Maddening Things That Reviewers Say

The conversation about reviews and reviewers is tired and boring, with the same things being said over and over, ad nauseam. However--

Lately, as I have taken note of reviewers' casual cruelties, I have noticed a couple of things. And I must get them off my chest.

Those two things are the MOST MADDENING THINGS THAT REVIEWERS SAY. Here they are:

1. IT ALL TIED UP TOO NEATLY.  Excuse me? Do you have any idea how many novelists get raked over the coals for leaving a single thread hanging or a tiny plot point unresolved?  You can be sure that any book where the author has not dotted every I and crossed every T will get criticized for being "unsatisfying" or "unfulfilling" or some other un-word. I drive my authors crazy, reminding them of tiny questions left unanswered that they must answer in the final draft. The whole point of a genre mystery is TO TIE THINGS UP.  Anyone who complains about a plot being resolved needs to read more Thomas Pynchon and fewer genre mysteries.
2. IT WAS CLEARLY SETTING UP THE SEQUEL (said with disdain). You're kidding, right? Everyone knows that this industry is completely and ridiculously mad about series books, recurring characters, and all that. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with setting up a sequel AS LONG AS the book resolves its key plot and subplot. Character arcs and mini-plots can move from book to book--are, in fact, an expectation of the genre. Yes, we have all read books that resolve nothing and force readers to pick up the sequel if they want to know how it all turns out. Such books are an abomination. But there is nothing wrong with SETTING UP THE SEQUEL as long as the book you are holding in your hands (or reading on your screen) is satisfying in and of itself.

Off soapbox.

 

Comments

[Standback]

You're reading "It all tied up too neatly" as something along the lines of "I wish more of the plot threads had been left dangling", but I'd interpret it more as "The conclusions felt artificial, forced, and unconvincing."

You know, "Oh, how convenient, the murderer was the detective's father and he also just happened to have the World Series Tickets the sidekick could use to impress her love interest" -- endings that feel unearned.

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Similarly, "Clearly setting up the sequel" can be taken at face value, as "Why are you even thinking about a sequel or bringing it to my attention." But, it can be a very valid criticism if the book doesn't keep the balance between "wrap this book up and make it satisfying" and "interest me in the next book." If you weigh the balance too much towards building up the sequel, you can get to the point where the reader's going, "Then wait, what am I reading this book for?".

You can have books that start sidelining the book's own plot, making it a sideshow to the next one. Or an element or subplot that don't serve any purpose in this book, that don't go anywhere, that don't do anything interesting, because the interesting part is going to be in the sequel.

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Ultimately, you can't trust a reader for a diagnosis. But you can't dismiss their reactions, either. If something bothered them, then hey, something bothered them. Translating that back to a useful critique is a different matter, but in these two instances, I think there's material to work with :)

[Ronald Tierney]

C'mon, write some stuff. Enjoy your wisdom, insigt, and humor.

[Gail S Kibby White]

I'm a newbie to writing.

After working for years as an Executive Secretary then my own secretarial services business from home transcribing customer's novels for publication, I decided to try my hand at writing my own. I've enjoyed mystery-suspense-thriller stories in book form, TV and movies all my life.

James Patterson is just one of my current favorites including Mary Higgins Clark, Marshall Karp, and Sandra Brown.

I enjoy the way James Patterson has created his series i.e. Alex Cross, NYPD Red and others.

I'm planning to end my first novel (to hopefully be published later this year), Susan's Stalkers - Double the Fear with a lead into what I hope will be the next book in a series.

I just wanted to say I've enjoyed reading your articles and the comments especially the tips for writers.