All readers have read a book that they just plainly didn't like. I've read many books that I didn't like or just plain hated *cough* Twilight *cough*. Writing negative reviews can be tough and there is a line that you should definitely not cross when writing one. One thing you should put into consideration when writing a negative review is that the book that you didn't like is an author's baby. DO NOT BASH THE BABY!!! You can say why you didn't like the book without saying that it sucked or all copies of that terrible book should be burned because it was so stinking bad. Also, do not go saying horrendous things about the publisher of the book either, it just makes you look bad and if the publisher sent you that book, they probably won't be sending anymore books your way.
I've only posted on the blog one or two "bad" reviews, but I've read plenty of books that I couldn't finish or did finish and didn't like. I hate writing negative reviews because I don't want any authors to be offended, but I do think that they should still be written because it could save someone money or change their expectations when going into said book. I've read tons of reviews that have helped me weed out books that I wouldn't like.
The way I write negative review is like this:
- State at least one thing I liked about book
- Start going into things I didn't like about book and why (characters, setting, writing, etc)
- Finish off with overall thoughts and saying that it wasn't my kind of book, but others might like it
This is a great post, I think that's a great way to write a negative review, in an honest and fair way!
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention before, we're now following your blog :)
Great post. I don't like to write bad reviews about anything either. I never want to make someone feel bad. I was just reading home direct reviews and I couldn't believe some of the reviews I was reading. I have used home direct and I have never had a problem. The way you write a bad review is probably the nicest way possible. Thanks for sharing!
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