Three Sad Nos From Me

I sometimes struggle with negative reviews.  I know how badly it hurts to have someone put down your work.  I can only imagine being an author and reading a bad review over the book you consider your baby.  Many times I do not even bother to write a poor review and just move on.  But I feel like I owe it to my blog readers/vlog viewers/library kids to explain these over the past two weeks.

So, first, a bad review for School Library Journals.
As most of you know, I moonlight as an SLJ reviewer.  I've read some awesome up and coming books, some eh, and now one I could not finish.  Due to my non-disclosure agreement, I cannot write too much here about said book, but I was horrified.  Child abuse, religious indoctrination, animal abuse.  I nearly threw up halfway through.  I emailed my editor and politely declined to read a sentence further.  Thankfully, she understood and gave me a pass on that review.

Second, a Stephen King book.
Wait, what?  Yeah, I had no idea what I was in for here.  I of course grab anything King the moment we get it (perk of being the person who unpacks the boxes hehe).  I absolutely despised Elevation.  The first thing I noticed here was how tiny this book is.  It's more classified as a novella.  And it's a happy, make the world better novella.  It's NOT horror.  It felt ridiculously preachy, as King's personal Twitter have been leaning as of late (hey, I'm not a Trump fan either, but that's not why I follow you HORROR AUTHOR!).  I rolled my eyes several times.  I am 100% pro-marriage for all, love is love, don't care who or what you do in your bedroom.  This was too "let's all be friends".  WHERE IS THE KING OF CARRIE AND CHRISTINE?

Third, a sequel to one of the funnies books I ever read.
I reviewed Denton Little's Death Date on this blog.  If I remember correctly I said I nearly peed myself.  I laughed so hard out loud people stared at me.  I was so hoping for more of the same.  But even stoner Paolo couldn't make me laugh the way he did in the first one.  I gave up halfway through.  It just wasn't funny.

So why bother writing this?  I guess to remind you it's OK to put down a book you really just can't even with.  Whether it goes against your personal beliefs (I will not read about animals being harmed), grates on your nerves (live and let live y'all) or just doesn't meet your expectations (humor was lacking), it's OK to say I need to put this down, whether just for now or indefinitely.  The cool thing about books, is that there are more out there (or on the to be read shelf).  So let go and find something else without guilt.

See you in a few days peeps.

Happy New Year!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

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