What makes a book review helpful?

[Alessandra Kelley]

The other day I posted a review on Amazon of a steampunk art book I thought worthwhile. This morning I noticed that "0 of 1" thought it was helpful -- that is, someone marked it as unhelpful -- which was a bit surprising.

What makes a book review helpful to readers? I haven't written many reviews, but when I have, it's in the hope that people will find them useful guides to whether or not the book is a good fit for their purposes. I try to be honest and informative, and to keep the rambling to a minimum.

I have to admit, I'm a little lost here. What is a helpful book review, so I can do better next time?

 

[Alessandra Kelley]

Oh geez, now there's another one! I also posted this review of another steampunk book I thought was very good -- the book, I mean. I don't know if I was clear, but I liked both the books I reviewed very much. And now it also has a not-helpful check.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[Deleted member 42]

I think it's not you, but that you brought up a reasonable point about the absence of women artists in your first linked review, and race in your second review link, and that triggered an immature response from a reader.

Both are good, honest reviews. You're doing fine.

 

[dragonjax]

I'm guessing that someone -- possibly the author -- didn't care for the comments you raised about ethnicity/gender. Seriously, though, I wouldn't sweat it. If you let any reviews get to you, you'll never be sane again. Trust me; I haven't been sane for years.

 

[Fulk]

Agreed with medievalist and dragonjax. Unless you post something to the order of "DIS BOOK SUKS DNT BUY IT!!!!!!" or "DIS BOOK RULZ BUY IT NAO!!!!!", any "non-helpful" responses are probably because someone disliked something you said. In this case, making valid points about contentious subjects.

 

[Mutive]

I think your reviews were fine.

That said, I find reviews helpful when they tell me why someone liked or disliked something. I generally try to read at least one good and one bad review for anything I end up buying, as I like knowing what's great about the book, but also what's not great. (There's always something.) Sometimes it's something I can live with, sometimes it's not. It's nice to know the second, as if it's something I think will drive me crazy, I know to avoid it. (Alternately, sometimes the things people didn't like strike me as pretty minor, so I'm happy to buy/read.)

 

[veinglory]

One person out there has an opinion. I think the rule of thumb for reviews of reviews is about the same as for reviews of books. Don't sweat it.

 

[Alessandra Kelley]

Poot. There's another one. This one wasn't even controversial. I enjoyed the book, thought it did a good job of showcasing the steampunk culture, and was pleased it dealt with multiethnic artists and said so.

I probably shouldn't sweat it, like you guys said. But, aw.

 

[Deleted member 42]

What about ignoring Amazon and posting reviews on GoodReads and Library thing instead?

 

[Alessandra Kelley]

What about ignoring Amazon and posting reviews on GoodReads and Library thing instead?

Hmm. An interesting idea. I had posted on Amazon because, well, it was there, and I though it a good place to reach/help the widest audience make informed decisions.

What are the requirements to post reviews on GoodReads and Library Thing? I assume I would need to be a member. Are they good places for readers? May I duplicate my Amazon reviews, or should I rewrite them?

I haven't written many reviews. Mostly it's been kind of impromtu. But it would be good to know helpful places to post them.

 

[Jehhillenberg]

Hmm. An interesting idea. I had posted on Amazon because, well, it was there, and I though it a good place to reach/help the widest audience make informed decisions.

What are the requirements to post reviews on GoodReads and Library Thing? I assume I would need to be a member. Are they good places for readers? May I duplicate my Amazon reviews, or should I rewrite them?

I haven't written many reviews. Mostly it's been kind of impromtu. But it would be good to know helpful places to post them.

I think there is a way to connect your accounts, I'm not sure about this. But my Goodreads reviews are just my Amazon reviews. Goodreads is a whole other community for the readers and authors; there are discussion groups and quizzes and friends and all that good stuff.

 

[bkendall]

I agree with everyone else basically. Informative reviews are the only way to go. My only other thought is that maybe the points you found helpful were the exact ones the readers of the reviews didn't find helpful. Or, maybe they're just giving you bad marks to screw with you. Anyway, there's bound to be someone that will find them helpful. Remember the Golden Rule: if you want others to give helpful reviews, give them helpful reviews. I know that's not how Jesus really said it, but you get the point.

 

[Lady Ice]

You could post reviews on here, or other forums, which would give you the chance for a discussion.

I thought your reviews were good. Here's what I consider points that make a book review useful:

- The reviewer makes their opinion clear.
As a prospective reader of the book, I want to know whether the reviewer liked it or not. Although the reviewer should acknowledge flaws in a book they admire and positives in a book they disliked, wishy-washy reviews are not helpful.

- The reviewer tells me what the book is actually about
Obviously if I'm going to buy it, I want to know what the book is about. Sometimes it's not enough to say "This is a story about a man who falls in love with a married woman." For all I know, the book could be a hilarious comedy about a psychotic stalker. I want to know what I'm letting myself in for when I buy this book.

- The reviewer acknowledges their own biases
Some reviewers have strong reactions towards touchy subjects, or certain words. A reviewer may give Lady Chatterley's Lover a 1-star review because they simply don't like swearing/graphic sexual content. Whilst these reviews do highlight what might be offensive, they are useless for those who are aware that the book has potentially offensive content and want to know how strong those elements are. So if you really did hate Lady Chatterley's Lover for those reasons, at least admit that it's your personal reaction and not necessarily an accurate reflection of the book.

- The review is exciting
I wouldn't read a boring book so why would I read a boring review, even if the points are valid? Whilst the review should be critical and show a degree of thought, it shouldn't be pompous scholarly criticism. For classic texts, perhaps the reviewers might want to take a more scholarly approach, but for general literature, the stuffy academic style is inappropriate.