Loading ...How Honest Is Too Honest In A Review?
Hello, everybody. My name is Jackie and I’m a paranormal addict. {”Hello, Jackie!”} Welcome to the inaugural edition of Off the Fang, a column for readers by a reader with absolutely no ulterior motive of world domination. Ignore the large, half-naked men with guns surrounding you. As long as you read my column and leave a comment, no one will get hurt.
This edition is brought to you by Honesty: biting me in the ass since 1983.
How honest is too honest in a review?
I’ve asked myself this question several times over the year and half I’ve been at Bitten by Books. My instinct is to shoot from the hip and type exactly what I feel, no matter the consequences. After all, the review is my opinion, right? And if my opinion is that a two-year old could have written a better book, I have the right to say so, right?
Wrong.
One of the things I hate about reviews is the possibility for negativity. I’m not saying reviewers shouldn’t point out the negative—I’m saying they should do it in as positive a way as possible.
Confused? Let me explain.
There are books in this world that should have never seen the light of day. You know it, I know it, the writer knows it, but somehow, the books squeaked past common sense and made it into the real world. As a reviewer, I have the power to belittle the writer until he/she feels as significant as a piece of gravel, but I also have the responsibility to ensure this doesn’t happen. Just because I have the power doesn’t mean I should exercise it. Instead, I have the opportunity to help the writer, point out places where he/she could improve, highlight any entertaining aspects, and wish him/her good luck. The book may receive a low rating, but the author is able to walk away with his/her head held high and the knowledge that there’s hope for the next time.
Tearing apart these books may cause sensationalism and bring more readers to the site, but it would belittle the entire reviewing process. I’d much rather read (and write) an encouraging review than a negative one, even if the book wasn’t stellar. The line in my sand may be different than yours. What I find destructive, you might find helpful. Where I find poor grammar reprehensible, you might consider me nitpicky.
What about you? Are snarky reviews one of your guilty pleasures, or do they turn you off of a book? Do you ever find yourself buying a book to see if it’s as bad as a reviewer says, or do you give the author the benefit of the doubt?
Enjoyed the rant? Hated it? Think Jackie should never be allowed near a keyboard again? Tell us about it! Otherwise, you can look forward to upcoming rants from the slightly obsessive-compulsive reviewer. She has opinions…lots of them…and some of them even make sense! If you have any specific topics you’d like to discuss, leave a comment and we’ll see if we can’t get her to tackle one or two of them. If you leave chocolate or half-dressed vampires, she’s more likely to pick your suggestion. Just sayin’…
(9 votes, average: 4.78 out of 5)
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Very well said. I always give my honest opinion about why I or why I did not enjoy a book — but it never has anything personally against the author or their writing. I usually point out why I didn’t like it and it usually has to do with something along the line of I don’t like to read books that involve violence against children or it wasn’t my thing.
And rant away, I love hear peoples thoughts and opinions
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Thank you! I agree–it’s important to keep the review about the writing, not the author.
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Hi Jackie!!! I, too, am an addict, but I agree with your assessment of reviews. If you didn’t like something, I want to know why, not just ‘this book sucked.’ You can give constructive critism, and not come off as aweful. I know it takes a lot of work to get a book published, but I also think it takes a lot of courage to throw your thoughts, ideas, and skills out for the world to see.
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Exactly! I get so frustrated when I read, “I didn’t like the book.” Okay…but why? Did the plot stink? Where the characters unbelievable? Did aliens spontaneously pop out of peoples’ stomachs and do the Charleston? Give me something to hold onto! What one person may dislike, another may love.
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I am a reader not a reviewer. I usually buy a book because I’ve read others by that author or because the blurb on the back entices me. I have read some truly awful books by authors known & unknown. I take reviews with a grain of salt because my taste and theirs may be different. I will look at a book if they get consistantly good reviews. But you know what they say… Opinions are like a$$holes we all have them and they all stink.
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Yours doesn’t smell like roses? LOL
No, I understand what you’re saying. I don’t necessarily let a review decide whether I’ll purchase the book or not, but I love reading them because they give me an idea of what I’m getting into.
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I agree with you Jackie, we have the right to our opinion we also have the right to keep the hateful bits to ourselves. That is the line here at BBB for the reviewers as well.
I admit I do read snarky reviews on occasion and laugh, but it doesn’t stop me from buying a book. I have a brain cell or two left to rub together. If it is an author I like, I am buying regardless of good or bad reviews. I have purchased many a book based on bad reviews. Especially those with poor grammar and spelling. Mostly poor spelling cause my grammar sucketh.
I also like when a reviewer points out certain hot buttons about a book, like questionable content like rape or child abuse. That is helpful for me to know about. The reviewer doesn’t need to go into their issues about it, because I really don’t care to know why they find it bothersome, I just need to know that it is present in the book. I don’t need their personal ethics lesson. When I see that crap, it turns me off of the reviewer and the site. I see these judgements more and more in reviews.
For me this is when it becomes to much and crosses the line. When it becomes ABOUT THE REVIEWER and not the book.
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But Rachel, it’s ALL about me! : )
Snarky reviews have made me buy more books than not. I have to see for myself if the book is truly that horrible, or if the reviewer just had a stick up his/her ass.
