Brought to us by our friends at Under the Covers
This week’s question was an interesting one.
How do you review a 1-2 star book or a book you didn’t enjoy?
How do you review a 1-2 star book or a book you didn’t enjoy?
You all know GP has a NO SNARK policy on our site. That doesn’t mean we can’t be honest with our reviews or comments, it just means we understand that an author has put his/her blood, sweat, and tears, not to mention the countless hours into this piece of work, and who are we to rip them apart with harsh criticism? But, fact of the matter is, there will be times we read a book we won’t particularly care for. Some of the GP reviewers have weighed in on the subject, but we want to hear what you have to say too.
Angeline De Luca
I try extra hard to be fair, but still honest with my reaction to the book. Constructive criticism is extra important. My hopes are that the author can learn something from my review and not feel attacked or bad about it.
DiDi
I have gotten to where I will list the pros and cons of the book. Instead of a wordy review. I also try to use the sandwich method when reviewing a meh book, compliment, critique, compliment. I then send the review to the publisher/author.
Ava Austin
It’s more difficult for me to write. I struggle to balance my opinions with the specific items that made it hard. The biggest issue I have is it takes me a lot longer to finish reading it. I try to decide about 3 points that I felt really disappointed me, so that I don’t over focus on the negative elements. The truth is most books, authors spent a great deal of time and energy composing. If I’m going to be critical of their work I want to give them useful information they can learn from, specific to the piece I read. I want to encourage them to try to break that cycle so they can grow.
Kimber
If I don’t like a book, I try to find positives I can relay in my review because even though I might not like it, there are possibly many that do or will. The star rating speaks for me so I don’t feel the need to write mean or hateful things about someone’s hard work. This is their baby we are talking about.
Kitty Angel
I try to look for the positive aspects of the book. I believe in constructive criticism like … “I would have liked to have seen…”. I find putting my likes and dislikes down on paper and comparing the two very helpful in writing the review. And, most importantly, I always remember that it is my opinion…someone else may love the book.
Alyn Love
I look to what I liked about the book first. After explaining the positives I would follow with “what I had difficulty with was…” so that I can discuss the critiques, followed by a positive note to finish things off. If the book is simply too difficult for me to review, I would then look to my fellow GPR gal pals to give it a try and add their insight.
Rhayne
I have a different system for books I read to review . I take notes and spend a lot of time deconstructing the story. I think about what works and what does not. If the book does not hook me in, I step back and ask what could have changed.
Shadow
I try to be honest about my reactions to a book, keeping in mind my own prejudices. I’m not a big fan of fantasy, so if I happen to read a fantasy book, I try to keep my own feelings aside, while being honest about the faults of the book. …
Don’t forget to leave a comment.
All of us at GP are interested in your thoughts on this subject too.
All of us at GP are interested in your thoughts on this subject too.
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Awesome job Kimber!! I love reading everyone’s perspective =)
Wonderful post!
I can see a change for the (hopefully) better in my reviews. When I first started book blogging (just last year in June)I’m sure they sounded much harsher (even if not my intention).
On the other hand, I hope all authors/agents/… are aware of the fact that a book can trigger strong emotions that are not directed at the author, but rather the characters/plot/… (both good and bad).
Happy Thursday!
My DLS: DirtyLittleSecret
awesome answers, everyone! I try to be as constructive as possible and I’m slowly getting out of the snarky reviews. Sometimes it’s hard when I really hated a book, but it’s not an attack on an author just the characters. (what Yay said above).
My DLS
Ning @ Reading by Kindle Fire
Great answers girls!
Francesca
I appreciate the information supplied in each review. GP is excellent at informing readers about elements of the story that some readers may not wish to read.
With all the information supplied, I have never been disappointed in a book I read based on a GP review.