Question 5 and the second question of this Sunday is asked by Dee. Congrats Dee you won a $10 store credit to Loose Id.
Dee: So, you were anticipating a certain book and after reading it, you are disappointed. Now you have to review it. How do you deal with this situation?
Vicki/Tori:
You handle it carefully and professionally… that is always a hard thing to do though. You just have to be clear in why you didn’t like it, and don’t make it a personal attack. It’s the same any time you don’t like a book and have to write a review, whether it was one you were anxiously anticipating, or an unexpected one you pick up to review. Writing less than positive reviews just sucks!
Dani(elle):
This is one of the hardest parts. You just stay polite and write an honest review. Never bash the author and be clear in what you didn’t like or why you were dissapointed. Also it is good to realize that although it wasn’t your thing other might like it way better.
Jen B:
First, I rant or mope for myself if the highly anticipated book wasn’t as great as I was hoping for. After a couple of days (when I’ve calmed down), I might be able to write a unbiased (as possible) review for the book, where I try to look objectively at what was good and not so good about what I just read. If I have started a book, and just hate it, I contact Dani, and see if some other reviewers want to pick it up and see if they have better luck with it. I don’t want to keep reading a book I don’t enjoy at all. That’s not fair to me or to the book. 🙂
Donna:
I’ve learned to wait awhile and try to calm down if I’ve really hated a book. There was one memorable, brutal review I wrote in my early days, and to be honest, I still feel kind of bad about it. I try to make sure I include some good points in any review I write. There’s no need to slay an author. You can say that something disappointed you without being a bitch.
Alexander:
Be honest and polite. I am but one opinion and so in these cases, I explain why I didn’t particularly like an audiobook
so that others can make their own decision.
Pizzygirl:
If there is another reviewer who wants a shot at it, I will give them a chance. If not, I will be very honest that it simply did not meet my expectations and then I will try to objectively review what was there. If it was still well done I will say so but often when this happens the book has other issues (editing, inconsistencies, incomplete development) that I will mention as contributors to my disappointment.
Cinnamon:
With honesty. I hate that feeling though. When I have been waiting for a story or a new book by a favorite writer and what I get is not what I expected… then I just do what I do with every book I don’t really care for. State the positive aspects (even if it’s just the hot cover) and then say what things did not work for me. I try to stay positive and say it’s my opinion so hopefully others will still enjoy it.
Kimberley:
I just be honest without being cruel about it. I understand that writers are artists, and their work are their babies. You wouldn’t want anyone cruelly criticizing your babies, right? So, that’s what I keep in mind when reviewing any book. I put what I liked first before moving in to what I didn’t like. Always keeping in mind to be respectful when doing so.
Tammy:
I have had this happen to me. I write my review and if the book hasn’t lived up to my expectations I will always explain in detail why I felt it fell short for me as I have the utmost respect for anyone who has written a book and put it forth for everyone to read and criticize.
Cindy:
It’s not easy, especially if the author is a favorite of yours. But I promised myself to always be honest about how I felt so I would probably give it a couple of days before writing the review to get over the disappointment and then do the review as honestly as I could. The big thing is to make sure the review is about the book and not a personal attack on the author you feel has let you down.
Amber:
You just have to be honest. I’ve found though that when there is a lot of hype around a book coming out it’s harder to review it when you weren’t in love with the story. You never want to be the one that’s like, “well, this didn’t work for me” but it does happen and you just have to be honest. There’s no reason to be mean or nasty in your review. You can be kind and honest, they go hand in hand.
This question got so many of our reviewers replying , I think that is great!
Let us know what you think and two of you have a chance to win an ebook out of the Extasy collection
Thank you for all your thoughts on this subject. Honesty is the best policy in every case.
I personally tend to be more interested in a book that has strong reactions either way, than something that just gets a lot of noncommittal answers. So, even the negative reviews are doing us a favor!
I think this must be the hardest review to write when that happens but as you say it is just one opinion and Love Bytes reviewers are always fair.
I believe honesty is always best, and as many of you said, best done delicately. One person’s trash could be another’s treasure, so stating the reasons why a particular book didn’t work for you could be the reason another reader picks it up.
It’s great hearing from so many of you; I forget how big the Love Bytes family actually is sometimes!
I read somewhere that every book brings some person joy. While one person might think it terrible someone else thinks it’s wonderful. So it’s always best when it doesn’t work for me to explain that it’s my opinion & what bothered me.
All great responses. I think sometimes if your anticipation is too high it’s easy to get disappointed when something just doesn’t work for you. It doesn’t mean that the book isn’t necessarily good (though it could be that!), but that it just didn’t meet your expectations. It happens. Thanks for all the great answers.
Thanks for the replies! When I read a book that I didn’t like much, I also give myself a few days before I write a review. Otherwise, I can’t think with a clear head.
A lot of great responses from everyone. I’ve actually had this happen several times and I think like many of you that honesty is the best route to take without being unpleasant about it.
Thanks a lot for answering my questions. Some unexpected answers, but I like the general approach towards honesty and objectivity!
Great answers!
Enjoyed reading the comments, and agree that honesty is best, and actually serves others the best. I think I may be a little tougher in my ratings, but especially if I’m disappointed I want to explain way in the review, in a nice way, so that others can see if that pertains to them, too. That’s what I look for when I read others’ reviews, and I’m thankful to the reviewer.
congrats Waxapplelover & Trix !