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I agree. No one has the right to belittle anyone. I do try to be honest about my feeling towards the books I read. I feel as a reviewer its my job to give my opinion on how I felt the story worked. If I don’t like something I state it but I also try to explain why I don’t like it and what might have made me that element work better for me. I think that by doing this it helps people to get a better picture of the book. What might bother me might not bother someone else? I will admit sometimes their things that really bother me i.e. lines crossed on my taboo list and really bad grammar and editing. I simply try to be straightforward about it in my review.
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Oh one more thing… Jackie I loved the rant. Feel free to be as opinionated as you want. As for snarky reviews — it depends on the direction of the snarkiness. I don’t really appreciate it blind snarkiness but justified snarky can be oh so fun.
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Justified snarkiness, LOL. I love it. Kind of like saying a villain acted like an extra in a James Bond film? You’re not making fun of the book…you’re making fun of the character, and in a nice way!
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I am all about constructive criticism. We all occasionally run a cross a horrible book, you sit there actually saying what were they thinking? I don’t think that means the author deserves ridicule. I believe its difficult to put yourself and your work out there, a person shouldn’t be beat down with negativity, like you said just point out things you think could be better without going on a rampage. I sometimes feel outrageously negative reviews are just a ploy for more attention. I don’t want to read a review by someone who when they were writing said review was thinking of how many hits they were going to get. I want a review by someone who is thinking about what they are saying, cares about what they are putting out there and reflects about how it affects the reader. Good Topic! Carry on with the ranting.
Miranda
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Yes, yes, praise DRACULA yes! The worst review I’ve ever read stated that the reviewer HATED the main character. That’s just plain uncalled for. Say you didn’t like his/her motivations…the way he/she did certain things…but an outright attack like that just isn’t necessary.
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Hi Jackie,
Your column is a great idea. I like your attittude(already) and I need to say first off, I hate snarky reviews and I always find a way to read a little of the book myself because I don’t trust reviewers(sorry - you have to earn my trust) - well, not too many anyway. If I am in the middle of a series and one book gets slammed - I’d still buy the book - sometimes that’s been a mistake (sorry to LKH but it’s true) and 1 or 2 have been a little stinky - lees than par.
Not everyone is a consistent writer but since different people read and enjoy books for different reasons - I think we all have to stand up and be responsible for our own reading decisions. It’s a lazy way to pick a book if you go by a reviewers opinion alone. No offense Jackie but until I know your style and level of integrity - I would hold back on your reviews as well. But now I’ll be looking for them and will certainly be open to reading them and seeing if I agree with you.:)
I am a little more impressed when I see a name like Charlaine Harris endorsing a book I might read than a newspaper review of the same book.
I have learned to never buy a book only by the cover - although some of those guys are really sexy - still not worth my time.
I would never buy a book that had a bad review just to verify it truly was bad!
I look forward to reading more about/from you and thanks so much for the hunky, large half-naked men in my living room - I hope the guns you were referring to were their arms and not real guns. LOL
Thanks for the interesting subject you bring up.
Paula D.
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No offense taken. Sometimes I’m brilliant. Sometimes I am the Queen of the Morons. All in all, I’m an acquired taste. : )
You make a few excellent points. I never would have picked up Vicki Pettersson’s Signs of the Zodiac series had Kim Harrison not endorsed them. Now I’m in love with Hunter, obsessed with Jo, and willing to off Warren for damn near nothing.
I, uh, have bought a book to verify if it was truly bad. ::blushes:: I was young! And impetuous! Okay…I was bored…but I’ve only done it once.
The cover comment may be my favorite. When I first got into paranormal books, I kept skimming over this books with the most cheesetastic covers possibly. The characters looked like cartoons, the mood was off, all sorts of horrifying things were occurring. Now these series of books are among my favorites. If I’d judged a book by its cover, I’d never have given Kim Harrison and Kresley Cole a chance. They are two of the most talented writers around, and my cover prejudice almost kept me from enjoying them.
Ooh…cover prejudice…that sounds like a great idea for an article. : )
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I really try to make my reviews as honest as possible but I always try to find at least one or two things that I did like about a book.
Snarky reviews can sometimes be interesting but I prefer the nicer ones. The only time I pick up a book that was blasted by a reviewer is if it’s by an author I love or if it’s already on my reading list because some other reviewer I respect has enjoyed it.
Loved the rant and looking forward to more!
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Do you ever find yourself rallying behind a favorite author who’s been bashed? I’m with you–I’ll still buy the book if it’s one of my favorite authors–but sometimes that little devil on the shoulder screams for me to avenge them in some way. Ritual sacrifice. Lifetime Beanie Baby subscription. You know, the usual.
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If I think they’ve been unfairly bashed then you betcha!
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As a new reviewer and someone learning the trade so to speak this has been very helpful.
For me personally I feel bad if I don’t like a book and try and be constructive about why I don’t like it. Mainly as I know that if someone was snarky about something I wrote I wouldn’t react that well lol.
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I did the same thing at first. You find yourself sugar-coating the negative so much, people come up to later and ask, “Uh, did we read the same book? Because, seriously, you were *way* too easy on it.” You’ll find the balance. If not, we’ll just whack you a few times upside the head to help you.
