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I feel like I'm not reading the same book.
Has anyone seen the newest onslaught of rave reviews on amazon about Torn? I think I will have to finally post my review on there. So sad that the author feels she needs to spike her numbers.
I didn't see that. It's really too bad - all she's doing is ruining her reputation.
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I haven't checked out the Torn reviews on Amazon for a few days. Will have to take a look. A bunch more "glowing 5-stars" I imagine?
I did download the free sample of this book to my kindle. Might have to make myself read it, then review the book based on the sample. :o)
If I hadn't bought the Kindle version, I would send you my copy.
Out of curiosity, what essays did the editor pick for the free sample on kindle? Did anyone hear about this book before the controversy of the fake reviews? I'm just wondering if all of their advertising revolves around skewing book review results. Sort of an interesting amazon.com case study. :)
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What you need to remember about some books is that sometimes people are paid to write 5 star reviews on books and other things. Write Online Book Reviews
Description of project:
We need 5 reviewers for 3 of our newly released titles. We ask that you write a 1-3 Paragraph review with a 5 star rating (5 being best) of each of the 3 books. We will then ask that you forward the reviews over to us so that we can look over them before you post them on Amazon.com and Barns and Noble.com. Most of our reviewers are paid from $5- to $10 per review or $15.00 to $30.00 per 3 review book set. Unfortunately, Amazon has recently instituted a new procedure whereby you can only review books if you have an account that you have used to purchase books / products from them before, so in order to bid you must have an account with Amazon that you have used to purchased books with them from before. You are bidding on writing 5 reviews and posting them to Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and lulu.com Long term work
Skill requirements:
Must have an amazon.com account and know how to write english well.
Thanks, Sheila. A friend of mine started reading the discussion on goodreads & said she wanted to read the book out of curiosity. So, I will again insert my fair warning that Torn is not a good book. I am reading the Book Thief now, though, which is FABULOUS so far.Wow, Diane. I guess it makes sense, but I didn't realize people would get paid for it. To think how much trust I've put in reviews. So sad.
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Wow, Dianne, I had no idea that there were some people who actually advertised for and paid people for writing phony 5-star reviews for them for Amazon and B&N. I just figured all the phony reviews were from the authors and their friends and family. The authors paying money for the fake reviews takes it to a whole new level of LOW!
I've seen an author post his book up for giveaway on LibraryThing. Then he states that the "winners" of said giveaway must purchase his book on Amazon and give it a good review. Upon proof of these actions he would then reimburse the "winner" for the money spent on the book. Yeah dude, okay. LibraryThing removed his giveaway, but it was like WTF? I mean, who does that?And self-published authors wonder why the majority of people do not want to read/review their stuff.
Dianne wrote: "What you need to remember about some books is that sometimes people are paid to write 5 star reviews on books and other things. Write Online Book Reviews
Description of project:
We need 5 rev..."
Ummm, I love to do that for the money. I could really use it but I can see how it could be misused. However, I wouldn't write phony reviews. If it merits a 5 star book then that's what it gets.
Who/what publisher posted that Dianne?
That's messed up, Dianne. I'm becoming disillusioned...
It was written in 2009 I think. The person who put it up to let people know that this happens at times wisely took who ever was posting the job down. As far as amazon is concerned they have taken fake reviews down on things in the past. I don't even know when the last time I read a review at amazon. My TBR list is mostly from the women in my groups.
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Let's hope so. I had someone tell me online that I was just a name on the screen and I wasn't real.
Just some thoughts, I'm one who looks at the low reviews of all products first, then I'll look at the others...it's where I find the weakness of the item (and note if the criticism is justified). I'm kinda leery of something that is all 5 stars (or 100%), because nothing is that good for everybody, nothing, people disagree on price, quality, whatever...and Shelia, some of the quote, especially "I thank God I found this book" type thing really raises alarm bells. I kinda fell for this too with a horrid book Riven: A Novel. There were so many good reviews (and I wasn't yet well read into knowing about review plants), not to mention misleading (at least to me)plot summaries via the reviews...though I received this book for free via B&N, I'll never get the time back that I spent reading this horrid book.(one of the few that I gave one star to, I'm pretty easy to please)...
Speaking of easy to please, I hope that I'm not considered a review planter...even though I have received a few books for review, I try and give an honest opinion(and BTW, I didn't realise there were comments on the review till reading this, so TY), again, I'm pretty easy to please...and I think the fantasy writers know that I like a good tale of imagination and I'll forgive some things...
Unbelievalbe, Dianne. I had the exact same reaction as Sheila - I had no idea!
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http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I also posted it on Amazon, and got a thank you message saying my review was pending and should be posted within 48 hours. Is this typical for Amazon reviews?
It sent reviews online and the typical response is 24-72 hours.
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I had to post a reply for them on Amazon. :o)
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I base my reviews here on Goodreads on how they define their stars (what it says when you hover your cursor over the star rating):
1-star: didn't like it
2-star: it was ok
3-star: liked it
4-star: really liked it
5-star: it was amazing
But when I posted the review on Amazon, their stars were labeled differently:
1-star: I hate it
2-star: I don't like it
3-star: it's ok
4-star: I like it
5-star: I love it
So, since I didn't like the book, but would not go so far as saying I hate it, that is why it was a 1-star here on Goodreads, but ended up being a 2-star on Amazon. :o)
Mod
Also, I was re-reading the comments on Mary's 1-star amazon review, and WWG commented on that review too. Today on my review, WWG first accidentally posted as "James" then deleted that and came back and posted as "WWG" calling herself a stay-at-home mom. But on Mary's thread, WWG actually identified herself as editor of the book Samantha Walravens! Classic!
