Comments on: Reviews and Ratings… Strange 1 stars and why they shouldn’t upset you #MondayBlogs #Bookreviews #writingcommunity #writers

By: Georgia Rose

Georgia Rose — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 14:04:53 +0000

In reply to Georgia Rose. You have the same reviewing strategy as me, Luccia. I suppose when you have written about a very specific character you are opening yourself up to those who idolise him. However, there's really no need to be viciously nasty in this world, is there! I'm glad you didn't let them get you down.

By: Georgia Rose

Georgia Rose — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 14:01:08 +0000

This is a comment from Luccia Gray, which she couldn’t post herself for whatever reason!

Nice post and I agree!
I review most of the books I finish and enjoy, so that’s mostly 4 or 5 stars. I don’t finish or review the books I don’t like, because life’s too short to continue reading a book I’m not enjoying. I never review books I don’t enjoy because it’s my opinion, maybe someone else likes it, and anyway, I’m not sending negative vibes into the universe, there is already too much if that:(
I don’t like getting negative reviews, and I have a few, some actually viciously nasty, alas Mr Rochester is idolised by many, but they’re like a grain of sand on the beach where I live!

By: Georgia Rose

Georgia Rose — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 13:45:14 +0000

In reply to Barb Taub. A lack of research before purchase by the reader surely shouldn’t result in a 1 star, Barb. Haha.

By: Georgia Rose

Georgia Rose — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 13:42:22 +0000

In reply to Jaye Marie. Oh I agree, Jaye. I think you do get a few more now people can just rate but a few words make all the difference.

By: Georgia Rose

Georgia Rose — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 13:40:43 +0000

In reply to Wendy Percival.

I agree, Wendy. I decided to review all the books I read but like you I don’t give 1 or 2 stars as I wouldn’t carry on reading a book if I felt like that about it, and I won’t review a book I didn’t finish.

That COVID crisis review is a little harsh – we’re writing fiction and don’t have to mention any real life issues if we don’t want to.

And how someone can download a book instead of buying a plug is beyond me!! Says more about the reviewer actually 🙂 🙂

By: Georgia Rose

Georgia Rose — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 13:32:09 +0000

In reply to Julie Haiselden. Yes, I agree! Those don’t give us anything useful at all.

By: Georgia Rose

Georgia Rose — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 13:30:47 +0000

In reply to Heather Burnside. I do think we become hardened, at least we need too, there’s no point in hiding under the duvet every time we receive criticism! :-)

By: Heather Burnside

Heather Burnside — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 12:39:21 +0000

I remember when I got my first one star review and it really stung but nowadays I’m more interested in the overall review average. As long as I’m getting plenty of good reviews I try to not let the bad ones bother me. Maybe I’ve become hardened to it over the years. 🙂

By: Julie Haiselden

Julie Haiselden — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 10:00:54 +0000

I think an objective critique is fine because we can’t please everyone all of the time.
It’s the ones saying; ‘I hated it’ that irritate.
Why did you hate it?
Was the plot implausible?
Was the structure not tight enough?
Were the characters two dimensional?
Was the denouement a disappointment?
If you choose to leave a review then please do us the courtesy of qualifying your comments to justify your star rating!

By: Wendy Percival

Wendy Percival — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 09:41:07 +0000

I’m completely behind in reviewing the books I read. I used to be very good at posting a review when I finished a book but I’ve got very lax recently. I don’t give one star reviews because if I think a book is that bad I don’t carry in reading it. So if I do post a review it’s generally positive. Some reviewers who adopt a similar policy have got into hot water when they’re judged to be biased because their reviews are always good, implying they’re not discerning. But that’s to misunderstand the philosophy of “too many books, too little time…!
Someone got a 1 star review recently because their book, set in 2020, hadn’t mentioned the Covid crisis. The reviewer didn’t seem to appreciate that it had been written many years previously and set in the future! How were they supposed to know we’d be hit by a pandemic!
But the funniest 1 star review I heard about was where something in the Amazon algorithms had muddled someone’s text book up with another item. The review said how his book was rubbish as it hadn’t stopped the water from going down the plug hole. For some obscure reason, his book had been wrongly listed in the plumbing category!