Everyone handles criticism differently, I suppose. The various reactions depend on the topic of the criticism, the method in which it's delivered, and the personality of the recipient. Like all most sensitive artists, my initial reaction to criticism isn't pretty. I hold my breath for a second, and my face gets red while I fight off a tear or two. Moments later, denial pops around for a minute. After that, of course, self-righteous anger invites itself over for a hot cuppa.
I won't deny that my gut reflex is to take criticism badly. I'm only human, after all. Well, at least I pass as human. Ha ha!

After my five or ten minutes of emotional Twister, however, I settle down and take another look. Now that I've got my little tantrum out of the way, I can approach the situation with more logic and professionalism. What does the review actually say? What kind of review is it? Who wrote it?


I'd guess that a lot of you answered my second question, if not out loud, at least mentally. I also expect the answer was something like, "It's a one star review, dummy! It's a negative review!"
Now, you're all entitled to your opinion here, but I'm going to disagree with slapping the word 'negative' on one, two and three star reviews. Before you all go getting your gotchies in a bunch,  give me a chance to explain.

I believe there are six types of book review.

1. Fake Negative (1-3 Stars):

Yes, I know they exist. In fact, I read one not long ago. The reviewer panned a book and gave all kinds of reasons why they didn't like it, but I'd also read the book and knew the characters and plot. That review was so chock full of misinformation that I could only assume it had been written based on the blurb, or the first five pages. No, it wasn't my book. It was, to be honest, a book I didn't care for, either. It wasn't that the book was poorly written, I just couldn't get emotionally invested in it. I can only assume the review was written by someone with a personal grudge against the author, or by someone who was jealous of the author's success with that book.

2. Negative (1-3 Stars):

These exist, too. In my mind, a negative review is one with a low rating and there is no explanation of why a low rating was given. Either that, or the reasoning is feeble and vague.

3. Critical - (1-4) Stars:

Not every writer or author will agree with me, but I love the critical review! Let's face it, not everyone is going to like my writing. Some people are going to downright hate my writing. Taste is subjective, and that's good! Wouldn't the world be a horribly dull place if everyone liked the same things? What takes a review from negative to critical is how it's written. A reviewer who gives me one star and tells me why they didn't like the story is just as appreciated as the reader who gives me five stars. In some cases the critic is more appreciated. Why? Because the critic gives me direction. Without criticism, how would I know where I can improve? Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to rush out and rewrite my books every time someone tells me what they didn't like about them. I will consider their opinion and decide if they have validity, though, before I write my next project.

I've never claimed to be brilliant and I'm certainly not perfect. I'm simply a lifelong student of the craft. Every day, I learn something new about writing. Some of those lessons become incorporated into my work; some do not. To disregard all criticism offhand, however, would be the height of arrogance.

4. Positive Critical (3-4 Stars)

In retail management, I learned a review method fondly referred to as the shit sandwich. That's where the manager tells an employee where they're screwing up, between giving them positive feedback on two or more things they're doing well. So it's postive-critical-positive. I'm a big fan of this technique. It helps the writer improve their craft, while still making them feel good about their work. The key to a good positive-critical review is keeping the criticism constructive.

Watch for the shit sandwich the next time you're reading book reviews, and try not to snicker when you see them. I dare you. Ha ha!

5. Positive (4-5 Stars)

Don't we writers love this one? Of course we do! Positive reviews are why we get out of bed on any given day. They're what keep us going back to the laptop, desktop, typewriter, (yes, some writers still use those), or notebook, to work on a new manuscript. An excellent positive review, just like a solid critical review, tells us why. I keep a document of my positive reviews on my laptop. On days when I feel the frustration of being a virtual unknown in the writing world, I read those reviews over again and I find the drive to keep going. Positive reviews feed the muses.

6. The Courtesy Review (4-5 Stars)

Hell, we'll take them! No author, in their right mind, is going to complain about a 4 or 5 star review! This reviewer gave us the nod, but they didn't tell us why. Maybe they just felt sorry for us, or maybe they felt some kind of obligation to be generous. Maybe they're a friend on social media, or in real life. Maybe they loved the last book and felt like it would be cruel to tell us they didn't love the next one. Deep down, some of us will wonder whether we deserved that high rating. Sometimes, it's everything a writer can do not to pester that reviewer for more, more more!

So if you're a reader who reviews, please think about what kind of review you're going to give before you begin. If you're an author, try not to let the criticism get you down, but if you can't do that, at least try to avoid calling any 3 star or less rating negative, until you've determined whether it really is.

Happy reading and writing, everyone!