On the Internet, Every Review is Equal

One interesting thing I've noticed since We are the Monsters went free on Amazon (and it still is as of this writing): people who wouldn't normally read your book will review it when they paid nothing.

From a recent two star review:

"This book was not good. It jumped from reality to nonreality."

Well, yes... That's what I write. Fantastic fiction. Speculation. Horror and the surreal.

"Nonreality."

This post isn't about the review (it's folly to do these things), but it is about reviews in general. A wealth of book-related websites now exist (with the best of them being Goodreads, LibraryThing, and the all-powerful Amazon), and they all have star ratings.

Once upon a time, an author looked to a handful of powerful review sources for validation. Now, anyone with WiFi can hang out in a coffee shop and spread his/her opinion. This is positive, of course... I believe in free speech and the open internet... But there is a caveat.

Take this example: I do not read romance novels. I think they are drivel. You are welcome to disagree with my opinion because, quite frankly, that's all it is: opinion. I'm sure many folks would say the same about the "nonreality" nonsense I write. Drivel.

But what if I decided to review a romance novel? The power to do so is only a few clicks away.

One star: mushy and unrealistic.

One star: cheesy love scenes.

One star: this is why my students can't read literature.

You get the idea. Of course, I wouldn't ever do such a thing--I don't read romance and have no grounds from which to review a romance novel.

Even in the age of the internet and a voice for all, not all reviews are created equal. They just appear that way on the surface.