In part one of this week’s theme, I dropped a bit of a teaser at the end: All I humbly ask is if you are going to write a scathing review, please… please for the love of everything that is holy… at least get the characters’ names right (true story).
I’ve had readers ask if that was indeed a true story, or if I was getting a bit flippant with my hyperbole. Alas, dear reader, it is true. Over the years, I have had both positive and critical reviews of my books in which the reviewer incorrectly named a character or misstated multiple plot points. Though this can get in my craw when the review is critical, it pains me more when a reader is raving about how awesome they thought a character was, and how they related to the character’s plight, and… wait, who is this Hans?
Though these missteps have certainly triggered tremendous eye roll from me over the years, I can truthfully say, I still appreciate the reviewer’s effort. I know how busy folks are, and coupled with genuine anxiety about putting their opinions out into the cruel, cold world, it’s truly humbling when people review one of my books.
So, with the whole you take the good, you take the bad philosophy firmly in check, I thought it might be fun to share some of those less than factually accurate reviews that have tickled me or driven me mad. I grant you, some of these are minor, but some are real doozies. Enjoy!
“This book was almost identical to the other books, straight girl supposedly, vampire attraction, and a rescue.” (Well… and this is a bit awkward… at no point in Becoming was either lead portrayed, or implied to be, straight.)
“In this factory she meets Dessa, the other heroine… and the two leads do NOT have a spell of miscommunication and split up because of it, and I am eternally grateful to the author for not injecting that into it.” (Thanks! I don’t care for that whole if only they would talk plot device either, but the lead’s name is Nessa.)
“Maybe I missed something in the synopsis, but I was very disappointed when what started as an interested period piece, and suddenly turned into a slightly elevated children's story. It was all the more frustrating that there was no clue of it in the sample I downloaded to see if it was worth purchasing.” (Cringe… sorry about that. I should have had my graphic designer enlarge the “a romantic fairytale” phrase on the cover.)
“If the book stuck with the witches back in Salem it would have been more engaging.” (I think a book about witches that’s set in Salem would be engaging, too. I did consider that before setting portions of Fallen in Plymouth Colony.)
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