Into the Fire

The old discussion about writing positive and negative reviews goes on perpetually in blog-dom. I suppose to qualify authentic meaning to the terms “positive” and “negative” when referring to reviewing a novel, it depends on the individual.

For me, a negative review is one where the book is not liked and the reasons for this dislike are given in a clear and concise manner. I do not take any pleasure whatsoever in giving a negative review, and I try to acknowledge somewhere in the review that there are those readers who will no doubt enjoy the story. I can count on one hand the number of negative reviews I’ve written. They’re no fun, but if I sign on to receive a book for review, I feel it’s my “duty” to do just that and to do it honestly. Period.

A positive review is my simple stamp of approval. The book satisfied my reading tastes, and I will tell you exactly why—even if it’s abstract reasoning. It’s always fun to share a good reading experience, and I try to make it clear what appeals to me so that other readers can gauge if their interests will be piqued by my review.

The only other kind of review you occasionally see here might be called the “lukewarm” review. To me this means there was nothing inherently “wrong” with the novel, but it didn’t really justify a rave review. The writing is usually satisfactory, and the plot is in no way poorly constructed, but the characters don’t grab me, and usually there is something which either annoys me or seems too “pat”.

I acknowledge that all reviews result from personal tastes; things like an individual’s background, experiences, and relationships. Always subjective. Some readers pay no attention to the writing itself, truly not recognizing what constitutes “good” or “bad” writing. All they care about is story, and within that story the characters must touch someplace personal or recognizable or relatable.

As “they” say: There’s no accounting for taste.

God, I’m thankful for all the different ways you’ve given your people to create. Amazing ways. Help each one of us who writes to bring you glory however we can. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.