I just finished uploading a bunch of new reviews, one of which I really didn’t want to do. Why? Because I had to give it a low score–2 sparklers. And I hate to do that. As an author myself, I know what goes into creating a book. I know how hard it is to write, then get edited, then get published.

But…that being said, as an editor, I simply cannot look past bad content editing. The story was cute. Really cute. It had an imaginative and unique basis. It had good world building and good characters who do grow and change through the story. What it didn’t have was the cohesiveness that makes a good read. The point of view was all over the place. The author tried to cram as much information as possible into short, choppy paragraphs to the point where it became distracting.

Just in case I thought I was being too harsh, I gave it to two other members of my family to read–my d-i-l (who has an English degree and experience in the publishing field as both a writer and an editor) and my grandson (who has written reviews for this site). And both of them said the same thing. So it wasn’t just me. And yet, other reviewers loved it. So what am I missing? Or is it the fact that it is an imaginative, unique story? Should I upgrade it just because of that?

I refuse to do that, especially where children’s books are concerned.

So… my rating will stand, although I hate to do that to an author. I love books. I love authors. But I will give my honest opinion at all times. If that means your book gets a low rating, I will apologize now, but I will always give a reason for my rating. You can agree or disagree as you want. It’s just my opinion. It’s what I feel when I read the book. I want to love every book I read, but sometimes…that just isn’t possible.