I confess, it tickles me when authors yack about “mean reviews.” Especially if those reviews are really nothing more than honest opinions about the book. So a reviewer thinks your characters are one-dimensional and the plot is predictable. Welcome to the marketplace.
We Christian authors have been so conditioned to expect five-star reviews that anything short is an affront. Especially if it comes from a fellow believer. However, when Jesus commanded us to “love one another,” I seriously doubt he was thinking about five-star reviews.
Call me crazy, but in a world of obligatory rave reviews, I find hope in a good three-star review.
But how can a three-star review be good?
Case in point: One of my favorite recent reviews of my first novel The Resurrection, was posted by deCOMPOSE reader and blogging buddy Pat Todoroff. (See his Amazon review HERE.) Pat gave The Resurrection 3 stars. Why do I say it’s “good”? A couple of reasons: It’s thoughtful, it’s balanced, it’s honest, and he “got” the book.
Let’s start with the “mean” stuff.
Novel-wise, a number of the characters were quite engaging and well-developed. (Ruby, her husband, Vinyette…) Unfortunately others seemed little more than types constructed to dispense information in dialogue form. The neo-pagan (backslidden?) Professor Keen struck me as little more than an “evil liberal, anti-christ” trope, while Reverend Clark was about as sharp as a bowling ball, his lack of discernment and resolve going from baffling to painfully contrived. I wondered how he managed to graduate from high school, let alone finish Seminary or get selected for Pastoral office.
Why the nerve!
Sure, I could quibble with Patrick about his assessment of those characters (not to mention that “evil liberal” is redundant). But there’s a couple of reasons why I shouldn’t. First, I value critique. And second, that critique is even more valuable when it’s followed by this:
No doubt about it though, Mr. Duran can throw down some serious ninja skills when he wants: the Resurrection scene, the initial meeting with the Church Board, and several others were deftly written. The poignant struggles and sheer `ordinary-ness’ of the protagonist were refreshing, as were the over-arching themes of contested faith, spiritual dominion, and ultimate victory.
All in all, Mike Duran’s The Resurrection gets Three Stars for being a solidly written debut novel. I’d certainly recommend it to like-minded friends and family, and unequivocally label it safe for Christian family consumption. I’m looking forward to his next book.
This, my friends, is a “good” three-star review. And no, I’m not saying that because I was glossed with “ninja skills.” I’m saying that because it’s a great balance of critical reviewing, honesty, and praise. Not to mention, as a regular commenter on this site, Patrick could have felt obligated to treat me with kid gloves. I’m glad he didn’t.
Maybe it boils down to expectations. I don’t expect everyone to love my stuff. Nor do I expect every story I write or every character I conceive to be “loveable.” And I’m definitely still growing as a writer.
It might have to do with my own painfully rigid review standards. You see, I rarely give out five star reviews. (I can still remember seeing the first 10 given in an Olympics performance and thinking to myself, “Can any human ever perform perfectly”?) In my book, five-stars should be a rarity. But that’s just me. I would rather be known as a critical but fair reviewer, than one who tosses out five-star ratings like rice at a wedding procession.
Of course, I am thrilled, blessed, and appreciative of those reviewers who have given The Resurrection five-stars. I was inspired by the story and think others will be. I am very proud of my first novel. Chalk it up to thick skin, but nothing a reviewer can say can dissuade me from this.
So, to answer my question, Can a three-star review be good? Only if you don’t always expect five-star reviews.
In my defense: http://pattodoroff.com/2011/09/01/note-about-reviews-and-rating-systems/
Thanks, Mike.
I wish I’d have seen this before I wrote my post. Very similar to my grading system. Thanks for taking the time to read and review my novel, Patrick.
I think the problem with the “three star” is that readers take the stars to mean, “I thought this book was average, don’t bother reading my assessment.”
One of the first reviews of my novel was done on a book blogger site and I had approached the woman about reviewing because I was impressed with her honesty and detailed reviews. She gave mine that same time and care it is a *wonderful* review. She pointed out a few issues she had, of course–with intelligence and discernment–but overall she really liked it and said so. But I doubt that most people would have read past the three stars had she not put them at the *bottom* of the review.
On Amazon I tend to read all but the three stars, knowing the fours and fives will give me info on all the awesome things people saw, and the ones and twos will slam everything they can, and I tend to look at which set is more intelligently written. I think I’ll have to start checking out more of the three-stars now…
I’m kind of opposite you in that I tend to avoid most 5-star reviews on Amazon. The defining factor for me is whether or not a reviewer appears fair and intelligent. If so, the star quotient doesn’t matter.
I’m a stringent/constructive critique reviewer.
In the past year I’ve read and reviewed more Christian fiction than usual. And I’ve taken a LOT of flack from other Christians who claim that such reviews are antithetical to the Christian brotherhood.
