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WotC Novels Book Reviews How to Review a Book You Don’t Like
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3 years ago  ::  Jul 19, 2010 - 5:40PM #1
SusanJMorris
Date Joined: Aug 25, 2009
Posts: 10

You’re not going to like every book you read. It’s called “having an opinion,” and it’s perfectly okay. But a scathing review is as unhelpful as a dishonest one. A good reviewer helps his fellow readers choose books that they will enjoy—and there are a couple ways to can make sure that that is what you’re doing.


1. Give Context. Context is the single most important aspect of your review. Taste is relative, so you need to let readers know who the audience for the book is, and what your tastes are. Without context, your well-thought-out review is meaningless. After all, how useful is a four-year-old’s opinion on Dante’s Inferno?


2. State Opinions Not Facts. You can’t compare the book to a Platonic Ideal of Bookness, because there isn’t one. So instead of declaring something bad, say the truth: you disliked it. And remember: as much as you think that having a cow crusader called the Masked Moo is stupid and cliché, Johnny over there has never seen anything like it, has papered his walls with the book posters, and goes to school wearing spots and a domino mask.


3. Give your reactions. Even better than saying you dislike something is explaining why. And I don’t mean by tearing it down. I mean by describing what made you feel negatively about the character or plot or whatever caused your issue. For example, “When the Masked Moo squashed that innocent little sea slug under his cold, merciless hooves, I just couldn’t identify with him anymore. I mean, who does that? It made me feel bad for the Omnipus and his sea slug legions!”


4. Identify what you like as well as what you didn’t like. Instead of saying that the Masked Moo was an unlikeable hero, try saying:  “I like my heroes brave AND compassionate. When the Masked Moo risks his life to save Mini Moo, I really felt for him, but I just didn’t understand why he wanted to squash the poor sea slug.” That way, you give other readers a perspective on your opinion.


5. Don’t Bash the Author. It’s just rude. Remember: they really are trying their hardest to make you happy. Besides, you never know the circumstances under which the book was written (and it’s also rude to speculate: “Man, Mr. Mooster must have been hit in the head repeatedly to think this is good!), it might not have been written for you, and judging a whole person by one book that they don’t have complete control over is like judging someone based on their outfit on prom night.


Do you have any other good advice for new reviewers?

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3 years ago  ::  Jul 19, 2010 - 7:23PM #2
crazy_monkey
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Date Joined: Apr 5, 2006
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I've done a few RPG book reviews and have noticed what I like and don't like to see in a review.  This, of course, is all a matter of opinion.

A chapter by chapter breakdown is ok in some situations but not all.  If your review is just an overview of the book, it isn't really helpful.  If you're going to do a chapter by chapter style review, include the good and the bad and the ugly, not just the contents.

Be succint.  Most folks read reviews as part of their decision making process on whether they want to buy and/or read the book.  Thus, they're not going to do more than skim through a really long review.  Do a thorough job, but don't write a whole book yourself on the subject. 

Include an "at a glance" section at the beginning and/or the end where you give the book a rating of some sort.  Mine was bananas.  Five for a good book, one for a godsawful book.  That way if someone is just looking for a quick rating without wanting to read the whole review, they have the "4 out of 5 bananas" part to glance at.

Be accurate.  If the book you are reviewing is part of a series, make sure you get your series title and series numbers right.  Spell the author's name correctly.  If you have your facts wrong, folks aren't going to take your review seriously.  Plus, it simply looks better when you show you know what you're talking about.  For example, "Exile, Book two in the Legend of Drizzt series" is fine, but, "Exile, originally book two in the Dark Elf trilogy and reprinted as book two in the Legend of Drizzt series" looks better.

Quentin Small
WotC Online Community Coordinator
All around helpful simian
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3 years ago  ::  Jul 20, 2010 - 12:27AM #3
gomeztoo
Date Joined: May 11, 2005
Posts: 2,797
I find writing reviews pretty hard - whether I like a book or not. That is because it is sometimes hard to recall WHY you like or dislike something. It's easy to summarize, but hard to explain.
For instance, I liked Darkvision, but reading my review of it, I listed quite a bit of criticism. It is likely because that is easier to write. I can explain why I didn't like the villain (I am pretty sure I made that clear), but it is harder  to explain why I enjoyed reading about the heroes.
Inconsistencies, things I miss, and things that annoy are easy to target, including elements that are a matter of taste. They are all easier to remember as well.

It may help to try and find why certain events occur in a novel, and in what manner elements that you like or dislike impact the story. For instance, when a novels' action is  focused on the heroes, and makes you sympathise with them, having a less interesting villain is not a big issue: it merely makes you want the good guys to win even more. That is not a bad thing - it seems better than rooting for a villain you know will get butchered :P

One thing you may also consider is expectations. What you expect may impact how you view the novel. I know for instance, that reading Maiden of Pain (which I liked as it gave the perspective of a priestess of Loviatar) gave me unrealitic expectations of Lady of Poison (which doesn't do that). That colored my opinion and made the negatives I found weigh harder.
If you are aware of these expectations, it is only fair to inform your reader.

Finally, sometimes you cans ee what the intent was - it just didn't work out for you. Listing the (perceived) intent may help put readers see things form more than the criticism view. For instance, I did not like the Knight of Myth Drannor series. I could see (I think) what Ed tried to do: paint a complex net of intrigue and scheming, in the background of a struggling bunch of heroes who get accidentally involved. For me, that didn't work, as it led to much confusion and too many coincidences and dead ends. But I could see how Ed's mind was (possibly) working  (and ironically, it is the way my mind works, too).

All that does not necessarily lessen the criticism you have. It may, however, paint a context that may help readers judge whether your gripes are something they would have quarrel with.

Finally, try not to dissuade people from reading the novel. Your taste may not be mine. "Avoid this at all cost' is not something you should put in a review.
In the end, even 'bad' novels should be read - after all, it is much more fun to gripe together

Oh - and spell check your review.

Gomez
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WotC Novels Book Reviews How to Review a Book You Don’t Like
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