When I review a book or movie, I dive into the piece without any preconceptions. I might like it. I might not. If I absolutely despise a book or movie, I probably won’t waste time reviewing it.
Many blogs and publications have a formal policy against negative reviews. To me, that seems dishonest and silly. Not everything should be celebrated. Some works deserve criticism. As long as the criticism is fair and respectful, it’s OK.
Of course, it’s impossible to review everything, even within the confines of a blog’s target audience, so some filtering is required. But I don’t simply filter out books or movies I don’t like. I review anything that catches my interest. Like any fan, I’m naturally interested in works by artists whose previous work I enjoyed.
But sometimes I get nasty. Bitchy. Mean. I overreact. A book or movie that disappoints me sometimes sends me into a tizzy. And that results in an emotional response that’s unfair to the artist.
One example is a review I did of Paul Tremblay’s book The Cabin at the End of the World. I loved his earlier book, A Head Full of Ghosts, so I had high expectations for Cabin. Instead, I found the book to be disappointing. The premise was silly and unbelievable, and the story’s ambiguity, rather than creating tension, left me frustrated. Despite some suspenseful writing, I considered the book to be a giant step backward for Tremblay.
So I wrote a review that was playful, mocking, and decidedly nasty. Although I think the review clearly explained what I disliked about the book, it was an overreaction as well as a personal attack against the author, which is never acceptable.
I published the review, but immediately regretted it. I eventually removed it from the site. On Goodreads, where I had linked my review to the blog, I instead posted a brief review that was both fair and respectful:
Home invasion thriller about four doomsday cultists who terrorize a family in a remote cabin in the New Hampshire woods. Rickety premise, but capable execution, despite a frustrating, ambiguous conclusion.
Now when I write a review of a book or movie, I always ask the following questions before I click that Publish button:
- Is the review a personal attack against the author?
- Is the review an emotional overreaction to the work?
- Is the review balanced? Does it cite both the positive and negative aspects of the work? Does it provide examples of how the work could be improved?
- Is the review respectful? How would I feel about this review if it were about my own work?
cool lima bean 