Five Criticisms You Won't Often See in My Reviews

In my time reviewing and reading the reviews of others, I've noticed just how unique an individual's lens for viewing fiction can be. There are certain things I basically never notice that are bemoaned by other readers, and particular qualities I harp on constantly that might not bother others. Today, I'm focusing on the former. All of these I have probably mentioned once or twice, but they're not criticisms I personally wield often. Please note, too, that I think these are all very valid and important viewpoints, just that my brain doesn't lend itself to them.

1. Showing versus Telling
Under ordinary circumstances, there's both showing and telling, and, honestly, I really don't notice how much of one or the other the author is employing. I see people comment on it, and, while I know what it means, I generally can't really apply it to my reading. This is a huge factor for Kara of Great Imaginations, and she'll mention too much showing for books I've loved, when I had no sense of some sort of imbalance. I don't know why this isn't a thing I pick up on, but it's just not. From what I recall, I have used this criticism precisely once, in my review of Ellen Oh's Prophecy. The fact that I did in Prophecy says a lot about the book.

2. Tears or Terror
Rarely do books actually make me cry. I might feel sad for them and even get shiny eyes, but actually tears happen two or three times a year. Nor do many books make me laugh out loud, even if I found them very funny. Even more rarely does a book scare me; horror movies turn me into a puddle of petrified goo, but books don't get to me at all. I'm not sure why, but no matter how engaged I am in a book, I still keep my reactions internalized most of the time. If a book does manage it, though, you can bet it will be getting a high rating, unless the emotion was rage.

3. Too Much or Too Little Dialogue
Recently, someone asked me what I thought the right proportion of dialogue to narrative is and I was utterly flummoxed. It never really occurred to me that there might be a right or wrong amount of dialogue. However, I have seen this from other people, and I'm sure they're making a valid point. Personally, I think I might be more likely to note info-dumping from the dialogue or that it feels unnatural, not how much of it there is.

4. Slut-Shaming
This one comes up a lot, but isn't something that I bandy around much. The term 'slut' is a really hot button issue for some readers, but I'm just not as bothered. Yes, I think slut-shaming is a terrible thing, but I haven't read too much where I felt like that was the overall message. I accept some uses of the term as natural, because this is how most people think, particularly in high school. Though I might not be proud of them now, I certainly had them. Actually, I think I'm more upset by the focus on purity in a lot of YA, most notably Lauren DeStefano's Chemical Garden Trilogy, than the fact that heroines still call promiscuous girls sluts sometimes. Basically, I think slut-shaming is awful, but it's not something I'm particularly sensitive to. If I notice it, though, I will call it out.

5. Hard to Picture the Setting
You guys, I am not a visual reader. I don't see everything in my head at all, so only if things are really confusing do I ever pull this one out. I'll read reviews that point out that the layout of a room doesn't make sense or contradicts itself, and I'm just so impressed with the attention to detail. Pretty much the only time I comment on the descriptive nature of a book is to praise how well it's done, so much so that even I have a strong image in my head of everything.

This one has nothing whatsoever to do with the topic. I just love it.

All of this is intended to show what I love about reading reviews. I can go to someone else's review of exactly the same book and, even if we have the same opinion on it, their review will raise points that I never noticed. Though there are thousands of reviews out there, we all bring our own unique brains to the table, and I think that's fantastic.