::looks meaningful at the half-asleep guards:: Won’t we, boys?
You are an excellent reviewer, by the way. : )
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Oh thanks. You’ve made my day
Between this and getting an update on a horse we used to train I’m just beaming.
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Jackie I completely agree with you. In my opinion as book reviewers we have a responsibility to our readers to tell them our opinion and thoughts of a book and post even negative reviews, but they should be done in a constructive, non-author-bashing way. Personally I like it when in a negative review the reviewer points out the reasons and things they did not like in the book, because then I can decide whether these criteria are relevant and important and whether they would apply to me. I believe the facts should be given to the readers, but they as intelligent, thinking readers will decide what to do with the reviewer’s opinion and decide for themselves.
I wrote a post about this issue on ym blog, which you van read here: To post or not to post, that is the question…
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You brought up a point in your article I failed to mention–the author’s reaction to a negative review.
Do you ever find yourself waiting to see how an author reacts? If one reacted poorly, would you still buy their book?
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If I posted a negative review of a book then usually it was either because 1) I had some problems with the writing style or 2) the book genre/story/type wasn’t my cup of tea. Either way I doubt that I will pick up another book by that author if I didn’t like the first book (unless I liked the author’s writing style and it was the story that I didn’t like, in that case there is a chance I will try out a completely different second novel).
Sure negative reviews are not nice and can hurt an author’s feeling, but they should see that a review is a completely subjective view: eacha dn every person is different in their taste and expectations of a novel, and if someone didn’t like their book, they should try not to take it personally. It doesn’t mean that their book is not good, and for every negative review there could be three postitive one, it just means that their book wasn’t for that particular person. Of course if an author reacts badly to a negative review (there were some recent cases in the blogosphere when the author reacted childishly and posted vindictive comments to some very constructive, not at all hurtful negative reviews), then I think it is most harmful to that author, because even those who liked his/her book will take a step back seeing how he/she reacts.
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I don’t read a lot of reviews, unless I’m checking something out at a chat here or on Amazon. Everyone has the right to their own opinion, but I do want to know the exact reasons why you didn’t like something and the constructive criticism. Because we all like different things. Comparisons also help like “it’s as violent as an Anita Blake novel”. I can make my own opinion, and Anita Blake is actually one of those examples. A lot of people hate what it’s turned into, but there is still enough in it that I enjoy reading that means I’ll still read the series. Thanks for the rant. It does pay to not just be mean but say why you didn’t like something. Not all of us will feel the same way. I send you chocolate and half-dressed vampires, virtually.
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Mmm…yummy…and thanks for the chocolate, too. ; )
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As someone that writes snarky reviews, I’d have to say I enjoy them!
Thankfully I’ve learned to review books that I actually want to read instead of those thrust upon me in one way or another. If it ends up being a book that I would have picked up off the shelf, it’s probably not going to get too low of a rating unless it’s really disappointing.
While I agree that criticism should be CONSTRUCTIVE, sometimes I book deserves to get ripped apart *cough*breakingdawn*cough*. I do it very rarely, especially now, again because I review books I actually want to read. But I don’t have a problem with snark so long as it’s substantiated. If you’re a grade school teacher and you’ve seen better writing in your 5th graders, well, you’re not so much being snarky but truthful. Different strokes for different folks.
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I agree…and disagree. I’m a chick. It’s what we do, yes?
There have been times where, in my head, I have completely annihilated a book. Then there have been times when I went a little far with the sarcasm when it made it onto the screen. I try really hard, though, not to rip anything apart no matter what. I understand your hatred for the Twilight book–hell, I get nightmares just thinking of “S.M.”–but no matter how juvenile we may find it, I still couldn’t, in good nature, post its deconstruction. For one, it seems petty. Not that *you* are petty, just the act itself *seems* that way. And number two, she obviously did something write because she’s making more money than I will ever see in my life. I’m jealous, I’m pissed, and confused, but that wouldn’t excuse my behavior. Ya know?
Now, screaming about it at work while all my co-workers swoon is completely different.
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I generally avoid reading reviews til after I have already bought the book myself and read it. I make my buying decisions based on the blurb(unless it’s part of a series that I already read-then it’s usually an auto buy).
I will sometimes read the reviews after I have read a book, and most of the time the review is a good match for how I felt about the book. Sometimes, though, the reviewer didn’t like the book and I have to say, most of the reviews I’ve read, the reviewer is very polite about what they didn’t like.
I’ve heard about some reviews posted by customers though, at buying sites like Amazon, where people just plain are rude, crude and mean.
I think if a reviewer is going to do a snarky/snide review they should warn people in the first couple of sentences so that people can avoid reading it if they wish. Just like they should warn people if they included spoilers in the review.
Hey, that could be a future subject to talk about. Spoilers or not in reviews?
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LOVE the idea! So far, I have Cover Prejudice, Spoiler Alerts, Breaking Your Paranormal Cherry…what else do you guys have for me?
