Thursday, April 27, 2017

Awful good reviews

I've often said three-star reviews are the worst to get.

One-star reviews are written by assholes. Five stars some from friends or people are often too excited.

When I look at reviews, I discount the fives and ones. But if I see a book heavy with three stars, that's a book I might not care about. One-star people care. Five-star people care.

A three-star review says  "Meh. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. Whatever." Who wants to read that book?

And then there's this kind of review, one that says the book was great and the author did great work, but it wasn't exactly what the reader wanted.

What the heck are you supposed to do with that?

4 comments:

Al Tucher said...

Reminds me of the original three-star review, sometimes attributed to Abraham Lincoln:

"People who like this sort of thing will find it the sort of thing they like."

Kevin R. Tipple said...

As one who has written five star reviews when the work deserved it as well as one star reviews when the book deserved it, and everything else in between, I just now that the author thinks I am way smarter when I write the former and an idiot with the later.

John Rector said...


Hmmm, I believe I've seen that review before.

Sam said...

Al, That sounds like a blurb I could use.

Kevin, Yeah. If it's an honest, well reasoned review, who can complain?

John, Yeah. It's a weird one. But even people who don't like that "type" of book like the book.