow.

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  14. Oh interesting that the different format didn't work for you. I haven't read this one yet. I'm going to save it for Halloween. :)

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  15. Oh interesting that the different format didn't work for you. I haven't read this one yet. I'm going to save it for Halloween. :)

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