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A snarky review doesn’t bother me much, and no review is going to determine what I do and don’t buy. I have not trusted reviews as such since college. I DO trust the opinions of friends, and if you, as a reviewer, have become any sort of friend to me, I will trust you. That being said, I do believe that a reviewer needs to beware of the “downalator,” as a character in the movie “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies” phrased it. When you make a joke at the expense of the author because you can and not because he deserves it, you have stepped onto the downalator, and the next time you get stuck, you will be less able to resist the temptation to quip rather than think.
I do want to hear why a book is less than wonderful, but I need specifics, not the nebulous verbal wanderings that TV movie critics sometimes get into, and not just jokes, either. I recall one book I was forced by circumstances to read which had no less than three errors per page — spelling, grammar, characterization, and plot. I could have benefited from a review before I bought the book, but there wasn’t one handy.
Stay honest, but don’t be harsher than necessary.
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More than anything, I appreciate your use of the Oxford comma. Stay true to your grammatical roots, Jack.
Yeah, I’ve been burned by reviewers myself. Get burned too often, and you stay away from the flames. Hopefully we can resurrect your trust. If not, well, there’s always the swamp out back. : )
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I rarely read reviews, and don’t listen to them at all. I just buy by looking at the back cover. I listen to my friends with the same tastes as me though.
Keep close to the keyboard! I was very amused by reading your post.
Sending you chocolate-covered vamps with great guns.
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Ooh, a chocolate-covered one, eh? How many licks will it take to get to the center of the chocolate-covered vampire?
Bad, Jackie! Bad! Stay PG rated!
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at long as it is honest and not a personal attack on the author you can’t be too honest for me. I may or may not buy the book anyhow. Just depends on who wrote it and what they wrote.
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While I definitely feel a review should be honest, it doesn’t have to be disrespectful or ugly. Even if the book totally sucks(and there have been a few), I’d never say so, mainly cause I probably wouldn’t finish it. If I finish a book that I’m less than enthusiastic about or overly enthusiastic about I usually sit on my review for a few days and make sure that my initial knee jerk reaction is unchanged. I try to point out why it didn’t appeal to me and as I read many different genres, offer the fact that I may not be in the mood to read a historical, thriller or whatever at this time. After reading one genre for 8 or 10 books, I often enjoy it more after taking a break for a few books. I value the opinions of other bloggers but ultimately I’m the one who invests the time and money in a book and makes the decision to read or not read a book.
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A cool-off period is a valuable tool for reviewers, isn’t it? It helps us get the accurate information into the review, not our initial feelings. Yeah, you find yourself typing “WHO DID YOU PAY OFF TO GET THIS THING…” before you realize what you’re doing. After a few hours/days of deep meditation, a calmer, more gentle review is born.
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I have to admit that I rarely read reviews. I base a book on the writer, what the book is about, if it sounds interesting to me I usually give it a go. I have only once in my life not finished a book, and that was due to animal cruelty, I run a cat shelter, and could not finish the book due to what the writer was doing to some cats, and I could not imagine that it helped the story line at all. I’ve recently gotten a kindle, so I am more at the amazon site than others, so that is about the only place I see reviews, and I will agree that on there some people seem unusually cruel in some reviews. I will read the book regardless of the review, like I said, if the book seems interesting, I will give it a chance. I always buy books from series that I am already reading. I sometimes read a book in e form, and then went back to check out the review if even I found it hard to swallow. I mean, how long does it take to look over your own work for spelling errors? I know I’m not miss perfect, but come on, when even I am like WTH with the spelling then it’s like the writer did not care enough with their own work to double check it before submitting, why the hell should I be paying to read something you didn’t care that much about? I would love to have one of my works out there, and I would die of shame if I had allowed something to have my name on it that was less than my best effort! Sorry, can you tell that’s one my peeves, when it seems writers don’t care about their own work enough to make sure basic spelling is correct? So I really enjoyed this question, thanks for letting me rant too!
How about a topic on where some of these covers come from? I have read books and then had to double check the covers, it was like nothing at all to do with the books! From being on this site, I have found that some writers have nothing to do with their own covers, I wonder if that upsets them too when a totally irrevelant cover is placed on their books?
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there I go off on a tirade and then my own spelling takes a dive, I meant irrelevant cover, sorry, don’t want to seem a hypocrite for busting on others spelling!
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Oh lord, that happens to me, too! I’m a total grammar snob, and I get out of control at work. If anything passes by my desk with a spelling error, I go bat shit. Without fail, ten minutes or so after my tirade, I send something out with some awful grammatical error. Karma kicks my ass each and every time.
I like the cover question, but I’ll probably spin it a little differently so I can be lazy and not research too much.
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Hello My name is Melissa I am a book addict.When it comes to book or any thing else I tell the truth. I have nothing against the author or publisher but if the book sucks I’m going to tell you. But the flip side is a book I don’t like someone else might, and vice versa. So I will check it out if it seems intersting. All reviews do is give a jumping off point. It up to us the readers to decide to read it or not.So Jackie keep telling us what you think. And be honest.
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There are many ways to say a book sucks without out-right saying, “Hey, this thing blew harder than that twister that stole momma’s trailer.” You can mention the inconsistencies, character flaws, all in a nice, constructive way. That’s the line, I think, for reviewers.
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[...] Bitten by Books has begun a new editorial column called Off the Fang, written by the fabulous Jackie U. The first post is now up and Jackie U is asking How Honest is Too Honest in a Review? [...]
