I’ve been thinking lately about what exactly works for me in a review. This doesn’t always apply, as obviously there are exceptions to every rule.
I know there are a few things that I look for in a review:
1. A grade. I know a lot of you don’t care about grades (we’ve discussed them before, I think) but I do. Actually, a lot of the time I’ll skip the review completely and just check the grade. If the grade is really good – or really bad – I’ll go back and read the review. Otherwise I just skim the review and move on. (obviously there are exceptions)
2. Clear, concise reasons why the book did or did not work for the reviewer. I like knowing why you gave a book a D or an A. I want to know what worked for you and what didn’t. General statements like, “This was the best book ever, go buy it” don’t work for me. Why was it the best book ever? On the opposite side, I don’t want to see a bunch of, “OMG! This book sucked balls!” either. Not unless you tell me why it sucked balls.
3. Spaces between paragraphs. This is a personal preference, and one not everyone cares about. But it drives me crazy when I read a review and there are no spaces between paragraphs. Even though I realize it’s not grammatically incorrect to not double space, it looks wrong to me and makes me feel like you’ve just written one long run-on paragraph. Did you? Probably not. Is it wrong of me to avoid your reviews for that reason alone? Probably. Do I care enough to read them anyway? Not likely.
And here are some things I don’t necessarily need in a review, but sometimes like seeing:
1. A synopsis. If you post the back blurb, I don’t really need to see a synopsis, unless the blurb sucks and has nothing to do with the actual plot. Or if you choose not to post the back blurb but to write your own, then I need one. Otherwise, eh? Not too concerned. I’m more interested in your thoughts on the overall story and why it did or didn’t work for you.
2. An excerpt. If I’m checking out a new-to-me author, I really need to read an excerpt to see if the writing style works for me. I’m really anal and picky when it comes to reading new things. The exception? If someone I know and trust (one of my blogging buddies) recommends something, I’ll pick it up without reading an excerpt. This isn’t a deal breaker if the novel sounds interesting enough, however.
I guess that’s about it. Or all I can think of at the moment. I don’t think there’s one particular set up that work better for me than another, or a certain person’s style that works better than another’s, and naturally this is all subject to change.
So what about the rest of you? What do you look for in a review? What will turn you off of one? Or don’t you care one way or another?
I honestly like to know as little about the plot as possible, so I usually skip the synopsis. I generally just want to know a reviewer’s gut reaction. Did you like it or not? Grades are hard to tell, because I’m generally only going to give time to a book with an A and they are so completely subjective.
Honestly? I like to read reviews most after I’ve finished a book. But, a really glowing review will probably get me to buy the book and add it to my overflowing tbr pile.
Not too much information but just enough to reel me in. Pros and cons about the book is always a good thing and final grade.
I’m not big on the grades, but if a review has them I’ll check it first. I don’t want a long, drawn-out review on what the book was about, just what the reviewer thought about, if they liked it, if they didn’t, why, etc.
thoughtful and useful blog topic.
on my blog, i don’t assign grades because the lens through which i evaluate is the question: ‘funny or not?’
the paragraphs i always include are: ‘premise’ (which i suppose is a one-sentence synopsis)’what works’, ‘what doesn’t’, ‘overall’, and the final question, ‘but does it make you laugh?’
to date i’ve included quotes i’ve particularly enjoyed on an occasiona basis, but till you pointed it out i didn’t think to do it systematically. so thanks for suggesting it.
I’m with Amy. I don’t want to know the plot. I do, however, want to know why the book got its grade–and if the heroine is TSTL, you’ll often have to give me a bit of detail to back up your loathing of her. I’m okay with that, really.
I’m like you, Holly. I need everything you need.
I *hate* spoilers. So I’d like a warning if they will be in there.
Great post topic 🙂
I like concise reviews. Definitely like to have spoiler warnings. I like to have a synopsis so I know what it is about and if the back of the book does not do a good job then a brief added synopsis by the reviewer for a little more detail. I like grades but I do not usually give them just because everyone grades on such different criteria and i am usually very lenient.
Interesting questions, and difficult to pin down for me.
I don’t like spoilers, which means that I usually won’t include (or read) excerpts, no matter how brief. For the same reason, too much detail regarding the plot is bad in my eyes.
This makes it harder to discuss whether the hero/heroine are TSTL/arrogant/one dimensional/whatever–which are the things I really want to know. 😀
I don’t know if I have managed to balance these things out in my own reviews, but they are what I strive for.
As for grades… I grade on a 1 to 10 scale, which seem different from most places, and rarely give unqualified 10 (or heck, even 9) even to books I like.
Wow, I’m awful 😉
Great topic, Holly.
I look for all the same things you, do, although an excerpt is not necessary.
I’m also in the no-spoiler club, especially if it is a book or by an author I know I’m interested in.
I prefer the reviewer’s synopsis to the back blurb, because sometimes the blurbs can be misleading and I can easily read those off amazon or the author’s site.
I always look for a grade or some kind of rating, but the funny thing is I don’t really like *giving* grades when I write a review. Maybe that will become easier as I become more experienced in reviewing, but determining the grade is the hardest part for me.
Uh-oh! You’ll be hating my reviews then! LOL!!
I used to put the grades in that I gave a book, but now I don’t mainly because grades are very much subjective. A book that may be a 4.5 one day, could very well be a 5 the next depending on how I feel. I hope though that whether I liked the book or not can come through the review itself.
I also like to put the synopsis in, because sometimes I don’t talk much about the plot. I am probably a bit wordy (which you can tell just by the size of this comment!)
I’m pretty easy to please. I just want to know what the reader liked or didn’t like. I also do like to see the synopsis because I’m too lazy to have to go out and look it up 🙂
Great post! I just started blogging reviews a few months ago, so, helpful.
I don’t give grades because mostly they boil down to “Love!” or “Eh.” And I’d rather write about books I like, so you’d just end up reading the same grade for everything.
I don’t do synopses either, I guess because over the years I have never liked reading them. Amazon or the author’s website almost always has a decent synopsis.
No spoilers, ever!
OMG! I just wrote out this long comment and it got EATEN! Ugh.
Ok, paraphrase:
Kate,
I like to know what the book is about.
Amy,
That’s interesting. I usually read reviews before reading/buying a book.
How funny that most of you don’t like grades. That’s one of the most important parts of a review for me.
AL,
I think unqualified is bad. I think the WHY is more important than the WHAT.
I don’t mind spoilers, personally, but I try to be mindful of putting them in my reviews because I know I’m the minority.