I want to discuss something that's kind of been bothering me lately - negative reviews. I'm a very harsh critic, whether with my writing or someone else's, as evidenced by my reputation in creative writing classes. So when I see bloggers just giving positive reviews because they don't want to be a downer, I think it's really dumb. Writers see negative reviews (at least, the good ones) as a way to improve. Either that, or they think, "Well, not everyone's going to love me." At least, that's how I think. I've been writing for most of my life and while I still don't like negative reviews, you get a thick skin.
It takes a lot for a book to impress me, so that might be why I grade them pretty harshly. None of the books I've read for Read Sam, Read yet were ones that I didn't really enjoy, so that hasn't come up yet, but it seems like books that get a ton of hype as being the best book ever are ones that I don't tend to like. For example, I'm currently rereading Shiver, which I enjoyed the first time around but didn't really think it lived up to the hype (I'll be posting a review of it soon!). Another one: The Iron King - I really disliked that book, but almost every review I've seen of it is praising it for being amazing.
So, when I get to books that I don't like, don't think I'm being harsh.
What's your opinion on negative reviews?
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