Hi Jackie honestly i dont think a review can ever be too honest i wnat to know what someone truely thinks about a book even if we dont shar ethe same opinion of abook doenst m ean i wont respect that o pinion so rant and share all ud like i enjoy a good rant
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Then you’ll be in good company here. : )
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WooAHHH WooAHH Back.THE.TRUCK.UP.
Somebody and go through this thread and tell me HOW many people just said they don’t really read reviews! And I recognize several as reviewers.
Then tell me what the hell we are all doing having review sites? What’s the point if nobody reads our reviews.
There’s a topic Lola, What the Hell are we even doing? If nobody’s reading our reviews, and people are critiquing our reviews (even us) what is the point of this exercise? (I have had an awakening)
You could title it….Dude Have I Lost My Blog?
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For those of you wondering, Lola is my alter-ego. She’s the Superman to my Clark Kent, but sluttier.
Here’s a hard truth, Rachel–look at the major review sites. Sure, lots of them get comments on the reviews, but where does most of the traffic come from? Contest. Events. The reviews come second a lot of the time.
Now, there are die hard readers who seek out these reviews, especially when they show up in the book itself, but for the most part, I think they’re a means to an end for the greater population of the e-world.
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I generally agree with what you said in the article about expressing negative opinion about a book in a positive way. One negative review, especially if it doesn’t say exactly why the book is bad, won’t turn me off a book. I usually would want to know exactly what was wrong with it, maybe some of that what hasn’t appealed to the reviewer is what I myself would enjoy. And if it’s a book from my favorite author or a series, I won’t even look for reviews, I will read the book anyway.
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Do you have a big list of Must Buy authors? I find mine growing steadily every year, but every once in a while, it bites me in the ass.
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Great post!
I’m not a fan of snarky reviews and websites that are famous for these kind of reviews. Sometimes I get the feeling that the authors of the reviews want to show how witty and intelligent they are through ripping a book apart.
If you don’t like a book you can say so in a respectable way. I want to be treated with repsect and try to do the same.
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Sometimes that rush comes over you and try to put as much of yourself into the review…then it turns out cheesy, sometimes mean, and far from good. It’s a bad habit to get into, and it really cheats the book and the author. And yeah…there are entire websites devoted to that…
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I like a good rant from an intelligent reviewer, and sometimes I WILL read a book that was poorly reviewed just to see how bad it could be. As a writer, I want to read reviews that are thoughtful from a reviewer who has a good grasp of the English language and who understands that head hopping is jarring and one-dimensional characters are boring. Keep doing what you do, Jackie.
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Thank you, Susan! You bring up another excellent point–one of my biggest pet peeves are reviews griping about the poor spelling and grammar in a book when the reviewer couldn’t spell her way out of a box.
As a writer, do you think reviews have an impact on the sales of your books? (You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but I wanted to jump on the opportunity to ask.)
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Hi, I’m a reader, I can’t write a review to save my life. I have left good comments on Amazon if I love a book but I wouldn’t call it a review, more like a You Must Buy This Book comment!!
I like that someone mentioned about reviews effecting the sale of books. I always read reviews and sometimes I’ve bought a book even though reviiews were bad only because I love the author. But I try new authors all the times, buit the reviews are important to me.
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There are a ton of good review sites out there (this one being the best, of course, LOL), so if you have need any recommendations in a genre we don’t review, come talk to me and I’ll see what sites I can find for you.
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Ok Great Thank you! ~ Christine
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Jackie, you asked whether, as a writer, I feel that reviews have a positive impact on sales? I’ve used reviews as a springboard, posting them to Facebook and Twitter as well as to my blog, so I DO think they help with sales, but more importantly for me, reviews validate the countless hours I spend writing and editing. Nothing makes me feel better than getting a good review. And honestly, that’s BETTER than sales.
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You have an amazing perspective, Susan. Maybe reviews would be used more if authors were aware of their potential.
Yes, validation! Even as a reviewer, I love the validation of receiving a “well done” comment. I can’t even imagine the effect of a full blown review!
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Just wanted to say congratulations on your first column! You go girl!
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Aw, mad love from my day job. Thank you, Tami!!
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I don’t like snarky reviews - trashing the writer doesn’t help me decide if I should read the book. I don’t have a problem with a reviewer not liking a book as long as they explain what they didn’t like about it.
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I Agree With You Jackie. IF You Like Something Scream It To The Rooftop BUT If Something Is Just Horrid There Is A Right And Wrong Way To Present That To Readers. What I Will Say Is That I Actually Don’t Let A Review Dictate Whether I Want To Read A Certain Book Or Not. For Me It Is All ABout What The Back Of The Book Has To Say. If The Back Book Blurb Can Reel Me In I AM Hocked And I Will Read That Book No Matter What Anyone Says.
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Jackie You Are Completely Right. Honesty Is Best But You Don’t Have To be Cruel About It. Constructive Criticism Goes A Long Way In Teaching Someone About The Right Or Wrong Way To Do Something. Just Being Me For The Sake That You Can Do It Is No Way To Be.
