Reviewing

I’ve been reviewing for over a year and sometimes it isn’t that easy. But overall, most of the books I’ve read have been wonderful reads and I’ve even gone back a time or three and read the stories again. But there are those times when after reading a book I really have to think about what I am going to write and what rating would be best for this story.

What I look for in a book…

Character development. For most readers, we want to be able to connect with the character on a personal level. We don’t want our Alpha males to be all around superheros who can flatten a thug with just one look. We want him to have flaws and it’s okay if he gets emotional sometimes.

World building. Does the author show us what the characters are seeing in vivid detail or do they just scatter a few objects around the room?

Dialogue. Readers like stories where the dialogue flows smoothly and isn’t choppy or hard to follow. The easier a story is to read, the better.

The plot. Was I drawn in from the first chapter? Did I feel as though I couldn’t stop reading until I found out what happened to the characters? Did the author start out with a great story but slow down in the middle and then bring it back up to speed at the end? Was the ending satisfying? Was the plot believable?

Based on those four things, I give the rating I think would best suit the story. I give my honest opinion, even if the story was slow to start. As long as it keeps me hooked to the very end, I know whatever rating I give, it will be honest.