#mondaymusings On reviews, the good and the bad ways to write them

I did a TIKTOK the other day while I was spending the day in bed, trying to get rid of my sciatica pain, about a review I’d received. It was a 5 star, so yay for that, but the charming reviewer went ahead and listed every single spoiler there was in the review while she explained and detailed the plot.

I was gobsmacked.

In the back of my mind I figured, why would anyone want to read this book now that they know every thing that happens in it? I alternated between being thrilled with the review and heartbroken at the spoilers, so I decided to do what I always do when faced with an issue: blog about it.

As a reviewer myself, I know that there are certain things you should always put in a book review, and things you should never put in one, and spoilers are the biggest one not to include. And if your review does contain spoilers, there needs to be a statement at the beginning of the review telling people that so they can make the decision not to read the review and just read the book through by themselves and learn everything organically through the read.

Reviewers – and again, I’m a reviewer, too – the main thing I always want to keep front and center in my mind when I start to write a review, especially if it’s a book that wasn’t exactly my favorite thing ever, is that somebody wrote this. Somebody put their blood, sweat, tears, emotions, and time on the line to write this story. Just like you would never ( I hope) say someone’s baby or child is evil or butt-ugly, or wasn’t worth being born, because you know how those words are going to devastate the parent, saying mean, horrible, and nasty things about a book – and worse: putting them in print in the guise of a review- is just as mean, horrible, nasty and, I’ll add, hurtful. So please, always put yourself in the seat of the author when you start to pen a review and keep it civil. My mother used to say if you can’t say something nice, shut up. I kinda agree. Criticism doesn’t have to be delivered negatively. It can be tempered. Saying something like this book wasn’t for me, although I know that’s just my opinion is way better than saying this book sucked and the author should be stoned in a public square.

Okay, enough preaching.

Here are a few things you must include: The author’s name, and the name of the book. Sounds simple, right? But you would be surprised how many people leave either of those two out.

If you are starring the book, the number of stars you are giving is a must. And I know star ratings can be interpreted as subjective, but I would think everyone knows a 5 star rating means the book has some merit.

It’s okay to give a very brief rehash of the blurb, maybe in your own words or with your own spin.

You can explain about the h/h and why you liked them. Or didn’t – just do it nicely.

You can explain your favorite tropes in the book or why you decided to read it. Would you recommend it? I’ve had reviewers read one of my books, never having read me before, and then state they were now going to read the rest of my catalog. Manna from Heaven to an author’s ears.

A review can simply be, “I enjoyed this book and recommend it.” It doesn’t have to be fifteen pages long, and detail chapter by chapter.

If you do review a book, it’s always nice to post it to places where it could mean an increase in exposure to the author, like Amazon, BookBub, TikTok, Instagram, your blog, Facebook. All those places have engagement traction for authors built in, so every review help

I’m going to do a #fridayfive this week about 5 things NOT to include in a review – and yes – it includes spoilers. But there are a few others you want to stay away from, too that I’ll list.

Tomorrow I’ll tackle what the role of an author is concerning reviews. You’d be surprised at some of the things writers have done when they haven’t like or agreed with a reviewer’s take on their book – things that are career killers!

Tune in tomorrow, kids.