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I do read the reviews and let it guide me in the right directions, especially when it touchs base on bad writing style–I just can’t stand a book that reads badly. But if the reviewer is just bashing on an author I might just drop the reviewer and find another who can give a better review. There’s never just one review anyways, so it’s nice to get contracting ideas so I can see if I like it.
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Do you become attached to certain reviewers? I know I do.
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I do, I have a favorite few that I get sent to my email so I can read on the go. I also have a few I follow when I remember, lol. Who are some of your favorites?
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From here: Virginia, Hockeyvampiress, Storm, Carol, Emma, Booktaster (I’m sure I’m leaving people off!).
From elsewhere: No one! They all suck!
Just kidding. Umm…Jackie M. at Literary Escapism, Howling Good Books, and Lurv a la Mode.
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Wonderful points! It should be about the book, and while honest it should still be kept in mind that these authors are people.
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Spoken like a true owner of her own review site. ; ) Thanks for stopping by, Nicole!
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Lol! But true none the less! Wonderful column by the way!
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I already posted up above and have come back to read some of the comments, and have to say sorry Rachel and Jackie. I think I should have worded my statement more along the lines of I don’t let reviews tell me I should or should not read a particular book. I don’t read reviews all the time, but I do check them out in the newsletter I get from BBB occasionally, and I might not always read what the book is about, I scroll down to see how the reviewer felt about it, if the cover snatches my attention, or I know the writer, or the review was all praises and catches my attention, then I will be checking out the book regardless. Anyway, I didn’t want to upset any reviewers, even though I don’t read them like gospel, I’m glad they are there for when I do want someone’s opinion.
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Awww thanks Joani! No worries.
This reminds me of those Pace Picante commercials. “New York City!”
Seriously no hard feelings here.
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Are you just saying that because Mac has you in a headlock? He just wants to play! ; )
No worries. We’re a pretty tame bunch.
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[...] When is a book review too honest? [...]
I generally don’t like Snarky reviews although when Stephen King said what he did in a blog about JK Rowlings writing versus Stephanie Meyers I have to say I stood up and cheered…and shared it with everyone because I was so glad that despite it’s insane popularity someone besides me (and a famous writer and former English teacher at that) agreed with me about the twi-books.
But as King said in that blog, crappy writers are often popular and do well. He also mentioned that some popular writers bounce between writing good books and the stinky ones. Sometimes a book’s popularity is not about the quality of the writing but a reader’s connection to some element of the story or a character. So sometimes writing doesn’t have to be good to effective.
That’s why I think informative reviews with constructive criticism are such a great tool for weeding through the WEALTH of material out there. My saying I hate Bella and wanted to kill her doesn’t inform any would be reader. However my saying I felt the books were weakened by Meyers use of a largely self centered protagonist who complains about not getting what she wants way too much for my sensibilities might make a difference to those that are annoyed by whiny teens. Others might say that’s the way most teenage girls are, what they feel IS most important to them so she knows her material, I remember feeling that way and can relate so give it to me. LOL
Anyway my point is a snarky review won’t turn me off reading a new author but it probably won’t goad me into buying it either. Good information on the other hand (things like, there is little plot development but if you just want to read sex scenes out of nowhere, or the character seems weak at first but if you hang in there their growth pays off in the end) might make a big difference.
Speaking as someone who likes to write, it’s always easier to take the medicine of criticism with a good dash of sugar via what you think the strengths of the piece are. Nobody wants to hear that the piece they just spent weeks, months or even years on, is crap, even if they think it themselves. That said my favorite writer has said time and again you have to have a thick skin to be the business. I wouldn’t judge a writer’s work based on their reaction to a review though. We’re all human and have our bad days. I’ve interacted with enough published writers now at conventions and the like to know they too have feet of clay LOL.
I mostly pick books based on either the blurbs about them or the fact they’re from a trusted author. Seeing one of my favorites likes an author will make me give them a look though lately it seems I’m finding out after I’ve fallen for both authors that they like each other (Kenyon and Jim Butcher being an example of that LOL). Reviews especially here help me more with discovering books I hadn’t heard about rather than giving me input on a book I was trying to decide whether I wanted to buy. For that I’m very grateful.
You can rant any time you look by the way. I rather enjoy a good rant as long as it’s not a personal attack on someone…or at least not on someone I like. *wicked grin*
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Wow. That is an extremely thought-out response. My eyes keep diverting to the bits on S.M.. I’m always amazed how many people truly dislike her work. I haven’t read any of the books, just bits and pieces, and I couldn’t go on. It just didn’t float my boat. I much prefer L. J. Smith’s Vampire Diaries (the books, not the TV show!!!!!!!!!). Yet look how popular S.M. is. There is a cult following for her books. Teenagers and soccer moms alike swoon at the thought of her emo vampire.
Where are these people coming from? If we all hate it, where are the lovers hiding? Are they pod people? Creations of S.M. herself?? I mean, seriously!
I really like the point you made about discovering new authors. I do the same thing. I’ll peruse a site, see what new books are coming out, and pick out a few new authors, mostly the e-published ones. Review sites really help e-authors, I think. They don’t have the marketing potential a lot of the NY pub’d authors are given, so sites like this (and others, of course, grumble grumble) are a great tool. Authors can get more exposure with the reviews, events, etc.
