Reviewers You Want to Kill by Coralee Hicks

Please welcome my dear friend, Coralee Hicks, to Writers Who Kill. This essay is the result of several long conversations she and I have had about books and reviews. ~~Annette Dashofy

Definition: 

A book review is a critical evaluation and analysis of a book that summarizes its content (plot, themes, argument, etc.) but primarily offers a reasoned assessment of its strengths, weaknesses, effectiveness, and overall quality, helping potential readers decide if the book is worthwhile. It combines description with critical commentary, analyzing the author's style, purpose, and contribution to its field, rather than just retelling the story.  

This definition comes from Google. I assume it is from AI as it didn’t cite the source. It does cover the process of reviewing, a task that I have been doing for almost all my professional life as a librarian. I believe in the purpose of reviewing and continue to post on non-professional sites like Goodreads and NetGalley. I do wonder now how important are reviews in the world of publishing in the 21st Century.  

Where does reviewing fit in writing and publishing: A Very Brief History.  

It’s part of the human condition to live and engage in the world. All art can be understood as a means to express our experience through different media, from concrete examples like painting and sculpture; to pure sound such as jazz, classical, and rock; to dance. All the muses, if you will, including the spoken and written word. Once the review is presented, a general reaction will be for others to engage and offer opinions about the event. 

Ancient texts from Greece mention commentaries on previous works. Romans analyzed and commented on scrolls written by prior historians. The strength of our knowledge of the past can be attributed to the analytical process of studying what was popular, or what was censored, in the past.  

In the West, as literacy became more universal, books, pamphlets, broadsheets, and newspapers began to flourish. By the mid-18th Century, two journals devoted to book reviews were published in England. In America, the New York Times began devoting a special section for books in 1896. However, as late as 1970, it can be said that the field of reviewing was, for the most part, reserved for white men of certain social status, who wrote reviews for other white men who belonged to the “same clubs.” 

The ferment of the 1970’s and the introduction of the World Wide Web opened the review process to any interested person. Today, a quarter way through the 21st Century, Artificial Intelligence plays a significant role in reviewing, by taking over mundane tasks such as grammar checks, print layout, and checking for similar sources. However, AI has yet to get a handle on critical thinking or nuance. To date, while AI can regurgitate text, it cannot create new concepts. 

Reviews as a marketing tool 

During most of my library career, my reviewing was secondary to the reader’s advisory part of the public service. In my public library system, there was a process for book acquisitions. All titles went through a review process that ensured the material would meet the standards of the formal library associations. Book budgets in the public sector come from tax dollars, and for this reason, material also has a process where the public has/had a right to request a review to “deselect” a title from the collection. Reviewing material was the foundation for building trust with the public. That the library was presenting the best material for the needs of all the members of the community. If a reader was looking for “something good” to read, standard questions followed, which would guide the reader to the shelves or displays that matched their interests.  

(There’s a possibility of discussing heated politics, but I don’t think this belongs in this article i.e. Freedom of Information and censorship.) 

Marketing has always used reviews as a promotional tool. Readers, who use online sources such as Goodreads or Amazon, can assume the information is reliable and choose to purchase a title. This is similar to the old “word of mouth” buzz that was used in the mid-20th century. Once a review is published, a favorable review can be used for promotional purposes. Book jackets frequently have favorable quotes from authors lauding the material. Publishers also will use other media sources to promote a book, such as podcasts. Favorable reviews will interest promoters and might lead to increased sales. In addition, advertisements that pop up online are enhanced by positive reviews that might lead the reader to a new author, which is beneficial for writers who self-publish, use indie presses, or have contracted with small presses. Lately platforms such as Patreon, Substack, and, to an extent, Facebook provide fan bases that will build a readership leading to success.  

What is a “bad” or not useful review 

Let’s focus on reviews that discuss the mystery genre. 

In my opinion, one of the top flaws is found in a review that offers spoilers rather than a simple plot synopsis. If I want to know who the perpetrator is, I should get the book and read the last chapter. Otherwise, this is cheating.  

This type of review usually comes from someone who is not really committed to writing the review. Saying “This was stupid” or “I didn’t like it” is not helpful. Saying “I was not happy when she went into the basement knowing there was a hot wire in the water,” is helpful.  

When the book is clearly identified as a sub-genre and the reviewer states otherwise, they are 

not playing fair. Saying a cozy is not blood curdling or erotic enough is missing the point for a cozy mystery.  

A reviewer who gets overly picky with the storyline isn’t helpful. Yes, in true crime stories, someone might get caught up in the details. However, fictional mysteries may be reality based but can be more fluid. What does it matter if the streets in the town do not match the actual town layout? For example, right now in Seattle, it will take more than an hour to get from point A to point B due to road construction. Unless this pertains to the plot, does the setting matter?  

A review that seems to be written by a super fan or perhaps a family member isn’t especially helpful. Very few books are “timeless,” “destined to be a best seller,” or “beloved by millions.”  

Then, there are the reviews that are simply cut and paste sections from the book jacket, which is plagiarism at best or just laziness.  

What is my personal philosophy?  

Over my years as a reviewer, I have developed a personal belief on reviewing. Now that I am retired, I limit my reviews to genres that I enjoy: mysteries, fantasy, especially fantasy mysteries, those written with a Young Adult audience, and those written by and for people of diverse backgrounds. I have chosen not to review books that I simply do not care for.  

I think every book has an audience, and the reviewer should honor this. I am committed to writing unbiased reviews. When I do encounter a plot that I find to be problematic, I will not submit the review. For example: I turned down a plot where a woman was forced to overindulge in drinking and then was made a source of humor for the rest of the story. Not funny and not good. I am squeamish, and if violence occurs in vivid graphic detail, I probably cannot finish the book. Mysteries do involve victims.  It is one thing for a body to fall off a cliff.  It is quite another for the next five pages to describe the gathering of each of the body parts.  

The fact that I’m reading an eBook or holding a hardback tells me the writer has passed many hurdles before the title got to me. The book has had an editor and a copyeditor and most likely has gone through many revisions. I feel this book deserves every chance to find the right audience and become successful. That is my job as a reviewer.  

Coralee Hicks has been reading and reviewing books for many years. Now retired she lives in Tampa FL  in a book-filled home with her daughter and 3 cats.