Reviews - Are they worth reading any more?

[Echo]

That's where I wrote my one, and only one, really insulting review. I wrote it two years ago because I had an almost physical reaction to this book (it was awful) and I've been terrified ever since of the author retaliating in some way. I've never written another review for Amazon!

[Guest Sedgewick]

Oh, we've all read awful books, as well as good books. While nobody likes a bad book, I think it's helpful to get list a few reasons why you thought a book was bad. And in my book, bad includes jarring prose, dialogue by people with no ear for dialogue, and infodumps.

 

Although Amazon reviews can be abused, I still think there's some merit in them. A book that has a lot of reviews over five stars is probably a gushfest and isn't worth looking at. However, a book with polarised opinion - ranging from one through five - is certainly worth a look. And it's best to start with one star reviews, especially if they are in the minority, as they may be reasoned and interesting and completely the opposite of yay it waz gude! five star reviews, which say nothing.

[sib]

Rightly or wrongly I only write reviews for books that I enjoy. I suppose it is because I enjoyed the book I want to tell everyone else about it whereas if I didn't enjoy the book I just want to get onto the next one or i don't finish it at all.

 

I do that too..I