The Review Issue

Not Your Old-School Book Review

Mar 19, 2025

Do You Review?

The Anatomy of A Review

Review is a funny word. It can mean different things, depending on its use. In the book world, the same word can mean at least three things.

1) a book review - the kind your teacher used to make you suffer through. It requires a summary of the book (to prove you did, in fact, read it), a thoughtful analysis of the book’s content, perhaps some hidden content or meanings you’ve uncovered, and a summation of said thoughts and content.

Book Report GIFs - Find & Share on GIPHY — Source: giphy.com

2) a book review - the kind authors might pay for. The most familiar are Kirkus and Foreword. These are shorter summaries and evaluations frosted with the very educated and honest reviewer’s opinions. Reviewers grade these, much like school reports, but the stakes are higher. An author sits in wait, begging some higher power to send back the verdict with A) a positive quote to use and B) the almighty stars.

Somewhere all over the universe there are authors murmuring, “Are you there BookGod? It’s me, author, please please- make it a 5!”

3) a book review - the kind your readers post for all the world to marvel, laugh or scoff at. It’s like a naked selfie someone posts of you that can either be tantalizingly sexy, or brutally scathing. Authors have zero—repeat ZERO—control or say over how these reviews make their books come across, or if they give away spoilers. These reviews can make or break your day and sales. It’s a gamble whether you’ll read ‘em and glow or read ‘em and weep. There are no odds or strategies to play. They just show up at the reader’s will, and like all social media, they live for infinity.

REAL COMMENTS FROM REAL READERS OF NOT YOURS TO KEEP

No author should expect wonderful, positive reviews across the board. No book is for everyone. Authors know certain platforms are honest, some brutally honest and others- just don’t look, please.

Seasoned book reviewers, a.k.a, Bookstagrammers, have their reputations at stake. If they take their time to write a one or two sentence review or recommendation, they are going to mean what they say. For that reason, many don’t give out four or five stars often, are frugal with threes.

A moment of thanks for threes, please.

And there is Regular Joe or Joelle reader, who's finished your book and is already moving on to the next. Who has the patience to leave words for or against? Sometimes, Regular Joe-Joelle feels passionate and will do you a solid and hit the star bar. Hooray, you got a …. one star.

But here’s the rub—consumers don’t have this inside scoop. They only see stars. Will only read 4s and up. They don’t know how hard it was to get the three or that the last reader LOVED your book but doesn’t have the second to comment. On the upside, with their quick glances, they could miss the gringey comment some bully left for sport.