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Reviewing a book when you're tired of the author
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Good suggestion. Thanks. Could say something like, "Having read these for years I knew ..."Probably overthinking because of what others were saying. Recently I've read and been entertained by series where others panned the books only to next be bored by book when others were entertained.
L J wrote: "I have no problem saying when something is a bad thing, such as every book having major character(s) that use(s) the same popular 15 years ago phrase." - this isn't on the topic, but it drew my attention. It must be difficult for authors to negotiate this, especially if their series spans a decade or more. Bleeding-edge slang ages very poorly, so I can easily imagine an author not bothering to try to keep up. Especially when it could come across as an old person trying to look young, and readers are scarily capable of seeing that, and pointing it out.Back on the topic! :D
Giving the book no stars isn't a bad idea, especially if this is an author who otherwise doesn't have a lot of reviews. I would never feel bad giving an author who gets thousands of reviews on every book a bad star rating, because my influence on its average score (which people pay attention to, for some reason?) would be negligible.
Or if you decide to give the book a lower star rating after all, you could give a brief explanation in your review.
It's always kind of sad when a series loses its magic.
Beth wrote: "L J wrote: "I have no problem saying when something is a bad thing, such as every book having major character(s) that use(s) the same popular 15 years ago phrase......slang ages very poorly, so I can easily imagine an author not bothering to try to keep up. Especially when it could come across as an old person trying to look young..."
Good points. I think 15 years ago they were about the age of their characters. That may be real life language for them.
"no stars isn't a bad idea, especially if this is an author who otherwise doesn't have a lot of reviews. I would never feel bad giving an author who gets thousands of reviews on every book a bad star rating"
I guess I think of rating separate from review. In book discussions and reviews I rarely mention rating unless discussion format requires it.
When it comes to ratings I usually start book with the idea I'm going to like it, so 3* on Goodreads and 4* another site then up or down depending on book.
"It's always kind of sad when a series loses its magic."
To use outdated slang, when series jumps the shark I'm usually out. It's more like outrage than boredom. If they've hinted all along, okay, but suddenly, out of nowhere, not okay. If author wants to write something different but still in same universe they can spin off another series.
So all this has made me think some more.
Sometimes authors change style or genre and if it's something I like, I keep reading. Sometimes they keep writing same genre or series and make each new book interesting. I keep reading. Sometimes, maybe, they are bored with what they are writing and need to change things a bit so they don't garner reviews that say, or at least imply, boring.
L J wrote: "To use outdated slang, when series jumps the shark I'm usually out."I've been dredging my memory for a series that I quit for this reason, but am coming up dry. I can think of one author who was coping with increasing levels of depression, and another who had dementia (both now deceased), whose mental conditions caused a change in the tone/mood, and the quality, respectively, of their books. If I hadn't known about their troubles, I might have thought they'd jumped the shark and been less tolerant.
Note that I am not implying that jumping the shark is always an indicator of mental troubles. Or even often. I'm sure that most of these authors are trying to get out of a rut, and end up alienating readers who were happy with the series as it was.
Beth wrote: "L J wrote: "To use outdated slang, when series jumps the shark I'm usually out."I've been dredging my memory for a series that I quit for this reason, but am coming up dry. I can think of one aut..."
Not so much change of tone, though I've quit reading some when they became not to my taste.
Not change of tone but other change. For instance, dropped these. Military suspense elite units 2 different series several books in - 2 different authors - suddenly the characters weren't exactly human - one group were shifter or at least part shifter - the other group aliens or part alien. Made no sense except from a marketing point of view because paranormal, urban fantasy, etc. were becoming more popular.
For some reason, I think it's funny that two different authors in the same genre decided on a very similar pivot. "Why not werewolves?" Did the series have fantasy elements before the change? If not, I can easily imagine that being disorienting or annoying.
L J wrote: "Recently I've struggled to fairly review books I would have liked far more if I hadn't already read books by the authors. It's not that I really dislike what the authors write it's just that I'm ti..."This isn't EXACTLY what you're talking about, but I have a hard time reading authors repeatedly who have a very distinct style, especially if I think that their style worked very well for the story being told in the first book I've read from them... but then that style is just how they write all the time. For some reason, that bothers me a lot. It makes it feel less special, less of a specific decision for THAT story. And that makes everything else they'd write after that less appealing to me.
Some examples of this would be Jose Saramago's Blindness and Hubert Selby Jr.'s Requiem For A Dream. Both were written in unconventional styles, and with the stories being told, the styles worked beautifully and felt really raw and powerful. But then, finding out that they just write like that all the time takes the magic out of it for me.
Beth wrote: "For some reason, I think it's funny that two different authors in the same genre decided on a very similar pivot. "Why not werewolves?" Did the series have fantasy elements before the change? If not, I can easily imagine that being disorienting or annoying."I may have run across them because at the time I was reading more military suspense and tech novels than most other genres.
No real fantasy elements. In first they were modern military with abilities of ninja of legend. A character or two maybe three had limited telepathy or near telepathy, not unheard of in military suspense. The other series, the characters were supposed to be product of selective breeding, eugenics program and special training basically starting at birth.
Becky wrote: "L J wrote: "Recently I've struggled to fairly review books I would have liked far more if I hadn't already read books by the authors. It's not that I really dislike what the authors write it's just..."I think it's akin if I understand what you mean.
Style usually needs to match the book. Going against the usual style for genre can work but it doesn't always continue to work. It doesn't stay fresh and new. I can think of some I read that were like that.
L J wrote: "Style usually needs to match the book."Yes! In the case of Blindness, the way it was written really worked to make the reader feel the loss of vision, to really feel that uncertainty, and the loss of autonomy etc. In my mind, the writing of the book is tied so closely to the experience of the story that I can't imagine enjoying a book on another topic that is just written that way as a default. So I haven't read any of his other books.
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Yes! If the author's voice & style is distinct, it needs to be flexible to match the book. Otherwise, write quietly and let the reader focus on the other elements.
Oh that’s SUCH a good way of putting it, Cheryl!
I have no problem saying when something is a bad thing, such as every book having major character(s) that use(s) the same popular 15 years ago phrase. Move on already! Just because twenty somethings the author wrote 15 years ago used that phrase doesn't mean twenty somethings today would use it. I now seldom read the author because that's not the only repetitive sometimes outdated thing about their books.
What I'm talking about is knowing in a mystery who the victim and murderer will be as soon as they are introduced because of past experience reading author or knowing what is going to cause relationship problem, or, well, just anything I know because I've read the author before.
Is this something that should be mentioned in review? Always? Sometimes? Never? In some ways it feels wrong either way. Put it in the review and it's about the author and their other work. Leave it out and it doesn't really disclose my reaction when reading the book.
I have no problem saying in review I am quitting on a series and why but when it comes to author, their books, their style... I don't know. It just feels weird, probably due to the current troll issues.