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Extremely thought-out response is so much nicer than saying I babble on a LOT once I get going so thanks for that. *winks*
As for S.M. I actually have friends who like her and are the ones that got me to try her so they do exist. It’s so odd because they otherwise have good taste in books, just kidding. I have a group of Sherrilyn Kenyon fans in my area I hang out with and perhaps a third of them like SM and the rest of us hate her. There seems to be no middle ground where she is concerned. Oh oddly it’s more my friends who do NOT normally read paranormal romances or urban fantasy who have told me they love the books and/or movies. Maybe she’s putting something in the water. *giggles*
I will have to check out the Vampire Diaries. I have a heard a couple people recommend them.
Oh yeah, I only started reading E-books on my computer (I don’t have a kindle or the like) in the past six or seven months but Bitten By Books has been one of the few sites I’ve found out about new authors I want to buy from. I mostly buy from All Romance and their newsletter is the only other source I look to for information. I’ll scan the keywords mentioned on the titles for my interests then read the excerpt, but if it’s one that’s been reviewed here it’s so much easier to trust that I’m not just grabbing something blind hoping it will be good. I think the e-book trade has been a real boon for young authors who don’t have the backing of the big guns despite what some writers organizations seem to think of them.
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I’m in the same boat. I never read an ebook until I started reviewing here, and now I read them on my computer because I’m a broke ass who can’t afford a Kindle. : ) (To contribute to the Buy Jackie’s Broke Ass a Kindle Fund, see me, hehe) I have discovered some amazing authors through ebooks. Authors I never would have found otherwise. I mean good lord, Dawn McClure, Lex Valentine, Moira Rogers–who the hell are these people? If it weren’t for ebooks, I wouldn’t know. It’s sad, really, because they are three of the most talented authors I’ve ever read.
Now who’s babbling?? LOL
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Thank you, Jackie!
Oh, and Moira Rogers isn’t A person but is actually TWO people. And to be lumped with them under the “talented” umbrella? *sigh* I lurves you. 
Congratulations on the column and for an outstanding debut post. And now for my take on reviews… (which you may or may not want to hear. LOL)
As a person who has spent more years than you’ve been alive as a reader and a writer and only a year and a half or so as an author, I can say that reviews - when I read them - sometimes can affect whether I purchase a book or not. It depends on what the reviewer has to say. If they just regurgitate the blurb or don’t have anything interesting or inciteful to say that peaks my interest in the book, it doesn’t influence me at all. And I agree with Rachel. I tend to disregard a review that is filled with errors. I frankly can’t abide the hypocrisy of a site that would allow people with no concept of spelling and grammar to review a book and comment on the author’s use of those things.
Hand in hand with that is my abhorrence of something Stella mentioned above. And something I heartily disagree with her on. If a reviewer doesn’t like a particular genre or theme, they should not be allowed to review it. Why? Because they are starting out biased and in their mind the book already has a black mark. In addition, they aren’t going to be happy to have to read something they aren’t interested in and don’t like.
If I see a review that starts out, “I don’t like gay for you stories” and then the reviewer proceeds to spew out their review of a gay for you story, that site has lost my respect. They aren’t being fair to authors. And above all, that is what I think a review should strive for… fairness. Fairness to the author and the reading public. Sure, it’s just one person’s opinion, but it should be an opinion unhindered by bias and based solely on the reviewer’s reactions and opinions of the book itself.
The other type of review I dislike is the review that is written with an agenda in mind. You know the kind I mean. A discourse on a popular book that is seemingly high brow and well thought out that deteriorates into a high snark where the reviewer is obviously looking down their nose at the book and author. And all written in such a way as to incur the wrath of the author, publisher, and fans of the book, all of whom are invited to come by to comment. Then the site owner chimes in on what a GREAT job the reviewer did and how happy they are to have that person… It all seems very orchestrated with an eye toward bringing high visibility and traffic to the site as fans, the author, and publisher strive to defend the book against this blasphemous review across social media and blogs. Agenda = not something you should have when reviewing. It whacks your credibility down to the nil level.
Overall, I love being reviewed here, despite the fact that not every reviewer who reads my stuff likes it. I’ve had decent, fair reviews on this site and I’ve no objections to handing off my books here. I consider 3 tombstones a good review from this site because you all are tough graders. I like that you all strive to remove negativity from a review. Where I work we have 4 core values that we adhere to in order to provide excellent customer service every day. I think review sites would do well to adopt them as the basis for their reviews: Honesty, Fairness, Integrity, Excellence. And I think BBB comes pretty close it now.
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Everyone knows of the Moira ladies! Bree and Donna are amazing. ; )
I’m going to disagree with you a bit. I don’t like gay for you stories. (You know that, lol) They just don’t do it for me. For the most part, man on man action seems like such a shame to me because, HELLO, I can’t be part of it. I have, however, reviewed quite a few gay for you stories and given them very good scores. They aren’t my thing, but I remain objective. I think it’s important to allow reviewers who aren’t particular fans of a genre to review it because if a book is truly exceptional, it will tear through those barriers. I know Fire Season did it for me.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. The Internet has been a boring place without you!
