Having a book blog involves a lot of book talk, which is amazingly fun, but, of course, I’m also required to toss in a book review here and there. Because, obviously, you all want my opinions about books (just smile and nod). Sometimes book reviews are easy to write, other times they are just GOD AWFUL and I literally stare at my computer screen until it sucks the life out of me.
Book reviews that are hard to write:
- When the book was fine. The awful 3-star review. Ugh. It is SO painful to sit there and try to come up with something interesting to say about the novel. ESPECIALLY if there’s nothing particularly interesting about the story.
- A bad review for an advanced copy. These are tough to write. Obviously I don’t want to pan a book that I’m supposed to be supporting!
- Along the same lines, a review that you know that author/publisher may see. This happens with advanced copies of books but also with books sent from publishers. Even if you love the book but have a small complaint, that ONE negative thing you have to say suddenly becomes the hardest words to type EVER.
- The book left you emotionally shattered. I experienced this with Gone with the WInd and The Bronze Horseman. I had NO FREAKING CLUE what to say about these books, other than vague things like “I LOVED THIS” and “the characters are great” and “the writing was well-done” and “I CAN’T FORM ANY COHERENT THOUGHTS BECAUSE MY BRAIN IS JELLY.”
- Reviews for classic fiction. I mention this challenge in almost every classic review I write: what am I going to be able to say that hasn’t been said 10,000 times already!? NOTHING.
Whelp so that leaves about 10% of my reviews that are easy. The rest of the time, guys, I just don’t know what TF I’m actually doing.
Do you write book reviews? If so, do you find any of this hard?
If you don’t write book reviews, what do you think about reading 3-star reviews?
A.S. Thornton has evolved from book blogger to author with a particular fondness for writing forbidden love in ancient deserts. When not writing, she’s caring for dogs and cats as a veterinarian. You’ll never find animals at the center of her writing, though, because those fictional worlds don’t have veterinarians and her literal brain can’t accept that the poor critters would be without parasite prevention. Thornton’s debut, DAUGHTER OF THE SALT KING is available wherever books are sold.
Sara | Novel Novice
All of this. Basically. I find more and more I am just loathing writing book reviews. They just feel like a chore. I’ve been struggling the last year or so to find a way of reviewing books that feels more fun/natural to me, but I’ve yet to really hit on a good style for myself.
That said, I think the reviews that are hardest for me to write are the ones for books I LOVED. Because I mostly just want to babble along the lines of “OMG, IT’S SO GOOD, READ IT” and also want to do the book justice, but worry my words just aren’t enough. (So sort of a combination of #3 and #4 above.)
Ali
Yes! They really can be such a chore 🙁 I hate it! But I know that’s the meat of what we do as book bloggers, and I LOVE being one so I guess I’ll just stick with it XD
Kelly
I tried explaining The Bronze Horseman to someone but realized that “it was so good, I ugly cried” didn’t quite communicate my point all that well 😂
Ali
LOL, right?! That’s basically how I describe that one, too: It will tear your heart out and smash it into a million pieces!
Cora @ Tea Party Princess
Yes! It’s so difficult to review a book that was just OK (:
Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/
Cora @ Tea Party Princess just posted Top Ten Tuesday #120
Alex
Oh my gosh, I find it so hard to write negative reviews for advance copies! It makes me feel so guilty. Glad I’m not the only one!!
Kel
Well, 3 stars from me means I liked it (2 stars is my “meh” standard), but I know what you mean. They don’t exactly write themselves. At that point, I either make it super short, or I try to pick out the couple of things that I know other readers will either love or hate so it’s hopefully helpful to them? Or I skip it and don’t write a review. I don’t know what I’m doing either. I totally wing reviews, especially these days. 🙂
Suzanne @ The Bookish Libra
Yes to many of these, especially the 3 star reviews. Those are the worst for me because it’s so impossible to come up with anything to say. Nothing was awful, but nothing was great. Everything was just okay.
Ali
Yes!!! I hate them XD I’m glad I’m not the only one!
Bec @ Readers in Wonderland
I really hate writing those mediocre book reviews and the “AMAZING NOT ENOUGH STARS FOR THIS”. The mediocre ones are hard because you don’t know what to really say. The fangirling reviews are hard because I feel like I repeat myself so much just screaming my love.
Though actually I think I repeat myself in a lot of my reviews haaaaa
Ali
LOL I’m pretty sure I’m repeating myself in a lot of reviews, too XD