Why I Will Never Post A One Star Review

The only reviews you will see on my blog are three star and up. What's the point in me telling you what not to buy? That's like going to a mechanic and her telling you what you don't need to fix.

My philosophy on one star reviews is pretty simple. I believe that one star reviews come from a reader who read the wrong book. The reviewer either listened to hype and didn't take the time to preview the book to see if it was their thing before they started, or they like negativity.

I don't like being negative. I've had my fair share in my life, and I don't have time for it anymore.  Life is for living, for loving, for enjoying...especially where reading is concerned. I want to know what will give me enjoyment, so when I look at reviews that start picking apart a story or the author, I usually move on. I want to know how a book made someone feel because I want to know if it will likely do the same for me. I generally stick with three star and above because at three stars there was something within a story that I connected with.

I also think ratings are relative. I might not enjoy a story about a fisherman stuck out in the middle of the ocean for thirty days that has to find ways to survive, but someone out there will. My life experiences and choices give me a limited point of view, and if I don't relate to a character or can't imagine being in that particular situation it will be hard for me to have an emotional experience...and that above everything else is what I am looking for when I pick up a book. Do the characters make me think about my own choices, my own life? Does the story give me insight into a life I wouldn't be brave enough to live? Does the story move me?

I just read an amazing post by Kristine Kathryn Rusch about perfection. I loved this article, and I think most of you, whether you are an author or a reader, or both, could benefit by reading it. My favorite line from the article is this: "I’m here to tell you this: If you want a career as a writer, ignore your critics."

My husband is a pretty smart man. He's refused to give me advice on writing from the beginning. He knows he can't give me great advice on romance because he doesn't read romance. My stories have thus far been first person POV Paranormal Romance from a female perspective. He likes Reality TV and reading about real people. He's not even into fantasy much anymore, so why would I want to know what he thinks other than he is my husband? He told me once that he didn't want to influence me one way or another.  He said, "What if I tell you to remove something that is what makes your stories amazing to your readers?"

Pretty wise, right? Well, I've seen the wisdom in his stand, and I agree. I don't bother him about reading my books anymore because he is not my preferred audience, and I don't bother with rating books I couldn't finish because I am not the right audience.

I think if you want to know what other people think about a book before you buy it, finding reviewers with the same taste in books as you do is essential for obtaining reading bliss. Thankfully I've found a few I can count on, and I hope you do to.

So my question to you is: do you like reading negative reviews? If so, what makes them important to you?

Happy reading everyone!

Hugs,

Christie