How to Spot a Bad Book Review

Anybody can review a book- it's a side effect of the internet. However, you might want to be cautious about taking any review at face value- but negative reviews in particular are often really bad. Always look for an example from the book when you are reading a review- and don't assume that a stranger knows what you will like.

1. The review says nothing about the specifics of the book and is instead an attack on the author, the subject or the author's politics.

A person who does not agree with liberal feminism may write a review denouncing Gloria Steinem's Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions. Books, especially non-fiction, are written to fill a niche. There are books for vegetarians, books for children, books for amateurs, professionals, laymen and experts.

If an adult reviewer calls James and the Giant Peach childish or complains that Vegetarian & Vegetable Cooking has no pork recipes, that says that this person doesn't pay attention very well- or worse- they expect all books to conform to their views.

Another irrelevant point reviewers often make is "there are other books that deal with this subject". Is there a rule that says there can only be one book per subject? If there was, we wouldn't have any books!

Worse are the people who read a fantasy novel and complain that ghosts, hobbits and dragons are unrealistic. Do such reviewers really believe they are saying something original?

2. There is evidence that the reviewer did not actually read the book.

The statement "nothing ever happens in this book" is evidence that the reviewer didn't actually read it. It's a statement that doesn't say much. Obviously, something did happen in the book. What they really mean is that they found the book boring and have decided it's the author's fault.

It's especially amusing to find such a review on online book reviews where there may literally be 1000 five star reviews, only 20 one star reviews and each of the one stars just says "nothing ever happens."

Another common sign that the reviewer didn't read the book is if they criticize the author or title of the book and mention nothing about the book.

3. The reviewer blames the author for their dislike.

Another phrase to watch for is "poorly written". According to reviewers on Amazon books, the following books are "poorly written": To Kill A Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, The Grapes of Wrath, The Chosen, The Color Purple...

Saying the book is "poorly written" is a way of blaming the author because you didn't like a book that you think you should have liked. The idea that 600 other reviewers, the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize and millions of people who purchased the book are all part of a conspiracy to make a terrible book seem like a good one.
A good reviewer can tell you exactly why they take issue with a book.

4. The reviewer takes issue with petty details.

A reviewer on Amazon.com once called Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth a bad book because of a math problem on page 119 (or somewhere thereabouts) where a series of numbers are added up. The book is for elementary school students who have yet to study pre-algebra.

To say the whole book is "bad" because of this is ridiculous.

Another person asserts that The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a terrible book because it describes the caterpillar coming out of cocoon, whereas butterflies come out of a chrysalis and not a cocoon. Of course, this book is for pre-schoolers.

5. The review attacks or criticizes other reviewers.

It's always amusing to see the reviews that insist that the only reason a book is popular ...is because it's popular.

Toni Morrison's Beloved is a common target for such reviews. There are reviews all over the internet that say that the only reason why the book was popular was because Oprah chose it for her book club.

The problem with this, of course, is that Toni Morrison was awarded the Nobel Prize for the novel in 1988- long before Oprah was a household name. She also won the Pulitzer prize for the novel.

Then, there are those who attack a book's status as college level reading. The problem is that online reviewers come from all walks of life- for example, there were a number of high school graduate housewives who loved Beloved.

It's okay to just say you don't like a book. It's okay to say "I just don't like magical realism or dystopian novels" and leave it at that. If you don't like a book- and it seems everyone else does, it's not because they are too stupid to see how bad it is, nor is it because you aren't well-read.

Art is often subjective- whether or not you enjoy a book is often a matter of taste.

6. The reviewer gives away the ending of the book.

This usually seems like a spiteful act- as if the reviewer really hates the people who are thinking about reading a book they don't like.

Some people take pride in giving a negative review for a popular book- they feel superior. There are women who like giving Bridget Jones' Diary a bad review to prove how much they look down upon "chick lit". There are self-righteous people who give the book a negative review because they object to "witch-craft".

In the end, the only way to know if you will like a book is to borrow it from the library and see for yourself.