Discussion: Reading Reviews

Why do readers post reviews in the first place? Because we want to express our feelings on the book. And while we definitely all do that, not all book reviews are, well, reviews. Some might not even give us a good basis about whether we should read the novel or not. I like to read the reviews on Goodreads, from one star to five star and hear everyone's thoughts. Here are the Pros and Cons of reading book reviews.

Pros:
  • Good Detail- First, I don't mean as in spoilers. I avoid those unless I'm really iffy about a book. This one sort of applies to the next one. The review describes the book how it is-- if it's about a giant war and not saying it's about unicorns.
  • Analysis- The reviewer analyzes the book well without ripping it to shreds. They provide great insight and give opinions that are helpful. (See Over Critique below.)
  • Perspective- Sometimes a new viewpoint is brought to our attention and it makes us think. That can be good (or can ruin it, which I don't feel like launching into). Cruising through life isn't the greatest all the time and every so often thinking is good when it comes to books. If a book reviewer takes time to actually dissect to try and get deeper. 
  • Trust- This seems like a weird thing to have in a pros list. However, me, and probably most people, have people's review they like reading more. They trust them. I have people I'll pick up books because they sounds interesting or become more hesitant to read because of bad reviews. I have read some books that I hated or liked that differed from the opinion. Why? Because they've hardly led you wrong and to wonderful reads.

Cons:
  • Ranting- I've read a few reviews where the person tells one thing they liked/disliked and wham, they're off topic. Sorry, I don't care to read five paragraphs of why the science might be wrong (especially since it's science fiction). That can be summed up in two to three sentences. Your review in no way helped me get a feel for the books. Next!
  • Debby Downer Reviews- Yes I understand, there are books we just don't like. However, if all of your reviews have two stars, I find it hard to take all of them seriously. Enjoy the story for what it is - a story.
  • Over Critique- It's good to essentially break the book apart and analyze it. But please, you don't need to look at every little detail. Hate the characters or plot? Ok, fine. Hate something to do with the random flower patch? I'm clicking off your review - no matter how long it took you to write - and moving onto the next one.

Who is one person you trust concerning reviews? Have you ever noticed anything annoying when reading reviews or that you particularly liked?

I am in no way trying to bash anything;  I'm merely stating my opinions and observations. 

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