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How to delicately write a review on a book
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Trish
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May 27, 2014 03:49PM
I received a complimentary code for a book in exchange for a review but I really did not care for the book. What should I do?
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be honest...i try to always find something I liked as well as what I disliked...when I write negative reviews I also have someone read them for me prior to posting to make sure they aren't too inflammatry
Maybe you should divide your review into pros and cons, just as you would when contemplating an important decision.
I agree with what Dee and Jennifer said, but I would add one point: end your review on a positive note. Start off with a concise list of the things that bothered you. Don't dwell on them, just state them, and then move on to the positive. I know it's a bear, but try to balance the two. If you end positive, that's the thing that will stick with people. It'll soften the overall impression.
even when I dislike a book I try to think of who may like it, maybe a similar author that i've liked even if this one didn't work for me etc
Thanks all! These comments were all insightful and will go far in my review.
Go with your gut, Trish. You gotta have DISCIPLINE!Example:
I am so pleased to find out that publishers don't discriminate against the grammatically challenged. I would like to suggest an alternate title, perhaps 'How Not to Write a Book'.
I'm kidding of course.
I have been known to be brutal. Apparently non-fiction books about dying bring out the worst in me. But I have never given a one-star rating.
Be honest, but fair. As long as you can explain why you disliked a book, that's fine. I once took a writing seminar with a fellow student I greatly admired. If she had to critique something she really, really couldn't get into, she'd start with, "I'm not sure I'm the target audience here ...."
This is a great question. It seems too many people are willing to slap their troll hats on and shred just about anything online. While you definitely want to be honest and not sugar-coat things, there really isn't a good reason to lambast people--even the worst of writers. The way I see it, even if someone isn't the best writer, artist, etc., the fact that they've dedicated themselves to creating something they believe in is something to applaud (even if we're only applauding the work involved). I am a firm believer in constructive criticism. I've developed tougher skin over the years, but it's still hard to hear when people point out the flaws or things they didn't like.
Dee, Valyssia and Jennifer made some great points. I think their advice is spot-on.
When I was in my long-term writing workshop, we worked by answering the question, "What did you want more of? What did you want less of?" That works really well for constructive criticism that avoids hurting feelings or getting personal, etc. It is also a great way to focus your thoughts on the writing.
I had this experience about 2 years ago on a book that I won at the Time Travel Group. I communicated with the author in advance regarding how it would be delivered and found a fast friendship was made. Then I read the book with the anxiety knowing now I had to like it. Guess what? I didn't. So, how do I write that review after befriending the author? That was very tough but if you follow the advice in this thread, you'll work it out too. You can read the outcome of my referenced review here to see how I approached it. Good luck.
I read a friend's book a couple years ago, and didn't like it very much. As I read it, I kept thinking, "I wish she'd had be beta read this for her..." I think I left the review blank for a long long time because I didn't want to hurt her feelings... and though I probably would have normally given it 2 or 2.5 stars, I bumped it to 3. That being said, I paid for my copy of the book, so.... *shrugs*
I have given quite a few 1 star ratings but since these books were usually adored by others I figured it didn't matter much.
I usually don't have a problem writing a ripping review if it's truly that awful, but I always include something positive and say specifically what was bad about it. There have been books where I simply was not the target audience and I always make sure to say so; "I think I would have enjoyed this more if I were....", etc. I always point out when writing is good but story didn't reach me, or vice versa. When it's completely awful, plot, writing, grammar, title, the whole shebang (lol, is that even how you spell that?) I don't mind saying so. Only exception to that is if it's someone that I know. I am extremely hesitant to read anything by someone I know or have met, because I don't believe in writing dishonest reviews (or dishonesty in general, for that matter) and I want to be tactful, which makes me feel limited in what I can say. A former uncle by marriage had given my ex-husband and I a book he wrote in order to add it to our library and to this day I have never read it (partly because the subject matter did not interest me) out of fear that either a) I would hate it and not know how to review it or b) I would really love it and feel that the author or friends who knew I KNEW the author, would think I only wrote such a praising review because of my friendship with the author. Tough position to be in.
I hear you, although I did post a review of an audiobook, read by one of our regular group contributors, saying that the person did not seem a good fit for the book (which I did not like in the first place).
