First, each book has qualities that may not work for me, but
are probably the reason other readers love it. The very aspect that one reader
enjoys, another will dislike. I know that and remind myself when I see reader
reviews of books – other people’s and mine.
That’s the part of reviewing that’s hard for me: being an
author. I want to say only encouraging things to other authors. I’ve been
there. No one wants to read a harsh review of their work.
A review is, after all, one person’s opinion. My friend Brenda
would often recite, “Opinions are like a$$#*les; everyone has one and it
usually stinks.”
So, on sites like Amazon or GoodReads, I tend to not write
reviews unless I’m crazy-infatuated with a book, and then I’ll keep focused on
what I think other people will find interesting about it.
Giving stars is difficult too. For a while, I gave 5-stars
to every book I enjoyed, but it occurred to me that 4-stars are “great” and
5-stars means a book is “perfect.” That
was the performance evaluation criteria we had in the corporate world – I was
always disappointed if I didn’t get a perfect evaluation. Donna, my director, would remind me that I
did not “walk on water.”
No book “walks on water” either. A 4-star review is a
compliment to the work. I know I see a lot of all 5-star reviews. Moms and
friends are kind to their writers. ;-)
Also, some authors have achieved teen idol status, so gushing reviews
are common for household names or pretty writers. I like to read and to write
well-thought reviews about what was enjoyable about the novel. A written review
takes time and effort; I appreciate those for my own work and try to return
that to others.
We can’t always be syrupy in admiration for a book, but if I
find a book doesn’t speak to me, I stop reading and move to the next one on my
list. I don’t release brimstone onto the author. A rabid, hateful review
demonstrates more about the reviewer than it does of the targeted book.
That’s what I tell new authors about reviews. If the tone is
harsh, the review is about something more than the book. It was written to be
hurtful to the book’s author. Julia Cameron says “blocked creatives” can be
very spiteful to those who are achieving what they long for.
Focus on encouragement and refinement when reading or
writing a review from someone not of your relation! The old adage “If you can’t
say something nice, say nothing at all” is a good rule for reviewing (and in
life).
