Something has been bugging me since last night.
REVIEWS!
You know what my problem is? I SHOULDN’T read them. Period.
I haven’t read a good book in a looooong time. Last Thursday I went to my library and pick out 4 books. The last two in Carrie Ryan’s zombie trilogy, James Patterson’s third installment of Witch & Wizard (the Fire), and the second installment of Jessica Verday’s The Haunted.
Carrie Ryan’s two are read and returned and I’m reading W&W the Fire. While surfing the net I stumbled upon a few reviews for the favored children’s trilogy. Both reviews were ripping The Fire to its bloody death.
WHY DO YOU READ THESE?
I don’t know.
I was perplexed. I know everyone is rightfully entitled to their opinions and reviews and I usually take them with a grain a salt. The same thing goes for movie reviews. I will read them but still read or watch and I usually love them. My problem isn’t with bad reviews my problem is what she did next…
After this lovely reviewer gave her demoralizing evaluation, she went on to state that she would give a detailed synopsis so no one would have to waste their time reading it. “It sucks that bad” she said.
It’s my right to be miffed at this just as it’s her right to do what she did. And I’m sure she’s a really sweet person. I’m not gonna judge her on how she feels about a book. It’s only a book and one that I didn’t even write.
She’s discouraging readers, and fans of the first two books, to not read the third portion of the series because SHE thought it stunk.
Now these are “children” books. Like PG13. To me it’s like an English teacher in front of class and after he/she hands out the assigned reading material he/she says… “Now class, this book is sooooo boring, so to spare you the agony of reading it, here is a detailed synopsis.”
WRONG!
I follow a lot of blogs that only do reviews… but they do them tastefully. Instead of smashing the novel to smithereens they kindly state “it wasn’t for me” or “it didn’t grab my attention” or “I suggest this read to those who…”
You get the gist. Some people are meant to review... some are/should not.
What's your opinion of reviews?
Love ‘em / hate ‘em?
Are they essential to you?
Do you read/not read a book because of it?
But I’m not all b*tch and moan today… I see on Cassandra Clare’s FB page that Jonathan Rhys Meyers will be portraying Valentine in her The Mortal Instruments film! HOT HOT HOT!
Have a great weekend!
I never really read reviews. To be honest, before I started blogging it never would have even occured to me to read a review of a book before reading the book. I just pick up what looks interesting. :)
ReplyDeleteI am afraid of reviews now I have my own book out LOL! But, in regards to reading them, I do, though it rarely sways me on whether or not I should actually read the book. I tend to base my decision on the synopsis alone. :)
ReplyDeleteYou know, one of my least favorite books of all time is one of the most popular fantasy novels out right now (Game of Thrones). I try not to let reviews sway me much, although I still read them before I buy a book (if for nothing else to look at the star's) and when I write them I always try to include a "Who would like this section"
ReplyDeleteI can't read reviews. I can imagine it'll just be worse when it's a book I wrote out there. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI don't read reviews. I look at the cover and read the blurb (perhaps listen to what others I know say about it) that's how I choose.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm with Sara, actually. I didn't like Game of Thrones much...