accusedmedusa
SciFi/Fantasy enthusiast, cheesemonger extraordinaire. In a toxic friendship with romantasy. Fighting the literacy crisis one snide book review at a time.
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3.80 average · 124 reviews
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Have you ever read a book set in a real world location that heavily affected your enjoyment or affection for the story?
I read The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin last year and didn’t like the characters or plot that much, but I loved seeing how Le Guin brought Portland, OR to life. As someone who grew up in the area, I could follow the MC’s commute through the city and how it shaped the novel, and it helped me enjoy my experience a lot more.
On the flip side, I just finished The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin, and struggled to find my footing with the story and the characters. It was well written and there were creative choices I appreciated, but I think I would’ve liked the book more if I had any familiarity with NYC at all.
Does anyone have a similar experience?
When I read a book I didn't enjoy I don't tend to write a negative review I kinda act on the "if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything". I have tried to encourage and develop my critiques into helpful critiques, even if they're negative, but I want to know what other readers do. I'm very interested in what you all have to say.
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accusedmedusa commented...
I am in strong support of negative reviews. I write reviews for myself first and foremost, and crafting a review after finishing a book helps me tease out what about the story didn’t work for me. If I can articulate my experience in a cohesive way, it also makes me feel like I comprehended what I was reading better.
In a broader sense, we are in a period where there’s a huge push in publishing to get out as many books as possible, and I think most of us have seen a dip in quality of recent releases compared to a few years ago. We as readers deserve stories that are well crafted, and authors deserve to have their work edited and supported to be the best it can be. Negative reviews are one way to let publishing houses know that we aren’t happy about the quality of work they are releasing.