Hilarious, Sheila! I hope Amazon caught on and deleted those reviews. It would be good to know that they can keep track and notice these fake reviews somehow.
Hahaha, you got some new comments! I'm cut and pasting here for everyone's enjoyment because something tells me once her temper settles she will delete them, particularly the second one. Post 1-dh says:
As a busy mother of three attempting to reignite my career after 12 years staying home, I can appreciate understanding how all of the women in Torn cope and cannot cope with "having it all." Rather than depressing, I find it a look into the lives of others. Knowing that the feeling of trying to have it all and the highs and lows of such a balancing act are shared by other women, it makes me feel more secure with my own feelings. As for the daddy comment - I am sure daddy was at work too - does your husband stay at home? Rather than winey wealthy women complaining, this book is about educated women who prefer to challenge themselves with something other than a pie recipe. I guess that a fancy job must mean using your brain? One of the chapters is written by a mother in the armed services, passionate about serving our country. And "mother-ish" is an interesting term. Judging the love these women have for their children from a book excerpt is inane. And by the way, Martha Stewart is quite the business woman. I doubt she cooks or owns a glue gun.
Post 2-dh says:
get a life
The second post is in response to "SM's" comment on MaryBT's review.
haha. Yeah, as an engineer, I am rarely required to use my brain. lol.My husband actually does stay home, sort of. I work days and he works nights so we can stay home with our child.
I will have to give her the Martha Stewart part I remember a show when she didn't know how to cut a avocado. lol. She sure dose seem to have a lot of time on her hands with three kids.
It cracks me up that she seems to think I'm uneducated but the best she can come up with is "get a life." lol.The other thing I think is if these women were as literate as they think they are, at least one of them would have noticed that I said *I* didn't get a mother-ish feeling from them, not that they didn't love their children.
That post just put up the old mom vs mom topic up again what a shame that a educated women would do that or say that to another mother. .
Well, you have to be careful about using the word "educated" in the first place. I know a lot of people with masters degrees who aren't really that much smarter or better read than other high school graduates I know. That's why I'm not going to take her bait and mention my level of education to her. It's not pertinent to the subject at hand; and I like to think that how I comport myself speaks well enough for me.
My one star review on amazon was deleted & I'm not sure why. I just reposted, so hopefully I will be able to leave it on there. All of their comments on the low rated reviews are pretty incredible.
Oh yeah, and yesterday I kept trying to comment here that the CIA needs to hire Sheila but GR wouldn't let me comment for some reason. lol.
Maybe Gr has something against the CIA :)
Mary that was just the Sunday Issue problem of the day my email is still all messed up
Well, I guess it didn't take long for the review bashing to begin on my review on amazon. Thanks, Tera, for your comment! :)
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http://samanthawalravens.com/main/201...
Sheila wrote: "And I just checked out the blog of Samantha Walravens. She is even talking about us there:http://samanthawalravens.com/main/201..."
"Ruffling a few feathers"? That's an ...interesting way to describe her thinly disguised harassment of reviewers.
I read the Kindle sample last night and I thought the essays available in the kindle sample were pretty well-written (although almost identical). It's a shame she and her collaborators have such poor comportment because I am genuinely interested in the book's topic and can see myself reading it under different circumstances. But it will be a very cold day in hell when I buy it after their little display.
I also really question their claim that this is some great universal book that any mother should delight in its wisdom. The essays in the sample were almost identical in that the authors were professional writers who were able to work part-time from home. That in itself is a pretty unique position at least from the mothers I know. It seems to me that they think any woman who wouldn't love their book must be a barefoot bumpkin who never leaves the kitchen and is too stupid and oppressed to appreciate the book's brilliance.
Is this author/editor really a 16 year old girl? LOL.
Dimity, I think your last sentence sums it up pretty well: It seems to me that they think any woman who wouldn't love their book must be a barefoot bumpkin who never leaves the kitchen and is too stupid and oppressed to appreciate the book's brilliance.
Oh my gosh. I think I just literally fell off my chair. Her blog says that we shouldn't judge each other. Which is ironic given that every single one of her comments on Amazon is a judgement of Ali and me. hahahahaha. hahahahaha. hahahahaha.
I've changed my mind. Crazy defensive woman is right; the book is brilliant and has changed my life! Bwahahaha. Tera's comment on Ali's review cracked me up. I wish I could edit my review to say that!
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Two things -
1.) She should thank her lucky stars for your negative reviews. It's generate more actual buz than all her fake positive reviews. I can promise you I never would have looked once at the book had it not been for your reviews.
2.) She is right women should come together and not tear each other apart. I believe this to my core. However, part of this is allowing all women to have their own opinion. And apparently you aren't allowed to do that if it doesn't praise their work.
It frustrates me because rather than accepting the review but still promoting the discussion of motherhood and how it is approached and recognized by women and the world she turns it into this. It is an important topic and one that often gets muddled by hurt and defensive feelings. I would have hoped from more from someone who worked on a book on the subject.
Chicks On Lit
Books mentioned in this topic
Riven (other topics)Torn: True Stories of Kids, Career & the Conflict of Modern Motherhood (other topics)
(I think she was also insinutating that I broke Amazon's rules about "profane or obscene, inflammator..."
I voted like both places too! Such idiots.
It's fine to comment on a review if you do it politely or have something interesting to share with your readers, but it upsets me when authors question our rights to give them bad reviews, even if their work is too bad to finish. We've after all wasted our hard earned money on their book!
I NEVER buy books with all 5 star reviews, unless I can see that the reviewers have rated a lot of other books with various grades.
Tastes are so different, even the 2-3 books I think are the most brilliant of all time have a few 1-2 star reviews from people who didn't like the writing style/story.