To be honest, though, I think the “A+ for effort” mentality that goes into the blanket 5-star reviews does Christian fiction several disservices. Authors don’t know where they can improve and readers looking for a good read end up frustrated when multiple good reviews prove to be misleading.
It also kind of makes the Christian reviewer community come off as more than a little dishonest.
Katherine, to be fair, Christian fiction fans aren’t the only ones who can be shills. But I agree with you. Many Christian fiction review sites are little more than promotional outlets. It does our community and its readership a disservice. I recall one person, after a similar post, promised to give me a low-star rating. Perhaps if I were nicer I might get more five-star reviews, huh?
Hey, I’ve even gotten a nice 1-star review for a vignette I wrote and absentmindedly marked as a short story when I released it. (I’ve pulled it since, though I think some vendors still haven’t taken it down.) With a comment that she’d read something else from me!
A review can be balanced at any star rating, but it’s my experience that 1* and 5* reviews tend to have the least meat to them, as in, the least analysis of why the reader (dis)liked the book.
Based on how I review books, I think anything three and above is a great review. And I agree with you, that was a fantastic review. It was constructive. It gave you some solid things to think about in your character building, but also told you the aspects of the writing and the story that worked for that particular person.
The only time I get on a rant about reviews is when someone gives a book they got for free on Kindle a one-star because they felt “betrayed” when they discovered a quarter of the way in that it was a Christian novel. And all they had to do was read the description before downloading to save them from said “betrayal.”
Heather, I agree with you about the “rant reviews.” Disagreeing with a person’s worldview or theology is one thing. But panning a book or film simply on the basis of one’s politics, religion, or lifestyle isn’t fair. I can give Avatar a thumbs up and still give Jim Cameron’s ideology a thumbs down.
I agree with you. I rarely give out 5 stars. I give lots of 3’s and that means I liked the book. 5 means perfect imo, and it’s hard to be perfect. I thought his review of your book was very respectful and didn’t make me not want to read it.
Since reviews are based on opinion, I tend to read reviews no matter how many stars they give, because I’m interested in learning more about the reviewer and why they feel the way they do about the book. Based on the above review, I would read your book. Sounds very interesting.
Maybe I’m an extremist, but 3-star reviews are meaningless to me as a reader and writer. 3-star books aren’t even worth it. I’d rather read/review books I can give 1 or 2 stars, or 4 or 5. I spew 3-starred books out of my mouth. For example, I’m reading James Patterson for the first time (I tend to avoid those really big names). The book’s fascinating just for its terribleness–no mediocrity there–but an all out assault on intelligence and well-constructed sentences. I’d say 1 or 2 stars would fit nicely in its envelope. Oh, and by the way, a 1-star review either means the book is really, really bad or really, really good. The best authors usually have an almost equal split between 1 and 5 stars. But 3? Nope. I’d stop writing if I were published and still meriting 3-star reviews.
Jill, if a book can be a 1 or a 5, then it’s fair to call some a 3. It seems you’re equating 3-stars with mediocrity, 1 being fantastic and 5 being awful. I tend to see 3’s as representative of mixed feelings or strengths / weakness — “I liked this about the book (4-5) and I didn’t like this (1-2). This was great (4-5) and this wasn’t (1-2).” Sure, some 3’s are indicative of lukewarmness, but others are evidence of confliction or plus / minus.
But I really agree with you that, “The best authors usually have an almost equal split between 1 and 5 stars.” Which is one reason why we authors shouldn’t get so upset when some reviewers just HATE our stuff.
What I meant was that as a reviewer or reader, 3-star books make me yawn. I don’t know if I can muster the needed passion to review a 3-star book.
I’m with ya, 5 star is rare indeed. Just posted a couple of 3 star reviews on my blog with notes that said this might, however, be just what a certain type of reader is looking for.
Oh, and 3 isn’t ‘average’ (half way to five) – it’s a 6 of 10. A 2.5 star would be average. 🙂
I’m just stuck more and more wishing for half-stars on Goodreads & Amazon. I’ve come across SOOOO many books lately that are _almost_ 5 stars but not perfect or better than 3 stars but not up to 4.
I wish for half stars, too.
I’m with you, Katherine. I recently reviewed Stephen Lawhead’s The Skin Map and gave it 3 stars. I felt guilty. Lawhead is such a great writer, but I felt the characters in that story were just flat. 4 stars just seemed too gracious, but 3 seemed too negative. Being the “glass is half-empty” kind of guy I am, I went with the 3. All that to say, that would have been the perfect spot for a half-star. 3 1/2-star rating I could have stood by.
When I read other people’s reviews of books, I tend to hover on four and five star reviews to get a feel of the “good” of the book. However I always read three star reviews as well because it usually has the more critical reviews and a writer can see how a reader really feels about their work and it shows that the person reads very critically and cares about the tone and work you have put into it.
Erica