Stump the Chump: What I Look For in a Review

I'm asked questions all the time. . . 

• "What's your next book going to be about?"
• "How much money do you make?"
• "Can you get me an autograph of Ted Dekker?"
• "How come we're all out of Pop Tarts?"

I think I've pretty much covered the answers to those perennial favorites in past posts, but guess what? I've got a new batch of questions recently emailed to me that are all about book reviews. 

BOOK REVIEW QUESTION #1:

"When you're checking out reviews of a new book and trying to decide whether to invest money, and more importantly, your time, into it, what are the most useful tidbits *you* find in those reviews that help you make your decision?"

Great question! And no, I don't say that about every question because I'm of the firm belief that there are stupid questions. 

Before I go forking over cash on Amazon, I always check out the reviews. Sometimes I even pop over to Goodreads and read a few dozen more just because I have a handy-dandy button in my tool bar and it's easy to punch it.

The most important piece of information I'm looking for in a review is what struck a nerve in people. To find that out, I gravitate toward the 1 star and 5 star reviews. Those tend to be the most passionate. If I'm going to read a book, I want it to make me think or connect at a deep emotional or spiritual level. 3 star reviews scream milquetoast. Ain't nobody got time for that.

I want to know why people loved or hated the book. Were the characters flat? The plot implausible? The writing so beautiful it made the reader weep for three days straight?

I also like it if there's a quote or two taken from the book so I can get a feel for the writing. But if there are spoilers, grrr! Especially if I'm not warned ahead of time with a **spoiler alert** and a plot twist is revealed.

It's nice to know if there are any overarching themes such as justice or forgiveness or whatever that's carried out through the story. This kind of information is usually hard to come by, though.

That's what I look for in a review. What about you? Leave your answer in the comment section and I'll enter you in Friday's drawing for your choice of one of Yvonne Anderson's Gannah books.

Oh yeah, and you might want to check out her reviews here.