Critics Choice - Would You Give It 5 Stars? New Article...
Published: Wed, 08/05/15
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I was reading one review after another in order to pick an audio book for my vacation, when I noticed something mystifying. After reading several very positive reviews, I would always come across others that made the same book sound like the worst
thing that had ever been written. To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, here’s an example of the reviews I found on the same book:
"Wow! I couldn't stop reading … 5 stars for sure!"
"Amazing writing. I highly recommend to anyone who loves suspense and mystery."
"The story is fresh, suspenseful, interesting, and
very realistic."
"I was disappointed when I got to the end, I wanted the story to go on. To me, that is the true test of a good story."
"Excellent! The best book of the year by far!"
"This book was a spellbinder from the minute the first musical cord was heard. A delicious thriller ...."
"The best mystery book I have
read!"
And then there were others who offered a very different take:
"I had to read the entire thing twice, the plot was so thick, so filled with seemingly unrelated things."
"So many bad things happen in this book ... pointlessly."
"It's so bad that it becomes almost comical ... "
"You'll need a scorecard to keep track of the story lines in this book."
"So boring it’s painful. Don't waste your time!"
"I think the author wrote this book as a form of self-therapy to help him deal with his issues, rather than as entertainment for us."
Same story, two very different responses. I couldn't believe these two groups of people had read the same book. This wasn’t unique to this one title. I found similar disagreement on every book on the best seller list! To whom was I to listen?