Monday 19 December 2016

The Two Star Review

I am not conceited I don't think. But I do have a healthy appreciation for my own work, what I can do. Some call it arrogance, some call it self awareness. I call it realism.
I'm not used to getting bad reviews for my work.
But today...today I have my first two star review.
It hurts. I won't lie. It hurts like hell. My books are my second babies and anyone can tell you I don't much tolerate people talking bad about my babies.
And yet I asked for it.
Yep.
I asked that the person who wrote this review put it up.
Why did I do that you ask? I'll tell you. Or rather let me show you. Here is the review, go read it.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1842842592


When I wrote Child of Destiny I expected that it would generate some controversy. I mean hell my editor couldn't help going on about 'what am I teaching people about relationships' and there is too much sex, it's gratuitous. We sat down at Java and had a really loud er, discussion, about the sex scenes. Me explaining exactly why each was relevant and he still insisting I needed to tone it down.
I didn't.
Because the purpose of even writing on this was to bring the topic right in your face. It wasn't to draw a delicate veil over the nastier aspects of what happens in relationships. I'm sorry, in Child of Destiny you're probably getting a lot more reality than you're maybe comfortable with.

When I was writing I had a vision of people setting up discussion boards to argue about whether Mya was right or wrong in what she did and how she acted. Was Leo a hero or anti-hero? Do we like them, or do we loathe them; best case scenario, we like them and we loathe them?
And that's exactly what this review is giving me.
She didn't stop at, "It's a good book, or it's a bad book."
She let us know how it made her feel; the characters were real enough for her to be affected by their actions on a personal level. And so two star rating or not, I think this is the best review I've ever received.
+Toinette Thomas is an author as well as a book reviewer. You should check her out. (she did not tell me to write this.)

2 comments:

Sophia @ Bookwyrming Thoughts said...

I will admit that when I saw the words "I'm not used to getting bad reviews for my work," I started freaking out just a little. (More like, "Oh, dear. What am I about to read?")

But anyways, despite the fact you received a negative review, I'm extremely glad that the review was extremely helpful and not a bashing of Child of Destiny. The best books, negative review or not, are always ones that are effective on a personal level. :)

~Sophia @ Bookwyrming Thoughts

Annemarie Musawale said...

Very true.You actually came and read!awesome.