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I think you’re the exception though, Jackie. (In a lot of ways really, but in this case I mean at remaining objective.) Even at review sites that do only GLBT reviews I’ve seen reviewers sniff and look down their noses at that type of story because it’s not their thing. Coming at any review with a bias that you can’t overcome means you can’t be objective about the book. And that is neither fair to the book nor the author.
I’m around. At ZAM’s group and Three Wicked Writers group. And a little at AWHC.
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Well my dear…. I have to agree with you that there is a line that you need to be wary of but still be able to be truthful to the readers as well. It helps if you are like me and will read anything and everything…. and belive me there have been pleasant surprises as well as those I regret saying yes too…. but even those ones the reviewer must find something to say other than I don’t like it…. expand on your ideas and thoughts and let the reader know what truly went through your mind when you read the book….. whether it turned you off, on or spun you mind…. be honest but back it up with reasons especially if it was one that you think needed some work.
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Look! One of my favorite reviewers! ; )
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I really don’t care for snarky reviews. They do turn me off of the reviewer. They are not the ones with their children(books) being slashed and gutted, but that is just my opinion. I have never been goaded into reading a book to see if it is as bad as the reviewer says. After all it is just an opinion and as I have said before, I have alot of opinions both good and bad about books and well everything. Jackie has a right to write her opinion and now that I have gotten to know her better, I just might read her review. Thankyou, Lisa D.
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Thank you! And you’re right: I can’t imagine having my baby torn apart for the entire e-world to see, so I try not to do it to others. : )
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Well said Jackie! I’m a long time reader and have been a reviewer for a short time. Personally I have no interest in snarky reviews or where a reviewer lambastes an author. They may have issues with various facets of a writer’s work but, and this is a personal opinion, I don’t see a need for someone to denigrate anyone’s work.
And I also know that, while an author’s work doesn’t do it for me, I’m only one person. If I say something about a story that doesn’t feel right to me I always mention that this is due to my particular taste… and that it is subjective.
There is always something good to be said for anyone’s work, whether we agree or not. And if I do read a snarky review my first impulse is to go out and buy the book… just to preve the reviewer wrong… because really? I don’t think that every facet of a story can be as bad as some people would have us believe.
Yes there are books that I just could NOT read, but that doesn’t make the book a failure. It just means that it doesn’t work for me. I’m sure not in the ‘business’ to sway everyone to my point of view… it’s not going to happen.
And the truism that you can attract more flies with honey than vinegar holds true for anything that is based on opinion. I don’t have a lot, if any, respect for anyone that trashes an author and / or their work just because it doesn’t meet their ‘expectations’. And I’ll stop here, ’cause otherwise I may something that I could regret.
But yes, excellent blog Jackie!!
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Subjectivity is a huge part of this, isn’t it? There are certain tropes, especially in the romance books, that I can’t stand. The hard part is keeping that out of the review while still warning those who feel the same way.
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I think that reviewers should review a book as if they are going to give the review to the author. It should be honest but respectful. If you didn’t like it, why? I think an author should be able to read a review and be able to learn from it. If you wouldn’t say it to someones face you shouldn’t put it in your review. Can you tell I have read some awful reviews? lol
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What was the worst review you’ve ever read? I’m not asking for a specific title, just the specific parts of the review that were horribly. Did they make fun of the characters, the author, etc?
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The worst review I have ever read was the reviewer hated the book so much it turned into a bash fest on the author. It was really awkward.
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I definitely don’t let a review decide whether I purchase a book or not, everyone has different tastes and some reviewers are way too critical. However, I may buy it sooner if all the reviews are good. I agree that the review should be about the book and not the author and should include the reason why the reviewer liked or disliked a book.
What I don’t want to see in a review is a spoiler! I read some reviews for the next book in a series I’m reading and one actually told me that a main character was going to get murdered! Really did not want to know that! and the book is now sitting on the shelf b/c I’m ruined by that review. Eventually I’ll read it, but that was a real bummer!!
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It is sooo hard to leave out spoilers, but you are absolutely right, they should be kept out of the review unless you warn your readers. When I wrote the review for Vicki Pettersson’s new book, Cheat the Grave, I specified at the beginning that there would be spoilers for previous books in the series so readers wouldn’t learn information they didn’t already know.
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I saw your review, and b/c you said there were spoilers I didn’t read it, but I think I may have scanned it. Making a note that it’s a spoiler is helpful and thoughtful! Thanks.
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I use reviews to find things that I wouldn’t otherwise stumble over, and I find there are reviewers whose opinions I trust and others that sometimes have too much fun at the author’s expense. I will sometimes buy that book, just because I hated the tone of the review. Maybe it’s just a ’so there’ that no one knows about but me.
I kind of like the standard about not saying anything in a way you would feel bad about saying directly to the author. That would cut down the snark and keep it constructive. Or reveal that the reviewer doesn’t have anything constructive to offer.
Honest but kind, it’s sort of hard, isn’t it?
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It really is. You catch yourself being more mean than necessary for the sake of humor. It’s easy to make the review more about yourself than the actual book. Sucks to admit, but it’s true. It’s much more difficult to focus on doing your job, not searching for comments saying how great you are. : )
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[...] On Bitten By Books, How Honest Is Too Honest In A Review? [...]