Do you rate/review books you didn't finish?

BColeman · Post by **BColeman** » 13 Jun 2015, 12:58

I can only rate a book that I haven't finished if I completely hated it. If not, I don't think that it would be fair of me simply because I can't give a full rating of the book.

kaykay1216 · Post by **kaykay1216** » 13 Jun 2015, 13:28

I only rate a book on my personal opinion if I finish the book. If I did not finish the book, I always give an open-minded reason of why I did not finish the book.

CaseyS23 · Post by **CaseyS23** » 14 Jun 2015, 01:41

If I haven't read the whole book I will not post a review. To me it is unfair to the author if I failed to read the whole book.

OvErBookeD · Post by **OvErBookeD** » 14 Jun 2015, 19:11

I have only rarely had a book that I did not finish, I definitely didn't rate any of them. I have read some terrible books, and have had books that sit on the coffee tables for weeks while I read a few pages at a time because I have no connection with it (typically I sit and read a book of 700 page or less in 1 sitting!).

I just recently read a book that was so poorly worded, I would have thought that English was not their first language. There was a very obvious lack of variety in words and phrasing that I found incredibly annoying.... "And she stood..... She walked from where she stood..... As she found herself standing....... Then she realized where she stood...." All written into two paragraphs!!!!

For books that I don't finish, I don't feel it fair to rate them, because, as many have said here before me, I don't really know if I enjoyed the book in its entirety. Perhaps, had I been able to persevere, I may have found myself enjoying things about it!

A book isn't just how it's written. It's plot, characters, back story, development, execution and how all those things come together.

justjaime · Post by **justjaime** » 14 Jun 2015, 21:28

No, I don't. I really try hard on all occasions not to DNF a book even if I don't like it. It isn't fair to the company who sent it for me to review if I just stop reading it. My thoughts, if turned in early, are important for the readers, so I try to figure out what is forcing me to want to stop reading. Is it the characters? Is it the plot? Is there something morally that I don't particularly agree with? Once I have figured these questions out, then I can usually keep them in my mind and add them to my review in the end.

Sheena1031 · Post by **Sheena1031** » 15 Jun 2015, 12:54

I would never rate a book I did not finish. Even if I didn't like the book, and knew that feeling wouldn't change by the end of it, it would still feel dishonest to me personally to give my input on an incomplete book. I've read books where I didn't think I would like them, but because I finished them, they became some of my favorites. Had I not finished, I would not have been able to give an honest review of that book.

Zoe303 · Post by **Zoe303** » 15 Jun 2015, 14:41

I'd never do that, it'll be unfair! It's the same case with movies, you can't rate a movie if you just watched half of it. I'd sometimes want to rate books that I've read excerpts from, even if I liked them I still wouldn't, because they might be the best parts and the rest of the book is lame or just doesn't deserve that rating...so yeah, I can't do that. :\

Healer · Post by **Healer** » 16 Jun 2015, 05:20

I don't rate books that I haven't finished. I do review the things I disliked about the book. I think it would be unfair if I rated the book. Because maybe the part that I didn't read would make the story better or maybe worse for me. So the rating would never be accurate.
I would only rate a book that I didn't finish if I really hated the book. But that hasn't happened before.

Rabidwerewolfie · Post by **Rabidwerewolfie** » 16 Jun 2015, 11:34

It's rare that I won't finish an ebook, and on the few times that I've given up, it's even more rare that I'll leave a rating, but on those rare occasions, I have come across some books that were so poorly written that I could not force myself to go any further. Even if they had spectacular endings, it would not be near enough to redeem the rest of the mess.
I don't put DNF and nothing else, I will state in the review that I could not finish the book and exactly why, be it too many typos, poor editing, terrible characters, whatever.

If someone rated a book with 1 star and said no more than DNF, I would assume it was for the reasons above yet I would disregard the rating. Rating a book is not really for the sake of the author, it's so that other people who are considering reading it can decide if it would be a good investment of their own time and money. Low ratings are to warn them that you think it's not.

But that's just my take on it.

Doinita · Post by **Doinita** » 16 Jun 2015, 11:53

I have never personally done this but I understand why people would. I have read only one book that I have rated it with one star and I really considered it to be a waste of time. So, even though I have never rated a book without finishing it, I would understand why someone would do this.

Brooklynhayman · Post by **Brooklynhayman** » 16 Jun 2015, 13:03

I think its wrong to rate or review a book you did not finish. It lowers your credibility in my opinion . You should finish the book, to fully understand it then post about it.

yomnazz · Post by **yomnazz** » 16 Jun 2015, 14:03

I find that there's an understanding among book reviewers that if you mark a book as DNF, it's because you just couldn't stomach the book enough to go on with the reading and that since you didn't finish or read most of the book, your opinion shouldn't be counted on.

It's like saying: "I can't deal with this book! someone else have a go at it,plz"

MissLonii0812 · Post by **MissLonii0812** » 16 Jun 2015, 21:41

I would not leave a review on a partial reading of a book in a formal setting for others to read and decide on the book. However in an impersonal setting or if I was asked in person of my opinion I would stress that I had not finished the book. Then discuss with them how I felt about what I had read, and what I did and did not enjoy from the book. I would encourage them to view reviews or seek an opinion from someone who has read the book thoroughly to get a better judgment on the book.

SAOC2816 · Post by **SAOC2816** » 17 Jun 2015, 18:37

I cannot review or rate a book I haven't finished it. I would rather be able to give an honest opinion. I read fairly quickly, and enjoy a veriety of genres it is rare that I cannot get into or finish a story.

Bookfanatic12 · Post by **Bookfanatic12** » 18 Jun 2015, 02:16

Nobody should give a review of a book that was not finished. How can somebody give a 1 star review to a book they did not finish? If the reader disliked the book so much that he/she could not finish the book, why not say "Did not finish" and rather give a review which can be helpful on a book he/she has actually read from beginning to end. Book reviewers should be open to all kinds of books even if it is not quite the type of book they would pick to read for their own pleasure. There are standard templates for book reviews which enables reviewers to still be able to review a book even if it was a difficult read.