There is something lovely about finding a series that pulls you in. You get to know the world, settle into the writing, and look forward to spending more time with the characters. But what happens when that feeling starts to disappear? Do you keep going simply because you have already invested your time, or do you give yourself permission to stop?

I’ve been thinking about that while looking back at my experience with Irina Shapiro’s Echoes from the Past series. I finished the first two books, The Lovers and The Forgotten, but when I reached the third book, Unforgiven, I found that I couldn’t complete it. In the end, I decided not to continue with the rest of the series.

Giving a series a fair chance

This wasn’t a decision I made before giving the books a try. I read the first book and then the second. There were things I enjoyed, and I was interested enough to keep going. But enjoying parts of a series doesn’t automatically mean every instalment will work for me.

By the time I started book three, I realised I wasn’t connecting with it in the way I wanted to. I tried, but I couldn’t get through it. Rather than force myself to keep listening or reading, I made the decision to stop.

The books I decided not to continue

After Unforgiven, I chose not to carry on with the remaining books in the series. The titles I left unfinished are:

  • Unforgiven
  • The Forsaken
  • The Unseen
  • Condemned
  • The Lost
  • The Broken
  • The Betrayed

That means I completed the first two books, but didn’t complete the series. And that’s an important distinction: this isn’t me saying I disliked every book, or that nobody else will enjoy them. It’s simply where my reading journey with this series came to an end.

DNF is not a failure

I think readers can sometimes put unnecessary pressure on themselves to finish everything they start. We see a series through to the end because we’ve bought the books, because we’ve already read the earlier instalments, or because we feel we ought to know how the story finishes.

But reading is supposed to be something we enjoy. Our free time is precious, and there are so many books waiting to be discovered. If a story isn’t working for you, you are allowed to put it down. You don’t have to reach the final page to justify that decision, and you certainly don’t have to keep going just because you’ve already invested time in it.

DNF means Did Not Finish. It doesn’t mean the author has written a bad book, and it doesn’t mean the book won’t be perfect for another reader. It just means that, for whatever reason, it wasn’t the right read for me at that moment.

Making room for the next story

I’m happy that I gave Echoes from the Past a chance. I have two completed books from the series behind me, and I can still appreciate that I enjoyed parts of the experience. I just don’t need to finish all the remaining books to prove that I gave it a fair go.

There are too many wonderful stories out there to spend my reading time forcing myself through one that no longer feels right. Sometimes the best thing you can do as a reader is close the book, mark it DNF, and move on without feeling guilty.

So here’s your reminder from Chapters on Wheelz: it’s okay to DNF. It’s okay to change your mind. And it’s okay not to finish a series.

Have you ever stopped reading a series partway through? I’d love to hear how you decide when it’s time to move on.